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Getting really fed up *rabbit experts please help*

TeflonsShadow

Wise Old Thumper
Winter is bipolar, I swear. One minute she is binkying around like a nutter, using me and my OH as things to jump on and over, next thing, she will nip me out of the blue. Im not used to being bitten by my rabbits but it is driving me mad and annoying me. She has made me bleed several times!!

Does anyone else have this trouble? I dont want to have to shove the rabbits upstairs so I dont risk my friends or myself getting bitten, plus they would get less affection. :(

I feel like a failure. Why is she like this? What am I meant to do about it?? Ever since I have had her I have treated her nicely, always picked her up nicely, hand feeding her, giving her strokes but not picking her up (she struggles when being picked up).

:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:
 
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Strawberry is a biter so you have my sympathy! He doesnt really do it to be nasty but is very territorial and bossy so will chase me from his room and constantly nip my arms if he wants something. Its really hard as you want to spend time with them but also dont want to be bitten!
 
Strawberry is a biter so you have my sympathy! He doesnt really do it to be nasty but is very territorial and bossy so will chase me from his room and constantly nip my arms if he wants something. Its really hard as you want to spend time with them but also dont want to be bitten!

I dont know how you cope with it? I dont know what Winter means by it... it just happens, and it hurts. :(

Makes me not want them in the livingroom which wouldnt really be fair on either of them as they wouldnt get as much attention etc, and I would feel like I was punishing them, which would be even more mean on Rimmi as he loves human attention so much.

Seems to have got worse since I have not been going over to them and giving them affection (they are jealous of each other, lol) Rimmi will come over for cuddles and even Winter does some times.....
 
I dont know how you cope with it? I dont know what Winter means by it... it just happens, and it hurts. :(

Makes me not want them in the livingroom which wouldnt really be fair on either of them as they wouldnt get as much attention etc, and I would feel like I was punishing them, which would be even more mean on Rimmi as he loves human attention so much.

Seems to have got worse since I have not been going over to them and giving them affection (they are jealous of each other, lol) Rimmi will come over for cuddles and even Winter does some times.....

We just accept its part of Strawberry's personality. He is a quirky bun who is definately top dog in our house so its his way or be bitten! He will let us pick him up for cuddles on his terms. If he isnt in the mood he will soon let you know. He is so naughty to. Its hard to let him free range in the evenings as I am usually working and I need eyes in the back of my head with him!

We dont have him in our bedroom anymore as he took to attacking me in the middle of the night. He would jump on the bed and lunge at me, bite me and dig the duvet off untill I got out of bed! He hates sharing his room with me but my OH is allowed in when ever he likes!
 
Oakley can be a bit of a nipper but he tends to nip gently these days when he thinks he is getting ignored, wants attention or I stop stroking him/dont stroke him in the right place or has had enough fuss. I was aware of him being a nipper I adopted him but fell in love with him.

I have learnt the signs when he is about to nip and dont tend give him the chance so it hasnt turned into a major issue. If he does nip, I let out a little screech and stop giving him attention so he has learned some limits. He doesnt nip hard and is such a sweet bunny and not really aggresive. I see it as part of his character and his way of communicating - I dont mind a bun with a bit attitude!

Can understand your difficulties if she is drawing blood and unpredicable so dont know what to suggest and am not an expert. Please dont blame yourself as she has a lovely home so is a lucky bunny.

Hope you get some good advise soon :wave:
 
Thanks Rexbun. I hope it isnt me, but as far as I know, she hasnt made anyone else bleed.

She bit me this evening which made me start this thread, I had to hold back the tears because it did hurt and it was a bit of a shock. :(

Just dont know what I am doing wrong.
 
carries bitten me once and my son twice, she just has her moments, she does this more within her "areas" i can scoop her up, key is i show her no nonsense ive learnt to sense even with the no nosense approach she will still go for me, so i just ignore her, means i have to ignore biggles a bit too or she will go for him, i just accept thats how shes is, i still love her


have you tested your bunnies eyesight ?
 
Could she be doing it to try and get your attention sort of thing?
Delly went through a faze of quickly nipping me to get my attention or if I was putting loads of attention onto Oggie.
 
Winter does have issues with sight..... but the attacks will happen when she knows I am there (ie, shes just been climbing over us for the last 10 mins, Ive stroked her... she'll hop away and then turn around and lunge at me)
 
In all honesty i think its down to her personality. She has a lovely personality and is very friendly, BUT.... and heres the but! Just because a bunny is friendly, doesnt mean they wont bite.

for example!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5qeKFuL4Tc you see Jelly all friendly and cheeky, looking for food, happy to climb on me, you think "how friendly" then, randomly at 0:25 seconds, she bites me.

Its just who she is. She is friendly "tame", cheeky, no fears, but she nips. its just part of who she is. Gradually i have got to really know her, and i knwo what triggers it. For example, when i stroke her, for a long time and massage her ears etc, when i have finished, i go away. If i stay sat with her, she wants me to carry on, and will nip if i dont. So if im "playing with them" i groom/massage their ears etc last, for that reason.

It doesnt mean Jelly or Winter are not friendly rabbits. Its just part of who they are, and as you get to understand her more, you will know what the triggers are. If someone looked after Jelly for me for a week, and really got involved and tried to cuddle and play with them, they would hate her.

I have just found that that sometimes a "friendly bunny" comes in all shapes and sizes and some nip, regardless. Its just the way they are
 
carrie knows me too ill tickle her ears then shell tense and you just know she will,

in my old house she took over the bathroom one day sat in the door way and lunged and grunted at everyone who tried to enter, then ive had the duchess round she just scoped her up and snuggled her up and she was fine :lol:


just try to relax but keep distance turn and ignore, if she demands attention then gets stroppy just ignore again this may takes ages or not work at all, she might take the hint

if shes clean bill of health other than her eyes it could be just her own frustration
 
Ignoring her if she does it would be my first idea. The other one would be to let her know it hurts by squealing and standing up. Or saying ouch loudly and pushing her away, then standing up and ignoring her. Ignoring her is the key if she's doing it for attention. Squealing works if she doesn't know she's hurting you. If it's dominance you have to show her your the boss, maybe by picking her up and putting her down somewhere else.

It's hard to say without seeing it. :?

I don't know much about bunny behaviour, this is just general stuff. :|
 
Hmmm, this is strange :?
Could you take a video of it?
Winter has only ever bitten me once, and that was when I was hand feeding her and she got VERY excited, bounding all over me, and then she went for the food, but got my finger instead.. ouch!
 
Hmmm, this is strange :?
Could you take a video of it?
Winter has only ever bitten me once, and that was when I was hand feeding her and she got VERY excited, bounding all over me, and then she went for the food, but got my finger instead.. ouch!

it could just be her reaching the teen/adult phase? Like Jelly was a friendly little baby until she was around 5-6 months and thats when all this started. I sort of found that as babies many bunnies are very similar in personality, but as they get that little bit older they become more individual. So maybe you wouldnt have seen this in her because she is only reaching that phase now?

i dont know what anyone else thinks?

xxxx
 
Hmmm, this is strange :?
Could you take a video of it?
Winter has only ever bitten me once, and that was when I was hand feeding her and she got VERY excited, bounding all over me, and then she went for the food, but got my finger instead.. ouch!

I would have to video her all day and I dont have the batteries for it!! Its just so random, you know what shes like.... skidding around the room binkying all over me, my OH and Rimmi (making him sneeze, lol) she seems really happy. Or sometimes it happens when she and Rimmi are being nosy.... just hopping about, sniffing, climbing on my back then she'll hop onto my lap and bite my hand.

If it is a 'phase' or a teenage thing, then I hope she outgrows it fast, I get worried about stroking her :( and I already cant touch either of them when they are in their base because they will get jealous of each other.

I wish being a bunny mummy was easier because I feel like such a failure. :(
 
Oh, Jeanna, please don't feel that that.

You are most definitely NOT a failure!

I know you are a great mummy to Rimmi and Winter and had given lots of good advice to me and loads of other people on here. :)

I'm sure Winter's biting you is just a 'teenage phase' and it will pass. :)
 
Frankie nips my ankles when I'm geting his food ready or y hands if i have something he might want to eat in them (which is if I have anything in them :lol:)... I've found it can be an attention thing sometimes as Fidget used to do it if she was licking me and I wasn't stroking her lol
 
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