New Bunny Biting

[Chelw114]

So here's a little background. We got a male Holland Lop about a month ago and have been working on earning his trust. We were doing fairly well until a few days ago when he got an eyelash in his eye that was clearly bothering him. I wrapped him up in a towel and used some saline to rinse it out. His eye is now totally fine but he runs when I try to touch him. What can I do? I obviously had to help him but he's holding a grudge. He was already pretty distrustful when we first got him so this has been very discouraging.

On top of that we also got a female Holland Lop a few days ago and at first she seemed super sweet. It was very obvious that the lady we got her from had worked hard to make sure she was used to being handled. However over the course of the past 48 hrs she has gotten progressively more skittish and aggressive. She's nipping a lot and actually bit down hard on my sons finger and drew blood. He didn't try to pick her up or do anything that should have caused that. He was bleeding off and on for hours. What am I doing wrong? I just want my bunnies to be happy and enjoy my company. I'm trying not to overwhelm them but clearly I, doing something terribly wrong! Please help me!

 

[Blue eyes]

How old are these bunnies? Are either of them fixed?
Introducing a second rabbit into the household can upset both rabbits. Are you intending on bonding them eventually?

The first 48 hours with the female, she should have not been handled whatsoever. If she was, that could explain (partly) what is going on. She's simply scared and trying to adjust to a very stressful situation (moving to a new home).

Have you taught your son bunny body language? RAbbits do warn before they ever resort to biting. Rabbits cannot just be pet whenever the human feels like it. They do let us know when they don't want to be bothered and ignoring that can provoke aggression -- especially in a still-adjusting-to-new-home rabbit. If she's also hormonal, that will only intensify possible aggressive behavior.

Being anywhere that she can sense the male rabbit can also wreak havoc. There's just a lot going on with her all at once: new home, new male scent, new people, possibly too much attention.

 

[Chelw114]

The female is 8 weeks old and the male is 3 months old. They are completely separate right now. How can I undo the damage done by handling her/overwhelming her right away? We are planning on bonding them eventually but I was waiting until she got used to is first.

 

[RavenousDragon]

First I'd let her relax a little bit- only handling when necessary. Just for a little while. Then only handle her with treats- so she associates you with happiness. Maybe try to keep any children away from them for a little while (children are often scary for little buns at first).

 

[Aki]

The male avoiding you is completely normal. He barely knows you, just got used to his new living space after leaving his mother, and you did something he really didn't like nor understand (even if you had to do it). Rabbits can hold a grudge for a very long time - Aki used to avoid me for days everytime we traveled, went to the vet, everytime I cut her nails... now she only takes a day or two, but she's known me for 7 years!
Just leave him alone, offer some treats like a piece of carrot without trying to touch him and he will calm down when he feels ready. Make sure to give him a small house (like a cardboard box with several doors) so that he can hide whenever he feels uncomfortable and try not to bother him while he's inside to let him know he's got a space where he's safe.
You'll have to be very patient. Rabbits aren't dogs or cats, they are really "my pace" kind of animals and most of them are really skittish. A lot of them don't enjoy being handled at all, or even being petted. Rabbits have never been bred for temperament, only for colors and furs, which means they evolved very little from their wild cousins.
Getting down on the floor (sitting or even laying down) and letting the rabbit come to sniff you then offering a treat is often the best way to make the rabbit more comfortable with you.
How was your son bitten? Are your rabbits kept in cages? Did he put his hand in the cage, or touched the tail of the rabbit? Did she growl? You always have to approach the rabbit from an angle where they can see you (the sides of the rabbit, not from the front, as they've got a blind spot and will lash out if they can't see what's coming).
If kept in a cage, how much free time do they have? The more they are kept confined, the more territorial they get - not being able to put your hand in the cage of a rabbit who is mostly kept locked up is pretty common (I even knew a rabbit who bit everytime his owner tried to move one of his things like a food bowl or the litterbox - he was pretty scary ^^).
Also, as you probably know, you'll have to neuter and spay those two rabbits whenever possible (in one or two months for the male, five to six months for the female) and wait a month after that for the healing process to be complete before attempting to bond them.

 

[Blue eyes]

The female is 8 weeks old and the male is 3 months old. They are completely separate right now. How can I undo the damage done by handling her/overwhelming her right away? We are planning on bonding them eventually but I was waiting until she got used to is first.

The others have already offered some sound advice.
I agree to just go very slowly with her and let her be the one to dictate the interaction level. This is done simply by, when it is exercise time, opening her cage door and letting her hop out in a limited area with you sitting inside that area. Let her approach you and when she does, ignore her -- at least for awhile. This is how she can learn that you are "safe."

She's too young to offer treats, so you can instead use her pellets (or hay) as "treats." If they are hand fed to her, then she will see them as a treat. (This is for during that sitting in a small space session.)

The male is just coming into his hormonal time, so you may see a change in his behavior. He can be neutered as soon as your vet okays it. It can take up to 8 weeks after surgery before hormones are fully dissipated. And he can still impregnate her immediately after surgery.

Most vets will wait until a female is 5-6 months of age before spaying. Some will go earlier. Again, as soon as your vet says okay, then she can be spayed.

You'll need to wait until after both rabbits are fixed and healed before the bonding process can begin. Until then, they'll still need to remain separate. Trying to introduce them before that can cause problems that could prevent them from ever bonding. So it isn't a matter of just waiting until "she got used to us." It won't be until after their surgeries.

In the meantime, try to reserve some area in your home as a future neutral space which will be needed for when bonding does begin. This neutral area will need to be someplace which neither rabbit has ever been at all. So keep that in mind as you work on giving each rabbit its own space to roam in the interim.

I also have a page on my website here that may help with showing how to let your bunnies warm up to you.