Agression due to darkness?

Annabelle has never warmed to us, shes a picky bunny!!However I felt we were getting somewhere but now its drawing in dark we've taken a back step...

basically, shes always chased henry playfully and has always been close to him, however recently on a night shes been posessive.

Tonight she latched onto me whilst I was stroking them both whilst eating their tea - she didn't draw blood but it shocked me... and then she kept looking when I touched him.

Can anyone help?

just bumping this as could really do with some advice.

thanks x

No idea really :? What's her eyesight like? Does she have red eyes or red tinted eyes? Does she normally scan at all?

shes a dutchie with dark eyes,
she doesn't scan as far as ive seen. We have a rew but hes dosile and scans tonnes.
thanks for responding hun x

Dandy has started doing this in the last few weeks, he got me on mon and ive got a bruise but hes REW and i think his eyesite is getting worse rather than anything else

Has anything in their environment changed? New smells/other animals?

Nope not at all, I gave them a new hay biscuit this morning but they are used to them.

thanks x

It sounds to me like normal territorial behaviour - especially if it is around food times - these are times of high reward and worth protecting, she may also be protecting her husbun Henry when you are there. Buns often sense us as another rabbit around and the dynamics will often change, I have found this particularly with female buns.

Our girl is very territorial at nightime and loves a good stroke and snuggle in her hutch (bearing in mind she is a highly nervous rescue bun who is still learning to trust people touching her - for some reason at bedtime stroking her whole body is permitted, and the only time that it is). However, if her bonded partner comes over to say hello during this time she will lunge and grunt at him. It is only a warning, she does not follow through, but some buns of course will. Now this only happens if I am there, not my partner, as a female I become a threat. Sometimes it is referred aggression which she is too nervous to show me so will redirect it towards Nino, and other times she is protecting 'her stroking time'. Realistically it is probably a combination of both.

Rabbit relationships are complex at the best of times, even more so when humans become part of the social group, and they will respond differently to male and female human hormones.
I would personally avoid any behaviours or actions that trigger this behaviour and most importantly do not react if she does lock on - as hard as this may sound, as you will simply teach her that this behaviour can elicit a reaction from you and it may become a learned response. I would avoid stroking them whilst they are eating if this is one of the triggers, and for any others perhaps wear some strong thick gloves or jumper so that if she does lock on you can ignore it completely as hopefully you won't feel it. It sounds to me like she is giving you a warning - it is best to avoid triggering this. Hope that helps.

i just wanted to add to the really good post from prettylupin. Alvin will attack pearl when hes clearly peed off with me. strange little creatures but made so much more complicated living side by side with us humans, poor souls

hope your not taking it personnally hun, its just a buns way

donnamt said:

i just wanted to add to the really good post from prettylupin. Alvin will attack pearl when hes clearly peed off with me. strange little creatures but made so much more complicated living side by side with us humans, poor souls

hope your not taking it personnally hun, its just a buns way

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I may have to retract my 'only mostly female buns' statement...! :lol: Actually donnamt I find that fascinating - and am now wondering if this is a behavioural trait that has some genetic linkage....Alvin is the spit of Poppy (only Black!)... and it is definitely redirected aggression alone sometimes (not always) .... fascinating to hear Alvin does this too - simply because he looks so like Poppy bunny. They are such complex little creatures aren't they. :roll::lol:

prettylupin said:

I may have to retract my 'only mostly female buns' statement...! :lol: Actually donnamt I find that fascinating - and am now wondering if this is a behavioural trait that has some genetic linkage....Alvin is the spit of Poppy (only Black!)... and it is definitely redirected aggression alone sometimes (not always) .... fascinating to hear Alvin does this too - simply because he looks so like Poppy bunny. They are such complex little creatures aren't they. :roll::lol:

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i think hes a true anti human bunny, no reason for this apart from the first 8 weeks of his life he didnt have human contact till i bought him home at a guess.

he is obsessed with pearl, he humps her when i enter the room, she goes to the bunny room he follows, she goes on the bed he follows, in the carrier hes there and even ontop of the carrier :lol::lol::lol:. he acts stroppy and possesive when im fussing her, but instead of taking it out on me she gets the abuse. i do have to be really careful not to fuss past the time im allowed to or you can actually see him glaring at us.

i think Annabelle must just be one of the anti-human bunnies but instead of jealousy she is full on protective of her man.. quite sweet really even if the human suffers :lol::lol:

donnamt said:

i think Annabelle must just be one of the anti-human bunnies but instead of jealousy she is full on protective of her man.. quite sweet really even if the human suffers :lol::lol:

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I agree, but I also think the fact it is happening around feeding times is also significant.... food is very much worth protecting in a bun's eyes. Poppy also does this if I am anywhere near their litter trays in their corner of our sitting room... she chases Nino off if I am there picking bits of hay off the carpet (which is something I should also avoid doing in her space whilst she is in it) again - territory related redirected aggression, but she also associates me with 'topping up the tray with fresh hay and treats' and therefore likes to be first in line to receive them! I do believe these cases are territory related redirected aggression, and often with a strong food motivation in some cases.

Thanks everyone, its definately only when theres food or toys involved or if i go to stroke him when she wants me to go away.

thanks for everyones advice x