Rabbit found on road - but aggressive!

Hi all
Just joined the forum in the hope of some good advice. Two weekends ago I found a lop eared rabbit at the side of a road and have since tried to find the owner with no luck.

No doubt this rabbit has suffered some trauma, it has bites on one ear and on it's rump and has no weight to it (but has been eating and drinking very well). The biggest problem however is it's aggressiveness. I obviously don't know if it's been badly treated or is just very defensive after being attacked or if it's just a bad tempered bunny but I can't even get to sex it as it struggles so much I'm worried about stressing it out. It seems to be in good health otherwise.

Any tips on getting it accustomed to me and to being handled? Or of finding it a home with someone who has more time to devote to taming it down?

I'm in the Bucks area BTW.

Thanks in advance, any advice much appreciated.

Im not brilliant at diagnostics but it may be in some pain, or it maybe a furious female.Just guessing.hope someone with more nous comes to your assistance.xxxx:wave:

Have you reported the bunny missing? It could be missing a bonded bunny friend, although if the bunny is thin etc is could be neglect and it just isn't used to being picked up and touched.

My advice would be to take it to a vets as it could have an underlying illness and be in pain, also a vet would be able to sex the bunny for you

Of course it could just be grumpy...in which case with some patience and love it should start to calm down.

If you have the room and the time to keep the bunny I think you should although as a warning rabbits do cost an awful lot of money. The rabbit would also need to be spayed if not already and have regular vaccinations.

Good luck and welcome to RU

p.s Keep us updated.

Good point!!! Keep us updated how Bunny is...and welcome to RU.xxxxx

I would suggest getting a health check. We have recently taken in a abunny that didn't want to be handled, it turns out every rib on both sides had been broken :?

Good luck with grumpy bun!

Thanks both for your responses.

Yes I have phoned round the local vets and RSPCA centre and been keeping an eye on the local newspapers but no luck so far.

I'll be taking it to the vets this week to get it checked over just to be sure. I'm lucky to have a vet that's a bunny specialist in the area - hmmm, maybe he'd like another!

The agrressiveness is: growling, charging, biting and usually all at the same time. :evil::shock: And usually as soon as I open the hutch door to them moment I shut it again. I've had rabbits over the years but never experienced this, have I just been lucky?!

Thanks all for the warm welcome and advice

Lucy, that's awful. I hope it's fully recovered now?

Yes Although in my experience the cheeky aggressive ones are the rabbits that with love and time develop fantastic personalities and a real bond.

I guess until your vet appointment though it's hard to know what to do. When Flopsy (or Fiona) used to rush at me I placed a towel over her to pick her up then gave her a quick cuddle. After which I either put her back in the hutch or out in the run so that she got used to being picked up and not just to be taken to the vets or groomed etc.

It maybe that her associations with being picked up are bad ones

Lucy...How is the poor bunny?

You can read about the bunny here http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=183285&highlight=smokey+flopsy

He is still not right but there is nothing more we can do for the ribs, they are all more or less heale now, the worst part has passed now.

If you keep it when no one comes forward, I would neuter/spay. A lot of aggression is hormonal & this will fix it