Grumpy bunny

My dutch buck, Mork, has been a bit of a biter since I got him.

I used to volunter for 2 hours a week at RSPCA and he was brought in with his brother at about 6-8 weeks as a stray. Just this little ball of baby bunny But every time i would touch him he would scream in fear. He'd obviously never been handled by people or had been mistreated.

Also, as soon as he was brought in he was separated from his brother, which I think traumatised him, and then put in a tiny cage with no toys. To be honest the centre I was at was awful with its rabbits but it has finally improoved the size of its housing now since the rspca changed their requirements (thankfully!)

Every other week (when I was put in the bunny section) I would put my hand in his cage (it was only about 3 foot square :evil and try to get him used to me, but the other staff there didn't handle him except to put him in a tiny open mesh cage every day to clean him out) and he gradually became aggressve, lunging and biting. He was neutered as soon as he was old enough but his behaviour didn't cange.

Eventually they decided to have him pts so I swooped him out of there asap!!!

Since living in a 6x3 hutch with a large run and loads of time in the garden he has calmed down and is not as aggressive but he is still so scared of me and has a tendancy to lunge and bite. I hand feed him but every time I do he attacks the food! And when I go to spend time with him he doesn't approach me. I see him every day but can sometimes sit for hours with his hutch open and he wont relax or approach me...

I have had him for 4 years now and I feel like a failure. He gets loads of free range time and is quite happy but I just wish I knew how to get him to trust me.

My lop (who just left me and Mr Mork to go to the rainbow bridge ) has the same story as him (rescued from rspca as she was 'vicious') but when I got her home she became the sweetest fuzziest bun ever and I just don't know why I can't do the same for my boy...

He does bring me a lot of joy. Like when he binkies around the lawn or the rare occasion when he lets me stroke him, and I love his strong character and obvious intelligence. I just wish he wasn't so scared and grumpy most of the time

So if anyone has any advice that might help me and my boy become better friends on his side I would be SO grateful!

Thanks

Have you ever considering bonding him with a special lady? I've heard this can really change how a bun acts, but I'm not sure if I should be advising that, considering this bun lunges and bites.

Do you ever try to pick him up? Have you had him checked for things that might make him grumpy, like dental issues and the like?

Just a couple ideas from things I've heard around the boards.

Can anyone give some better information for me?

Thanks a lot for the reply!

Mork was bonded with a very tolerent and lovely french lop, Miffy, but she went to the rainbow bridge last week leaving us both heartbroken. Miffs did improove his aggression when he met her but he continued to be a grump.

Luckily he doesn't seem to have got worse since she died. He was super terrified the first few days bless him but he seems to be back to 'normal' in terms of aggression.

I have found a new little girlfriend for him so he should be paired up again soon
He really does need it too as he seems so down without Miffsy...

I do pick him up but only when he needs to be as it stresses him out, so basically for general health checks and quarterly panacure (precaution for e.c.) Also sometimes have to pick him up to get him back in his hutch/run as sometimes he enjoys free ranging too much and he refuses to go home on a night :roll:

He has had thorough vet checks and his teeth, thank god, are pretty perfect. They are checked by the vet twice a year when he's vaccinated and I keep an eye out for any other signs of dental probs...

I think one main reason he doesn't trust me might be because I don't trust him completely! I spend ages with him but dstill get worried about him biting me as I know what he's capable of... He has seemed a bit friendlier tbh these past few days, I'm not sure whether he's craving the company...

Anyway, sorry for the long message again!!! Thanks again for your reply

Firstly sorry to hear about you losing your other bunny.
secondly thank goodness you rescued the bun from such dreadful conditions.

glad to hear you;re considering getting bunny a new friend. I know that monty was rather territorial when he was on his own...he was particularly grumpy with my o/h don;t know whether it was a male dominance thing or what but Monty would bite him for no reason whatsoever.........as soon as we got Audrey he became the most relaxed bunny ever! She;s the grumpy one now! But we love them both to bits for their characteristics

the trouble is with rescues, you'll never really know what has happened to them in the past....perhaps it's a good job too.....but perhaps their agression would be justified due to something in the past.

Good luck with the new bunny, keep persevering
xxx