• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

I'm new at this

Star101

New Kit
Hello to everyone... :wave: :)

This is my first rabbit. My wife and kids have a total of 9 rabbits, and they breed them from time to time. Well there was this one of 2 that was born back in August. This one rabbit was a runt, it got stomped on, picked on, pushed around, I'm sure you get what I mean.

I built a rabbit shed for all of the rabbits, however I took a strong liking to this runt one, who is now called star. Somehow star managed to live in my house, I always said no rabbits will live in here, because of other animals. Well I broke my own rule (not to the kids liking, jealousy kicked in) and she lives w/us.

We get along just fabulous, bonding all the time and we are very affectionate with each others. Well one day, she started to try and dig a hole in my couch, I have a very expensive couch. I did not like that, and firmly told her no! This did not stop her, so I bopped her in the nose w/another no! To no prevail.

Now I won't let her on the couch for her digging reason, and I swear to you, she has held this grudge since. This all started about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Now when I go to pick her up, she tries to bite me, not all the time though. On some occasions she will run at me and try to bite, and she is quick.

Well early this morning, she growled at me and attacked, threw me for a loop. Every time she tries to bite me, she will instantly lay down and sort of say I'm sorry, now she wants me to scratch/ message her ears. She is super affectionate, but has a personality change for 3 seconds, every now and then.

I won't be getting her fixed, thus the wife will breed her later. Do I need to get this rabbit a DR Phil :lol: or is there something I can do to stop this behavior of hers? She loves to be held and petted, she always had no problem being picked up, either from underneath or by the top of her neck. this all started after I said no!

I really think she is to dang spoiled and expects to get her way. I do try to give her free amount of space to roam, and the dog took a liking to her also. They love to play, until they collapse in exhaustion. Thanks for reading my long, long post. From now on, I'll try to keep things under a 100 words. :lol:

PS. glad to be in here, hope to make some new friends....
 
hiya, just reading trhough yoru thread.

first up, welcome to teh world of rabbits! they can be little menaces when tehy liek, butyou have to love them lol.

bopping her on teh nose may be one of the initial reasons she's taken a disliking to you...i know it probably wasnt hard, but i wouldntw ant soemoen to bop me on teh nose....we just use to pick sam upa nd drag her away when she was a house bun,a nd trie dto help us strip teh lounge! alternatively when we bonded sam with domino the vet suggested a water sprey, as rabbist dont liek taht, but it doesnt hurt them atall.

it could also be hormonal, tho that tends to occur more in males. i know you say your wife wants to breed her at a later date, buta s the runt of teh litter i have toa sk is taht such a good idea? wills he be upto carrying babies, delivering them, and looking after them? also i'm assuming your wife breeds to sell? as teh runt woudl she therefor be the best potential mum, if her offspring carry her genes? just a few thoughts: i've never bred rabbits before (only budgies and rodents, so can't comment on buns directly).

last up don't forget speying her could have other advantages....it reduces the chances of uterus cancer, which causes a very slow, painful, and early death, in alot of female buns.

anyway i hope that you get things back on parr with your little lady.
 
I reckon her hormones have kicked in and she's being territorial. Because she demands grooming after biting you I'd imagine that she believes she is head rabbit and is putting you in your (rightful ;-P ) place, beneath her. :lol:

I really think once a female rabbit has become hormonal the only thing that will fix it is spaying. Surely if you have bonded well with her and taken her as a house rabbit you'll be allowed to keep her as a pet and choose if you want to spay her?

I wont say anything about the breeding part as I'm sure others will have stuff to say about that.

Welcome to the forum. :)
 
Thank you for your welcomes and responses, as far as bopping her in the nose, it was never hard, more of a gesture. We bond really well, she lays on my chest for as long as she can, to be petted. And I mean we really get along. When I get home from work, she runs right up to me, no loss of trust whatsoever.

Maybe I do need to get her spayed. Being territorial, that could most certainly be part of her reaction. Don't get me wrong, she doesn't make a habit with biting me, this only happens about 1 time every 2 or 3 days. She is also only 4 months old, is hormonal starting at that age w/rabbits?

I also believe that she is so spoiled, she is trying to tell me to do something for her when she goes to bite, she is just not happy about something. So her wanting to be groomed makes a lot of sense to me. Deelove, I tend to think your making a lot of sense here, and I appreciate and welcome your knowledge. Now I'll talk with the wife about the lessons I have learned here and we'll go over the spayed situation.

Oh, don't get my wife wrong either, she knows what she is doing. She will guide me in the right direction, but I want to learn what I can about rabbits on my own and ask her questions when I absolutely have to. Thanks again all...
 
Most of mine became hormonal at around 5-6 months, and were spayed then.

Your best speaking to your vet about spaying her. Some vets like to wait until the bun is 6months old, others say as soon as they weigh more than a kilo.
 
:wave: Defo sounds hormonal - i would get her speyed and it should calm her down a lot - with my buns neutering/speying has always stopped the undesirable behaviour eh biting or spraying me etc.
 
Yeah probably the hormones but saying that - Guinness used to get in a strop with me when i used to tell him off, he would go days without coming near me at first, but now if i tell him off he seems to just climb all over me and pays no attention whic is not good!

Some rabbits bite more than others though, even if its just to get your attention and not meant in a bad way, you'll have to keep telling her off though otherwise she will think its ok to bite you!
 
The only thing I can add is rabbits respond to aggression with aggression.

They do not understand punishment for negative behaviour and associate it with you rather than the behaviour (in this case diggin on the couch). They can only be taught through positive reinforcement and reward based training.

They can be taught to understand the word No, though, when No means stop what you are doing and you will get a treat ;)
 
Last edited:
I did just want to add, this is a rescue friendly forum.

Most people on here do not advocate breeding for several reasons. There are over 30,000 rabbits in rescues all over the country, you don't seem to properly know each rabbits history that you breed from hence you got a 'runt'.

Please, please think very hard before you breed and consider the animals welfare. Unspayed does have a very high chance of uterine cancer, uterine anurysms.

You wanted advice about behaviour, the only way to stop her behaviour is to spay her and she'll become a happier rabbit!
 
Hi and welcome!:wave:

I agree with getting her spayed, as a house rabbit, really it would be more beneficial to her to be spayed, she'll be much happier and less destructive.

I'm not going to go into a rant about breeding rabbits, however, as the runt, I would of thought she wouldn't have been 'good breeding stock' and would only produce more runty rabbits?
 
Hello and welcome! :wave:

It definitely sounds as if your doe is hormonal! That's exactly what happened with mine, only when they were a little older (around 8 months). Spaying her would likely solve this problem, and is also much better for her health - as has already been mentioned. :)

I would also like to advocate not breeding - I know it may seem fun, but there are so many thousands of rabbits in rescue centres all around the country, breeding "for the sake of it" can't really be justified. Also, simply putting two mixed-breed rabbits together is an unknown quantity, and you will tend to end up with runts and other genetic defects. Perhaps the breeding should be put on hiatus for a while? Just a suggestion. :)

Once again, welcome to RU, and I hope you enjoy your time on here!

AMETHYST
 
Hi all, let me start first with I whole heartedly understand what your telling me about the spayed business. However, I live in the USA, we don't have the problem with over population when it comes to Rabbits. My wife does know the histories of all the rabbits we have, she is 42yrs of age and been raising rabbits since she was a little girl.

I'm the ignorant one, she is watching me and guiding me to a point, but its up to me to raise the one I have. Its a wonderful bunny, I do not abuse this bunny. I talked with a veterinarian today about getting her spayed, the cost will be around $100.00, I don't know what that is in pounds. So I'll more then likely take her there in a week or 2, this is my decision and not my wife. She understands and will let me do what I wish.

Maybe my term/meaning of a runt is different then yours, runt to us, is a smaller size animal, smallest of the litter, sort of speak. She is now, almost the same size as her sister is. Anyhow, I didn't mean to misinterpret any one here, I can clearly see the affection everyone here has for their bunnies, so do I. Thanks for reading and I hope I didn't offend anyone in here, as I stated before, I'm new to this and I'm learning everyday something new. With all of you helping me, I'll learn that much faster....
 
Thanks for explaining! :wave:

I understand better now, thanks! Great to hear you're getting her spayed, and it sounds like once she's calmed down from the hormones she'll make an even lovelier houserabbit than she already is!

I second the picture request! :wave: :D

AMETHYST
 
Hi all, let me start first with I whole heartedly understand what your telling me about the spayed business. However, I live in the USA, we don't have the problem with over population when it comes to Rabbits.

That is however not quite true... I know of people working in rescue in the States, and they are as much overrun by homeless rabbits as we are over here in the UK! Check this site: www.rabbit.org, in particular http://www.rabbit.org/adoption/overpopulation.html . This site also has a wealth of information about all things rabbit. :D

It's great that you are having your bunny spayed and well done for even just taking her into the house. I bet she is having a great time with you!

Vera :)
 
Last edited:
I think $100 is just under £50 which is pretty good for a spey. Over here a spey averages £70 so about $140.
 
Back
Top