Tearing up the rug and biting- help!

I have a bunny who is probably about nine months old. He was neutered a month ago. He is now more aggressive than ever. He has been pouncing (just like a cat would) at my one year old baby and tried to bite him a few times. He also scratches him. This occurs for what seems like no reason. I'm thinking the bunny might feel threatened, but I'm not sure. He also growls at me sometimes and once in a while tries to bite me. He just started this behavior recently, after he was neutered.

Now here is the other thing that is really bad and needs to stop. He has been tearing the rug off my floor. There are patches where the rug is missing. I rent an apartment, so I think I might have to replace the rug. I put a blanket over the spot where he does it most, but he pulls the blanket up where he can. But, the rug is on the whole room, and obviously I can't put a blanket over the whole room. At first I thought he might be bored, but I don't really think that's it anymore, since he does it when I'm there trying to play with him, too. If anyone has any suggestions, please help! I need to stop these behaviors. Thanks!

I'm afraid I can't do anything about the carpet. Bunnys dig and bite carpet. The only thing you can do to stop it is either put something on top like rush matting or coir mats or keep them in a solid floored room when you can't supervise them. Make sure bunny has lots of things to play with, carboard boxes are great for encouraging digging and chewing in the box not your floor, carboard toilet rolls or a bix box full of newspaper or old telephone books. Make sure he's got lots of hay to eat in the same room where he seems to be doing most of the damage.

The behaviour is possibly still a bit hormonal...it can take several months to calm down and also the weather. Does he have free range of the house? If so he will think of all of it as his space and possibly the baby as a threat. If you restrict him to one room for the majority of the day he might get less uptite about his space when you do let him have free range.

To help with the agression I'd recomend lots of handling (with you wrapped up well if it helps build your confidence). Hand feed him everything, encourage him onto your lap with food, stoke him and so on. Reward good behaviour with food.

If you do see him going for the baby, you need to say in a very loud voice "no" and thump; the floor with your foot. Possibly, to show him that you are actually the dominent bunny press his head gently (and I do mean gently) to the floor which is the human version of humping. Do the same if he tries to bite you and if he does bite screem really loudly to show him that he's hurt you. Make sure that your todler knows how to correctly handle the bunny, don't let him pick him up, show him how to feed some food palm outstretched and how to stroke him gently and help him recognise when bunny doesn't want to play any more. Always have some places where bunny can hide if it all gets too much.

Lastly, I'd consider getting him a girlfriend.....a good rescue would help you pick out perhaps a calmer, more affectionate bun (althought you would have to convince them that the todler knows his boundried with the rabbit) and they would help you bond them too.

:wave: try bitter apple spray on the rug area, have used it on buns to stop chewing stitches. they dont like the smell! had the same problem with bunny called alice, she thinks its great to pull up carpet when you were trying to sleep but never did it when we werent their. so in the end they had to go in a hutch when we were out and come down stairs to play, which seems to have worked. as they see it as a treat to go upstairs!

Please be careful with your 1 year old baby though. My bun bit me and I was shocked how deep it was. If it had been my son it would have been down to the bone! They have one heck of a nasty bite.

I posted a photo of it on here too :lol: http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=124249&highlight=arthur

The behaviour will calm down eventually after the neutering but as with dogs and other pack animals you have to show your boss even if that means shutting him in his cage for a while.