food agression - advice please!

Lluna, our new bunny is sweet, gentle and friendly 95% of the time but she gets very edgy around food time, and growls and lunges at us when we put the food down, or if we put our hands/feet anywhere near her when she is eating (to top up the litter tray or fill the water bowl for example).

She seems ok sharing the food bowl with Hector (i've seen her lunge at him once but he paid no attention and carried on eating!), its us that she seems to feel she needs to fight off her food (a bit silly really when it is us that feed her!)

We are trying to make sure we do the hay and water first before giving food, but is there anything else we can do to teach her not to feel threatened and attack us at breakfast/supper time??

Any advice would be hugely appreciated :wave::wave:

Thanks!

Amy

Is she neutered? If not it could be a hormomal thing. I don't have an answer to your problem unfortunately other than to say i'd just carry on what you are doing topping up hay and water etc before putting the food bowls down in order to protect yourself from a growly scratchy bun!

its not easy im working with carrie as shes very cage agressive, at the mo its 2 bowls for an easier sway,, trying to hand feed veg, she'll be as nice as pie outside the cage inside

time,talking, helps mind her husbun now pushes her to the side now if she gets agressive at meal time as he wants his dinner on time and in the bowl not all over the floor :lol:

Thanks for replying! :wave:

She is neutered so it shouldn't be hormones.

The funny thing is that she isn't at all agressive in other ways - she is fine with us going into her house to stroke her etc... its just food that she gets stressed about!

I'm going to try to keep on sticking to the routine of doing everything else (hay, water etc) first, and hope that she learns that we aren't going to steal her pellets!

If/when she does "attack" us how should we respond? Just to do nothing?

as hard as it is, its best not to react, nervous or do sudden movements,

granted ive a few times grunted and stamped my foot at her which pending on her mood bys me bout 2 seconds :lol:

ignoring can help, if she has veg and your feeling a bit wary throw a piece in the cage, hopfully she'll run to that piece so you can feed her safer, you just carry on talking to her and acting as calm as you can, if she lunges just relax watch and wait, you will tell what she will do with observation,

never squirt water or tap her nose etc, these methods do not work and just make them hate you

or in my docs case just sit there and love getting wet :lol:

I can sympathise because Faithy is the same, although she is aggressive at other times too. For some reason she just gets carried away when it's time for bunny food :lol:. She's fine getting veg and her lumps of grass though. I'm wondering if it's just over excitement on her part at getting fed :lol: (although she has loads of hay whenever she wants it), and it's coming out as aggression.

Good luck and let us know if you find anything that works for you.
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XHIONELLA.XXX

Thank you all for your advice:wave: SHe didn't growl at me tonight, so I think making sure the hay and water are done first and then leaving her to eat in peace is definitely the best way forward.

Just to update in case anyone is interested :wave: Lluna has got soooo much better - she really isn't agressive over food at all now, just occasionally nudges your hand out the way if she is worried it is hovering too close!

I think with time and as she has settled in properly she has learnt that we aren't going to steal her food and that she always get enough to eat with us. We followed your advice and didn't react at all when she did lunge, and I started leaving my hand hanging after putting the food down so she got used to it being around while eating. But I think the main thing has just been her getting used to and feeling really safe in her new home with Hector

So thanks everyone for your advice :wave:

so glad she has settled more with you