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Lunging/biting bunny at dinner time

ShivyRex

Mama Doe
Hi all,

Winter is a lovely bun and will often let me stroke him - he loves a nose rub. Outside of his hutch when running in the garden he is good as gold and will even let me pick him up no problem. The problem I have is whenever I got out to give him his bowl of pellets in the morning or veggie at night he lunges at me, growls/grunts and he even bit me tonight altho hasn't made a mark but that only because I am wearing a thick top.

He has been like this pretty much since I got him and have put it down to him being territorial of his hutch/run. Altho I am not sure if it is actually posessiveness over food. I am wondering if there are any methods to reduce it as I get so frustrated when he does it and it makes me feel terrible as I take it personally :oops: :( (which I know is ridiculous but I can't help it!)

He is being bonded with another bunny in the next few weeks and then going into a new hutch/run with that bunny if successful. I am wondering if this kind of possessiveness is going to hamper the bonding process also?

Any tips advice will be most appreciated.

Thanks
 
I had exactly the same with Bella - it was scary and putting your arm into her cage without distracting her first was asking for trouble - I got bitten and scratched quite a few times when I forgot and put my hand straight in, not to mention her swiping the bowl and spilling it all over the place.

I had to distract her by throwing a few pellets or bit of veg to one end of the cage while quickly putting the rest down.

I was worried when she started to live with T that she wouldn't let him near food but she's calmed down so much since living with him that it's not been a problem. He's realised he needs to eat fast or miss out, and I do give them separate bowls, though they're quite happy to share bowls too. When they first starting living together I didn't bother putting the veg in a bowl - I'd just scatter it over quite a wide area and it kept her so busy that she didn't mind that T was also eating it. She still buzzes quite a lot and gets impatient with me if I don't put her bowl down as quickly as she'd like, but I just distract her by throwing a bit down on one side and putting the bowl down on the other side.
 
Tia was like this, and Benny was when I first got him - even in this weather I ALWAYS wear a pair of thick fleece gloves and long sleeves to put the food dish down - I also stopped using the crockery dishes after Tia bit me - I wanted something I could quickly chuck in there before she went mad, and something I didn't need to refill (I can pop a full dish on top of the empty one and remove both when bunny is out playing) so I bought loads of those little plastic cat dishes that stack on top of one another (from wilkinsons of course :lol:) - only 40p each or something - Benny loves to play with his afterwards - I hear him chucking it about :)
 
PS - with my group of girls I put food on the floor so they don't have to share a dish - they are so good though when I hand feed them treats (good job as I can't wear gloves to do that) - very gentle and well mannered with me - but not with each other! :)
 
Hmmmm well it seems perhaps he is just going to be like this always then :? As long as I know that I guess I can just make sure I don't get injured. Hopefully once he has a girlfriend he will calm down a bit.

I do the same distraction techniques but I guess I wasn't on the ball last night and got biten!

It's just very strange as Zion and Fia are TOTALLY different and never lunge or growl when food is given - thank god.

Hey ho - thick gloves it is.

Thanks guys

Shiv
 
Are you giving it to him in a bowl Shiv? If yep, then get rid of the bowl & just chuck the pellets on the floor of the hutch/run so they are spread around - Should help a bit because he has nothing in particular to be possessive over (ie. the bowl contaning food) Hope it helps :) X

Edited to add - You could also try a treat ball
 
Yeah I think you're right. I have tried him with a treat ball before and he didn't really understand what it was for but I think he will figure it out. I chucked his veg into his run tonight and was much easier really :)

Thanks guys
 
Mine lunges and growls, he has done since we got him. Neutering tamed it a little but he still does it when I am putting hands in the hutch. OH well I guess its just a bunny thing lol

May I ask how did you do your sig with putting the animals on a back ground? I want to do one like that.
 
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