Please help!!

[ajohal]

Hello everyone

I have two rabbits, both netherland dwarf. One is called rabby and one is called Nemo. When rabby was one i adopted Nemo from a rescue shelter in April.

His story was that a man was in his garden and saw a rabbit being chucked over his fence into his garden. They think he was unwanted and so disposed off.

I quickly fell in love with Nemo. He was tiny and had the saddest eyes.

I got him neutered a few days after and then started bonding the 2 of them which is now going well.

Nemo has never fully liked me. If I'm sat on the floor he will happily come over to me and sometimes he will let him stroke him.

At first when I picked him up out of his hutch he used to growl at me. (I have to pick him up to bring him in for his dates with rabby and also because i swap the hutches every night). He never tried to bite me so I thought maybe it was his way of telling me he wasn't happy.

But in the past few weeks he has started biting me and I'm having to wear gloves when I pick him up.

yesterday my sister went to fill their bowls and when she was putting the bowl back into the hutch he bit her, and he drew blood.

I don't understand his behaviour. It didn't take him v long to adjust to living here and he is very adventurous and likes to explore. He doesn't seem unhappy.

If anyone can understand his behaviour better than me please let me know or if you can offer any advice on how to make the situation better, as he seems to be getting more and more aggressive

Thanks!

 

[cerigirl]

It sounds like he is just territorial around his house. I would get a water bottle that you could put on the outside of his cage and a hay bin. Start offering treats randomly through the cage and gradually work towards opening his door and offering the treats. Over time he will learn that you being around his house is a good thing (hopefully). Can you place his cage near Rabby's? That way you wot have to pick Nemo up to take him out and can just open thier doors for dates.

 

[JBun]

Is he just like that in his hutch or is he like that when you get him out to run around too? Being territorial over their cage is pretty common. I have a rabbit that absolutely loves being snuggled, but if I reach in her cage, watch out! She'll try and bite me every time. She just doesn't like me reaching in her cage or picking her up, but once I'm holding her she's fine. Your rabbit could also have learned to react this way because of how he was treated before you got him. Sometimes it just takes time and persistance to win them over.

I would suggest using the glove for a while, so he doesn't think the biting is working in getting rid of you. The treat idea is good too. It will help him associate people with good things. I like to use veggies as treats. You can also gently but firmly, hold the head shoulder area down for a few seconds, when he bites or acts aggresive. It is how a dominant rabbit would discipline another rabbit.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Sounds like "hutch aggression", and you don't want him to learn that biting gets him what he wants. In the past, I'd reach in and pin the little monster and then clean, feed, or whatever I needed to do in their hutch--I had two that would draw blood. I read up a bit and the books suggested I treat them in the same manner an Alpha Rabbit would-- pin them or roll them on their back and pin them. The behavior went away fairly quick with one but the other took much more work, but, eventually I was bite and blood free.

 

[whitelop]

My bun is also cage aggressive. She got me really good about a week ago, so when she went at my hand to bite me a few days ago, I pinned her like everyone suggests. She understood. She will still kind of lounge, but she doesn't come all the way to my hand anymore. Shes doing much better. But, my rabbit is also unspayed and constantly nesting; therefore insane.
Its only cage aggression, I can feed her by hand all the time, and I usually feed her bits of things through her cage bars.

I would also try to do things to the cage while hes not in there. Like when you put him out with his friend to play, thats when I would fill the food/hay bowls and the water. That way you don't have to worry about him attacking you.

 

[ajohal]

Can you place his cage near Rabby's? That way you wot have to pick Nemo up to take him out and can just open thier doors for dates.[/quote]

Thanks for the advice I'll deffo try that approach!

As for the cages they are next to each other but I can't put them out there together because it's not neutral grounds!

 

[ajohal]

I tried the shoulder pinning down and it worked quite well, although he seemed a little irritated by it at first.

I knew rabbits were territorial but his has come on all of a sudden so it seemed strange!

 

[miverson]

I am sorry if someone already said this but please please please remember that to have a happy and comfortable bun they need their own space!!!!!!!

You should NEVER force them out of their cage in example by picking them up, and you should NEVER force them into their cage..

This needs to be their safe spot, their home. If you take them in and out at will, it iwll be like a prison not a home.

What I did with my buns is I would open the cage and let them come out. Sometimes it was instance, sometimes it was 10 minutes but they always came out.
In the reverse perspective, if you want them in their cage. Try coaxing him in with a treat. That way hes not upset about being put their.

If you starting doing this I will bet you that you will see results. very quickly that is.


Also, pinning down a bun is showing dominance. Although it is great for those special situations you should refrain from doing that. They may start to think you are only coming to dominate them and push them down. I would try not to do that unless they are doing something bad like fighting, or chewing something they shouldn't