Mean bunny!

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Bentley

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Sep 21, 2009
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Location
Central Minnesota, Minnesota, USA
Lately Bentley's been being really mean. I don't know why, but when I take her out of her cage she spazzes out (she use to do this, because she came from a pet store and she was dropped as a baby, when I got her I tamed her and she didn't do it.. now she's doing it all over again) and today I picked her up, then i don't know, maybe I grabbed her wrong, but she flipped over in my arms and scratched my neck. Then I put her down on the ground and tried to pet her and she took her front paws and tried to attack my hand. I yell at her, obviously I'm frusterated, but I don't know how else to teach her or what to do with her anymore? She's been nipping to, however she usually does that.
 
well, i know exactly how this is...it is frustrating..usually when Vegas or Poker get a little snippy or try to scratch me, i gently push their heads down...just gently though, and it makes them back off a little...it helps show them to stop without having to yell..try it and see if it works for you.
 
How old is she? Has she been spayed? I wouldn't call the flipping over and scratching you being "mean", she must have been uncomfortable with how you were holding you so she flipped over and the scratch was incidental. Bunnies don't intentionally scratch like cats do.
 
Oh, I forgot to say, a method that's worked well for me when my guys have bitten is similar to P0ker's. When they bite, say "NO BITE" sternly (but don't yell), gently but firmly push her head to the floor and hold it down for several seconds, then pick her up and return her to the cage. Don't pet her or give her anything to eat or anything, just plop her back in the cage, close the door, and turn your back on her. Ignore her for the next several minutes. Don't even look at her.

This method has worked well on my guys.
 
You could also try giving her a cage with a door low down, so she can enter and exit the cage on her own.
Lots of rabbits don't like to be picked up, and certainly not out of their cage.
Their cage should be their "safe" space, where they feel they can retreat to and feel safe when they want.
Ideally, you should not even clean it while they are in it.

Poker's and Shiloh's method of holding down the head has worked for our White Chocolate too. It is the rabbit's method for showing who is boss. The leader of the warren will pin other rabbits' head down to show dominance. So, you need to be the "ruler" of you rabbit's warren :).

Gentle discipline like that, lots of patience, and respecting the bunny's own space, really do help a lot.
 
Hazel-Mom wrote:
You could also try giving her a cage with a door low down, so she can enter and exit the cage on her own.
Lots of rabbits don't like to be picked up, and certainly not out of their cage.
Their cage should be their "safe" space, where they feel they can retreat to and feel safe when they want.
Ideally, you should not even clean it while they are in it.

Gentle discipline like that, lots of patience, and respecting the bunny's own space, really do help a lot.

Exactly, Hazel-Mom! Sometimes, unfortunately, we can't hold the buns and sqeeze them like we like to. They like the space too. Many of them hate to be picked up, that is true! I am guilty of picking mine up against their will, haha. They're just too cute sometimes...:p

But, yeah, let them get used to the new environment and you first.:D
 
She's around 4 years old, and hasn't been spayed because she use to live with another rabbit and that rabbit (a male) was spayed instead of her. My parents don't have the extra money to get her spayed either. I know it might be because of that though.

She has a hutch thing added onto her cage, so if she didn't want to come out she goes in there (I open the door, she either runs into her hutch or she sits there) I have to pick her up to get her out, because she isn't allowed to run around our house and her cage is off the ground.

I'll try using the no bite method, I'm expecting that she will learn it because since I've had her I've taught her a bunch of stuff.

This morning she was rubbing against my mom's plants, and I was wondering why? She went up, brushed up against them, and I yelled "Bentley" to which she stopped rubbing against them and ran away. But minutes later she would returned to them, and at one point started eating the leaves (so I put her back in her cage) anyone know why? I'm not sure what kind of plant it was.. it is a small plant with furry leaves.
 
Bentley wrote:
This morning she was rubbing against my mom's plants, and I was wondering why? She went up, brushed up against them, and I yelled "Bentley" to which she stopped rubbing against them and ran away. But minutes later she would returned to them, and at one point started eating the leaves (so I put her back in her cage) anyone know why? I'm not sure what kind of plant it was.. it is a small plant with furry leaves.
Have you read through the library here?:D We have awesome information in there.:D I still go there to reference things as I can't remember everything, haha! Anyway, it's pretty neat stuff to read about your buns:p.

The rubbing on things is called "chinning" and they are just putting their scent on the object, claiming it as their's:biggrin2:;). So, it's a good thing, means the bun is getting used to his environment.:)

 
Bentley wrote:
Oh, no I haven't read through the library, but I get it now. :)

If you have any trouble accessing anything that you are curious about and can't, let us know. Sometimes there are issues, could be software, but just let us know if you encounter that.:D

Thanks for visiting the Library!!:biggrin2:
 

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