My rabbit hates everyone

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Voldii

Voldii

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Aug 13, 2011
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Cheshire, , United Kingdom
One of my rabbits (Merlin) is around 5/6 months old. I brought him with his brother Voldemort as they were the last ones left of the litter and I fell in love with them both. For the past 3 months or so Merlin has been very angry towards humans and rabbits and so I seperated Voldi and Merlin a couple of months ago, got them both neutured and all went well. The vets sai Merlin would stop attacking anyone who went within like a metre of him - he would jump on your feet if you went into his run and make horrible noises and bite and scratch you. I know people say to enter really slowly, but believe me, I do each time and he still does it. Then if you even walk past his hutch his ears go back and he'll charge at the hutches doors. I know about rabbits being prey animals and not liking being handled and also being territorial but since neuturing a few weeks ago his behavious has got worse. I have to remove his food bowl wearing gardening gloves and also someotimes trying to pick him up to move him from his run to his hutch I will wear them. I really don't know what to do to make his less viscious towards humans. Any suggestions? Oh and I am not scared of Merlin, he's only a dwarf so he doesnt hurt too badly, I pick him up really fast first time round so he knows I'm not scared of him so he'll just keep biting my hands and scratching until I put him down where I want to.
 
What's his sight like? His hearing?

What do you smell of when you go near him? Of any predators? Or other rabbits?

I wonder if he has a heightened sense of smell for some reason, possibly.
 
His sight and hearing are both fine. I have no cats or dogs or any other oets apart from 2 more rabbits, but we generally see to him first before the other 2 because I am cautious of smelling like the other 2 rabbits. So I don't think it's any of those reasons... He is due to go to the vets again soon so I will get them to check his sight and hearing again then.

As for his smell, that is possible I guess. :/
 
I have the same problem with Nubbles...as soon as she was spayed she turned into an evil hateful bunny :( She lunges at me whenever I get near her even to give her food and stuff and completely freaks out if my other rabbit, Bob, goes near her...she used to looooove Bob!! Not sure how to break her of it...
 
Aww that's sad, poor Bob. :'( I'm glad mine isn't the only one. :) My 7 year old Netherland Dwarf loves Merlin, he had never had a friend before and is really trying with merlin so he always hops up to his hutch to say hello but Merlin just sits there biting and trying to claw him through the bars. It's so sad! :(
Someone suggested to give them toys to keep them busy, or maybe try and introduce guinea pig with him, not sure if that would work but could be worth a try...
 
Please be very careful with adding a GP. They don't have the same neutritional needs. Plus, if your rabbit is agressive the GP doesn't really stand a chance, it will be injured easily. The pairing usually ends up with a fat rabbit and very thin GP.
 
Wow, so sad to read how unhappy so many bunnies seem to be. One of mine is on the grumpy side, too. She likes our other rabbit, but not people. She got MUCH better, though, once we got them out of the hutch and put them in a shed with a large enclosure, and some "free ranging" time in the back yard every afternoon.

I kind of think that many captive rabbits are bored out of their minds and see us more as prison guards than anything else. And why shouldn't they? That's what we are.

Sorry if I sound negative, but having rabbits myself has led me to think that they are just not well suited to captivity. The very things they love to do -- dig burrows, graze/chew the grass (translates to carpeting and furniture when indoors), pee and poop indiscriminately -- are the very things we humans don't want them to do.
 
As far as im aware spaying/neutering doesn't guarantee a change in rabbit personality/behaviour. I'm wondering if maybe the separation and neutering happened a little too late, not sure if that's possible but just a thought. Or maybe you just have an aggressive bunny. >.< Have you ever spent much time just sitting with him? It might just be a matter of getting him used to you and letting him know you're not a threat and associating you with good things. Maybe spend time sitting in his play area with treats (might want protective clothing) several times a day until he associates you with getting treats and nothing to be afraid of. I'm not an expert on rabbits or their behaviour but it might be worth a try.
 
Yep, I'd give treats a try. Be very consistant, and do the same thing and ammount of time with him a day. Use gloves, and let him bite them. 'Yelp' when he bites the gloves. Also, try a loud, firm NO! everytime so he knows it is not acceptable. Keep working with him. I overcame Jelly and for 7 yr. she was great. She'd lunge at me when I put my hand in sometimes still, but I learned to automatically stick my hand on her forehard, and hold her head down. It worked and she learned submission. Keep working with him, and don't give up. I tap/flicked her on the forehead when she bit me through my finger nail, and then she never did that again. Don't hit or flick. I didn't flick mine, I just don't know how to describe it. Don't hurt the bunny, and seem like your trying or they will just be *Afraid* of you, which is not what you want.
 
Neutering sorts out the hormones which are often what feed the behaviour, but behaviour can also be learnt and then neutering makes less of a change.

There was a lady in almost exactly the same situation as you a week or two back, it was so bad she was thinking about rehoming. The good news is that she's been making some changes and her bun is now a lot happier and less aggressive. So don't give up, they can change.

I would try increasing the space and activities. Some rabbits deal with boredom/frustration by withdrawing and just sitting about, others take it out on their surroundings.

Is it possible to link the hutch and the run so he has more exercise space and time? Perhaps increase the run, depending what size it is. It also means you don't have to pick him up so much. If he doesn't like being handled then using a carrier to move him between areas ma also help. If you think of it from his point of view, he doesn't like being picked up, so he kicks and struggles and then you put him down, so next time he'll do the same thing because it works.

If you can alter things so that you're not getting in to an 'argument' in the first place, your rabbit (and you) will be able to relax more. So, for example, make sure you fill up his food bowl whilst he is in the run, likewise with cleaning out. Use a carrier so your not picking him up, which he doesn't like. Those are all thing he's made very clear he doesn't like, so when you do them in front of him you make him mad and that's going to make any relationship a bit strained.
 
Thanks all your replies are a great help. I'll give him his own run attached to his hutch today and buy him some toys. I'll let you know how I get on. :)

Its a shame that rabbits can assosiate us with bad things. I guess sitting with him with the protective clothing haha and treats will be a way forward.

I got them neutured as soon as I could and they were seperated the first time they ever started to fight. Oh well they are happier seperated then they were togther. Thanks again.
 
Tamsin said:
"Some rabbits deal with boredom/frustration by withdrawing and just sitting about, others take it out on their surroundings."

I agree, and often wonder if the more complacent rabbits who sit and do nothing are actually worse off, because it means they have given up completely. The aggressive ones are still able to show us their dissatisfaction, perhaps still hoping for a better life, even if it means biting the hand that feeds them (which makes a lot of sense, because that same hand is the one that locks the doors).

So, yes, do whatever you can to give him more space and enrich his life. If he never warms up, then just accept it. I know I would never warm up to anyone who kept me confined.
 
When I first got Indy he would lunge if your hand got too close to his head. He was a rescue from a bad situation and only has one eye/deaf on that side.

I found from being consistent with him has really helped! I talk to him as I approach to let him know I'm there, then I tap his forehead so he REALLY knows I'm there, then the food goes under his nose. Now, all I have to do is tap him on the forehead and he starts to drool! It's very cute and the lunging has stopped.

I just wanted to give you a bit of encouragement. When they associate your hands with good things then the relationship really is better. I agree that giving them as much space as possible really helps behaviors.

As far as digging in the house, I have found a 10 gallon fish tank with mulch about 4 inches deep works really well. My buns love to jump in there and dig all around. The mulch doesn't' flyout, isn't dusty,and they stay clean. It's a great alternative to carpet and they like it even better. :)



Edit: I feel like as a bunny slave it is my job to prevent boredom. So many of their natural behaviors can have a mutually attractive outlet, ie the aquarium for digging or apple sticks for chewing. We just have to be creative enough to keep up with our super smart friends! ;)

 
Thank you. I'm starting to understand now. I guess he doesnt get much room with just a hutch. Then he does see my oldest rabbit Midnight run freely round the garden and he must get jelous (but that cant be helped as midnight is too old and nearly fully blind so cant jump the walls and escape but merlin could).

The fish tank idea is really good, he does love to dig so I will definatly use it.

:D
 
"I feel like as a bunny slave it is my job to prevent boredom. So many of their natural behaviors can have a mutually attractive outlet, ie the aquarium for digging or apple sticks for chewing. We just have to be creative enough to keep up with our super smart friends!"

I also feel it is my job to prevent boredom, and love that aquarium idea. Very clever.
 
I've tried toys and treats but he doesn't sedm inteterested in them in the least. However I think it will take time and giving him more space to move around has been the most effective way so far, I've started to see tiny improvements in just a few days so I think with persistance and introducing new toys and ideas will help further improvement.

I know he will never be a friendly rabbit as such and he will always show his aggression but I can at least try and make him a bit less agressive. :) thanks for all your help.
 
with lots of tlc, consistency, and treats ( ok, SOME treats) then I think you'll get him pretty nice and friendly. Just don't give up and keep workng with him though it seems like it will take forever.
 
We tried to soften ours up for a year with toys and treats, but to no avail. Both of them liked new toys/objects, for about 5 minutes. They like the treats, but that doesn't make them like us humans any better. What they really love is to go out and free range in our fenced in back yard. They wait by their door for us to let them out everyday, and then try to evade us when we go to put them back in for the night. They seem to just want to be rabbits, and don't care about us.

I'm not saying this will be the case with your rabbits, but it is for some. It just means you will have to accept them for who they are, and might not get the kind of relationship/affection you might hope for. What I have gotten from them is an education. I've read a lot about them, and find them fascinating. They also forced me to think a lot about animals and captivity; to try to put myself in their position, and think how I would feel. I found that to be an important lesson, considering how many animals are kept in small cages by people, with few people ever really wondering if they are happy.
 
Yes I agree, I have already started thinking more about animals in captivity. But unfortunatly I cant provide any more space for him to run around as he can escape out of our garden if we let him out but at least he has a pen to run around in.

I hope that is not the case for me. My sister seems to have a better bond with him than anyone but unfortunatly she pays him little attention leaving me to look after a third rabbit. He hates me more thab anyone else. :/ I dont mind if he doesnt like to be handled orpetted but I do want to stop the biting and clawing eventually. :)
 
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