She's bit me hard! I'm jealous of the sweet ones I read about.

[DarcytheDutch]

Weadopted from a rescue a 18 month old spayed female. She was quite sweet when we met her, sat on laps and walked on a harness. I was told she would be great with kids (ourshave good bunny manners)and loved to snuggle. She is indoors. We spend hours sittingon floor while hercage door is open and she hops about. She has a three-story NIC cage (condo). She almost prefers to stay in her cage.

We have had her for several weeks. She hops away if we try to pet her.If you reach out she may lunge at your hand.She has bittenus several times. This last time she left a blood blister (luckily I had on jeans). I had been cleaning out her litter box. She was out of the cage, but in the room. I had beenfinished for several minutes. She hopped over, sniffed, and then bit HARD! She hadn't bitten us for several days. I know that she probably would have done better if she hadn't seen me messing with her stuff, but she get nervous when we take her out of the room (and I was trying to teach my daughter how to clean the box).

Does it get better? My daughter is in tears because this isn't the bunny of her dreams (she worked really hard to convince us to adopt a bunny). She is afraid of her (me too, and I'm pretty animal savvy),you never know when bunny is going to strike. I'm wondering about using the squirt bottle, but since was so new, I didn't want to impact any bonding we might be making.


I have spent hours reading this sight. I'm so jealous of the bunny kisses I read about. Honestly, I would be afraid to bring the bunny up by my face.

 

[Helenor]

How long has your bunny been spayed for? It can take about a month for the hormones to die down. Before my female was spayed, she bit me hard when I messed with her area and stuff. A month or so later, this behavior stopped. She will still bite if she smells my housemate's rabbits on me (she is not bonded to them), but she does come up to my feet and licks them and comes over for pets.

 

[foreverblue127]

My male Bun bit my daughter pretty hard a few times. Once on the face It took some time, but now he doesn't bite unless he is really freaked out. All it took with mine was time. But I am new to owning rabbits. I hope that some more experienced members can give you some advice. Don't give up hope yet. I almost did and I am glad I gave it just a little more time because it was worth it

 

[Eli]

Perhaps you should put bunny in a separate kennel away from her condo while you are cleaning up her area. Imagine that you spent days painting, decorating, and building items for your home and then BAM! somebody ruins it all so you have to start all over again - poor bunny! :O

This book may help you learn how to understand bunny better: House Rabbit Handbook: How to Live With an Urban Rabbit

Your bunny is also a great lesson for your little one. She will learn that through patience and perseverence, there are great rewards! Good luck!

 

[tamsin]

That's a difficult one, it sounds like you did everything right going to the rescue and getting a spayed rabbit etc. so I can understand it must be very upsetting when she turns around a bites.

How long have you had her? It can take awhile for rabbits to really settle in.

Female rabbits can be territorial of their cage, so avoiding this trigger might help. I like the idea of the separate box. I would use a carry case and have it out in the room she usually uses so she is comfortable with it - use one she can walk in. The you can pop something tasty in and close the door when she hops in - use it when you are rummaging about in her cage.

Sitting on the floor is a great way to get your rabbit used to you. It lets the rabbit investigate in their own time and decide for themselves how much contact they are comfortable with. Offering food by hand - even just her usual meals will help reinforce that interacting with people is good.

When rabbits are being aggressive, their ears often go back and slightly out with the flaps folded closed and their body crouches a bit. Rabbits can also nip to express irritation rather than aggressive, for example they may nip to encourage you to move to get out of their way. Obviously, when nipped it hurts so you move and they learn that works. They don't intend to hurt just aren't great at judging how hard is appropriate. If it happens again, try to make sure you don't respond by doing what she wants eg moving so you don't reinforce the behaviour. Letting out a squeal can help too so she realises "that hurts!".

 

[Runestonez]

My hubby and I adopt "aggressive" rabbits.
They are harder to place and I like their attitude!

The good news is that the rabbits all grown into beautiful and fun family members with no more biting!
I have found aggressive rabbits have the best personalities...they just require work and dedication!

Hubby and I set out rules...as soon as we are in the door!
No biting is right there at the top of the list!

You may have noticed she was loving and friendly at first...
then she got her feet under her so to speak...and started being a holy terror...
You can look at it like her being on her best behavior because of a new situation...
and now she has adjusted and adapted...and her attitude is showing!
She WILL rule this house! If you have ever watched Finding Nemo...with the seagulls...MINE, mine mine mine mine mine!

I don't care how old, how abused or how territoriala bunn is...there is no biting allowed in our house!
That being said...if that particular bunn tells us they want us out of their space by using proper body language...litterbox and house cleaning not included...we try to oblige!
Daphne will pick up my papertowels or spray bottle and toss it out the door of his house...or push them with his feet! LOL
Zoe will jump on the vacuum, Portia will grab the evil vacuum and try to physically drag it out of her house! lol

When we brought ourSkittles home she bit me so hard I felt her teeth scrape bone...
we knew she had been in a petstore for a VERY long time and had started biting people...she was in the aisle in one of the cages you can reach in to bug the animals...she had an especial nasty streak for kids!
We wore work gloves for the first wee while...and we would do things she didn't like...like cleaning the litterbox...changing the blankets in her condo...just basically touching her stuff...and when she would lunge or try to bite we would gently but firmly push her head to the ground and say "NO" loudly...hold her head for another sec and then let her go...
But it has to be a constant and consisant effort...she can't get away with it!
Rabbits have a "go with what works" mentality...if you want someone out of your space...and you bite or nip...and it works...then you keep biting to get the same effect.
So you need to teach her biting no longer works...

She is basically laying down the rules in your home...and you need to let her know who the dominant person actually is! (that would be you)
In rabbit speak pushing their head down (rabbits do it to one another)shows the other individuals dominance!

I have never had a waterbottle work with a bunn...one of ours LIKES being sprayed.
And as far as a wee scream...she came back and bit me againbecause she didn't like me screaming! LOL

Skittles was the love of my life...she's gone now, but she was a funny and lovable little girl who adored being brushed!

Our other boy Tucker actually bit the finger print right off of me and ate part!!!:shock:
He was our kids I would NEVER have put near my face! LOL
Now he is a little brat...gets into everything...and gives the best chin rubbs EVER!
he's not a kissy boy...but he is bonded so I think he saves his kisses for her!

Long story short...rabbits aren't cute and fuzzy...they have an attitude the size of Godzilla if they want to!
If she was recently spayed her hormones will die down...but you willl still have to work with her or the behavior she learns now will carry through after the hormones are gone!

Good Luck!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat: I did a lot of reading so that I would know how rabbits react with other rabbits. As with dogs or any other pet, you have to be the Alpha. We've had a couple of biters, no nippers, but they both turned into really great family members. When the would bite or get aggressive, I woould say "NO" loudly and pin them or roll them onto their back and pin them. A little time and work and they modified their behavior and are really great and even still have very strong personalities.

 

[Ponyta]

My gal isn't spayed, so she can be very aggressive and a nipper. I wanted to get rid of both of them so bad, but I decided to keep them despite the problems. I just spent a lot of time with them "inside" their cage, rubbing their cheeks and forheads, cleaning their box, hand feeding them, rearranging things, to the point where now they enjoy my visits. They both still nip me once and a while, if I'm in their way or they're in a bad mood, but there's been no more biting since they started getting tons of positive attention. I've had to push Lily's head down several times, but it's rare. I also demand to be groomed after petting her, and she happily obliges and then grooms Jack.

Like everyone else said, don't let her get away with it. Learn her language and then speak it, so to say. Rabbits have a different kind of dominance, so I've read, that can easily co-exist with our idea of being alpha.

If your kids are scared, work with her before you let them interact until you're confident.

 

[itsazoo]

sometimes it just takes some time, when I adopted my first bunny, Kari..she was awful for about 3-4 months, I would open her cage and run and hide under the covers of my bed because the second she was released she would full on attack me, she drew blood a number of times, bit all my friends and my mom etc.. but I just continued every single night with her, and eventually(like I said it took several months) she did chill out and become a big sweety who would run up to me and ask to be picked up, who loved to be cradled in my arms like a baby etc.. it just took some time for her to trust. (she had been "stray", dumped in the streets)

 

[DarcytheDutch]

That's for giving us hope. It sounds like she needs more time and some laying down of the rules. We have had her for about a month. The hair has grown back on her belly from her spay, but I think the rescue lady commented that the hair was still a bit short (I'm not sure how long it takes for it to grow back).

It's great to hear the stories about bad buns who turned out to be sweeties, with time and effort. I agree that the challenges will make us appreciate her all the more.

Thanks for all the ideas, off to have a little talk with our bunny

 

[MoMo~mom]

I'm pretty new to this myself. Ours was a purchased bunny, pedigree and we'd like to do 4-H with her so we've kept her unaltered.

When we first brought her home she was very chill, relaxed and submissive but as she's become familiar with my home and family she's letting her hair down. She rubs her cheeks on everything, jumps up on all the furniture and tonight kicked my cat's butt for bothering her!

I KNOW there's a good bunn in there so I'm going to use the tips here to keep correcting her. I also found stomping a foot loudly and clapping will sometimes get her attention, although sometimes she turns on me like "Wanna fight?" so I'm hoping the head pinning will leave a little less guesswork as to who the boss is .

 

[jujub793]

all wonderful advise!