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devotedmommy

devotedmommy

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Okay so we just got our bun about a week or soago (so not long). I am not sure if this is still an adjustment ,which I hope that all it is, but she has nipped be twice when I have gone to put her food in her cage. She has lunged at and bitten my husband when he was trying to get her at bedtime to goback in her "home". I assume that he probably scared her, not intentionally. But, she drew blood (ouch!). I know people will be concerned we are thinking of getting rid of her but we don't really consider that an option we just want to work the problemout or learn to livewith it I guess. I am just looking for advice on how to handle it. We want to be able to still let her out to play we just don't want to make it a bad experience for everyone involved. Also, I want to be able to feed her with ease! Please any help would be appreciated and all suggestions followed!
 
Ifshe isn't spayed it would be a good idea to get that done. Hormonal females are more difficult to deal with and spaying does calm them down.

I had a male who was a terrible biter (before he was neutered)and scared me to be around him . After he really bit me bad I started to wear gloves when I handled him so I wasn't so nervous. After he was neutered he never bit again.

Sometimes when I am dealing with a difficult or scared bunny I give them a set up where it isn't necessary for me to handle the rabbit . I have x-pens (like puppy pens )that most of my rabbits live in.
If you need a cage too you could use a large dog crate and attach a puppy pen around the open door and let her come and go .
I am sure that she is also nervous from all the changes in her life .

They all have different personalities unforunately some of them get aggressive from fear

They usually will calm down in time just from consistency and attention.
just be patient, talk to your rabbit before you attempt to handle her or approach her ;try a different living arranagement and get her spayed (if she is old enough)
 
I don't have much time, buta fewquick things- does she have a cage that she can get into and out of on her own for playtime? If not, change that.Schedule her feeding times to happen when play time is done, and use that as a way to reward her for going back to her cage.Do this at the same time every day, rabbitslike many animals are creatures of habit. If all she gets ispellets and hay and she's not that interested ingoing into the cage for them, addsome veggies or a small treat.

Also,try not to feed her while she's already in her cage. It's her territory and she sees it as an invasion.

Bigger cages (what is yours?) with hidey boxes also help toreduce/diffuse cage aggression. And toys, especially those that can be ripped apart or shredded.

This is actually a very common problem and many of thefemale rabbits that come into the local Humane Societyhave this problem. All they usually need is some adjustments to their routine and care, and a spay.:)

Oh, and I like these spunky gals the best.:):):)
 
She is spayed and she does have a cage she can get in and out on her own. I let her out then put her food in and I try to put the food in toward the end of her playtime, the one in the evening. She is not inticed to go back in by treats or anything like that. I was thinking of doing the pin thing that you suggested AngieLuv but I would still need to handle her for grooming, she's an angora. What kind of gloves are you talking about maybe that would be a good option until we are both more comfortable with eachother. I do really feel for her because I know I wouldn't be adjusted in a week. My husband and I are both convinced this is why the lady got rid of her and didn't tell us which we still would have taken her at least we would have been prepared though. From what we know her story is she was a 4H bunny then she was surrendered to the shelter. Then the lady we got her from took her from there, she worked there, which is why we think when she wanted to get rid of her she didn't want to take her back there. Either way she is with us now and we love her even if she doesn't recipricate the feeling yet! We will win her over! Oh, and I saw the other thread about grunting she does that too!! I've never had a rabbit do that to me before!
 
Ok I have a boy from a shelter also.
Now let me say this befor I say anything else. I am not very experienced yet but I can give you what I have experienced at this point with storm.

I brought him home Jan 7

He is in my pic he is the only bun in this house and we got him after ike from the shelter ok now you know the history a little.


When I first got storm we had him in this outdoor hutch thing. But he was inside.
The first week of having him he bit me grunted scratched me and ran the other way when he could.
I started by being the one to always feed him and made him get his piece of celery out of my hand. His rabbit is head over heels for celery.

So over about 3 weeks he finally stop grunting that was the first thing that stopped. He still bit and scratched. So then I started laying on the floor when he would get run time. He would sniff the moment I moved he was gone like a flash of light.

This time would have been around fed 1st
Trying to give you a time line.

Then I found these yogurt treats. There made for ferrets but being a dwarf the rabbit ones where to big.
I would put the treat 2 feet in front of me not in my hand or anything but trying to get him used to being around me when I move. He would pick the treat up and run away.

So we played that game for a bout 4 to 5 days. Then he would eat the treat right there so I bought it closer. Played that game for about 3 days then it got to where he would eat it out of my hand. This is probably about feb 15.

I did all this while laying down. He started investigating a lot more and at that point I could move without scaring him.

One day around a week or so ago I pulled to treat out and he cme running and attacked me in a good way for the treats.
i can pet him mess with his cage now.
I cant go pick him up and love on him he still has not groomed me. And wont jump in my lap on the couch but where making progress.

This is over 2 months

Now my husband is a different story.
all storm tollerates is him cleaning his cage anything else no way.

Sorry about being so long but I wanted to give you a idea.
I know storm did not have a good life befor if he did they would not of left him by the dumster.

Just think about what your girl has been through could you cope knowing you could protect yourself.
Well rabbits cant and they know that.
Look at it from her eyes
that what I had to do befor I brought storm home.

To know I wanted him.
Ok crying

I just wanted to give you some support by telling you all this so you understood it can take time.



 
Awwww, you guys are all so great for taking care of these bunnnies!! To think that they had no homes and you all took them in and are helping them is wonderful!!

:biggrin2:
 
Mrs. PBJ- Thank you that does give me hope. I do try and look at from her point of view I know I wouldn't be used to a new home in a week or two. I just wanted some ideas on how to work on getting her used to us and comfortable in her new home. Thank you for all your suggestions she will eat hay and apple slices from our hands and I lay on the floor when she's out and she darts away like you mentioned as soon as I move. I am going to buy the yogurt treats today and try that just to get her to come near me that is a good idea! You and your bun give me hope!! My husband tells me don't worry she is not a little satan she has had god knows how many homes in the last couple months. Oh, and I mentioned the lady before us we think had this same experience and just didn't want to work through it and we are starting to think she just put her outside, which isn't bad but I don't think they handled her much, because her feet were green when we got her and they arent anymore.
 
PBJ has some good suggestions..

I have so many rabbits that if I have a problematic one that I have less time to deal with it the way it should be dealt with.

First of all I understand how easy it is to dislike this type of rabbit as afterI was bitten rather severely I had to workthrough feelings of disliking the rabbit.

That is normal but you can work through emotions like that by thinking it out..that her life was probably not very happy and /or she may also have a more difficult personality (like people)

I used a pair of winter gloves (which was stupid) but they were the closest at hand.

I would recommend maybe a pair of gardening gloves or leather that is thin and not bulky but that she cannot bite through. Anything that she cannot bite through that is not big and bulky . Animal control (at our shelter) uses these huge thick leather gloves that would scare a rabbit.

I was afraid of dealing with him without the gloves so it was better for both of us that I used them because he could have picked up on my fear.
 
You've gotten great advice so I just wanted to tell you tohang in there!I went through something similar with my boy when I got him. He came with "issues". It took about 3-4 weeks for him to not attack me when I put anything in his cage (I wore leather gloves if I needed to reach in when he was in there). I used a lot of the advice you've already gotten. I gave him a much bigger cage that he could go in and out of himself, limited how much I had to reach in his cage while he was in it, etc. I laid on the floor and read alot when he was out. Craisins as treats work well too. Mine loves dried papaya as well (very small pieces).

My rabbithas turned out to be quite a personality. I've had him a year and a half. He now loves attention and is quite demanding about getting nose rubs. He will even let me hold him if it involves nose rubs. Now he will climb all over me if I lay on the floor and read. He will climb up onto the bed on weekend mornings and jump all over us, nudge the newspaper out of our hands, etc.

She will come around and realize that you are her friend. It will just take a little time for her to adjust but I bet it will be worth the extra effort! Good luck.


 
Everyone is right I can't wait tell the day storm jumps in my lap it makes it all the better when you have to work for it.

If you read my blog I get so excited when storm makes a mile stone.
Like recently he has started coming to the cage bars when I walk by.

I had to work for him to love me.
So that day he jumps in my lap and grooms me I will probably scare him and my husband screaming so loud.

Cause I have worked for it.
Its easy when you get a baby or a well taken care of bun but to work for it makes it all worth wild.:biggrin2:

 
Thank you everyone for all your excellent advice I really appreciate the support. Sometimes, I feel so bad because she is an angora we have to get her and groom her more often than maybe another breed but once we get her and we are grooming her (combing her hair) she is calm. So, I hope this gets her used to being held. fingers crossed today she went back in her cage all by herself!! YAY Mrs. PBJ maybe I should start a blog too to document the little devils behavior, although a picture of her lunging at me may scare potential bunny owners LOL We'll see it might be fun to show the terror bunny hopefully eventially turning into a princess! Well I am off to read your blog thanks again to everyone!
 
My little cottontail is afraid and we have to snag her now and then..... she's fine when we have her too.

Now, Tony, is very territorial in his cage and has bitten me quite hard before. Outside of his cage he's an angel.

Give her time..... she's probably just scared and needs time to learn to trust you.
 
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