He's so aggressive.. I don't know what to do :'(

I'm a first time rabbit owner. I did my research, believe me. I did not go into this thinking he would be docile, cuddly, shy, perfect. I went into it knowing that he could have a whole range of personalities and quirks, I knew there were so, so many possibilities for him and I and our relationship.

Well, he's agreesive. And I'm on the brink of tears. I've had him for.. 7 months. He's about 11 months old, or so. I had him neutered as soon as I got him. After I had him neutered he virtually litter trained himself. Once in a while he'd pee in the corner and poop on his way to the box but I've yet to hear of a rabbit who is 100% litter trained.

But, I've come to realize, he is agressive. And I hate it. And It makes me cry and I don't, I just don't know what to do. I put my hand in his cage to grab his food bowl for breakfast and he bites me. I move in his presence and he runs to attack me. I do anything it seems and he attacks me. I know he has bad eye sight and maybe he's scared. But it doesnt matter. I'll have my hand in his cage, petting him, slowly show him my hand, he sniffs it, is fine with it, then i go to do something, pull my hand away, put more hay in, and hes biting me. I'll be sitting on the couch and he'll run behind my legs and bite my ankles, and grunt. Oh he grunts at me no matter WHAT.

Also, He might as well not even have a freaking litter box. He's started peeing outside more and more, pooping wherever, whenever he wants. Yes he still pees in his box but i feel lik it's only coincidence.

I don't know what to do. I don't know how to discipline him or train him to do otherwise, or curb the behavior. I've heard if they get agressive you should pick them up and hold them against your chest facing outward, supporing their back feet with one hand and their front and chest in another, so their back bone is stretched out against your chest bone. I do this ALL the time, it doesn't calm him down.

It's not that I force him to do anything. I dont FORCE him to cuddle, I dont make him dance for his food, I know he's an enthusiastic eater, I don't hit him or flick him on the nose, I DO squirt him with a water bottle when he is chewing on something he's not supposed to. But that's it.

WHAT DO I DO? Is there even any way to teach him that I'm not a horrible person and not to hate me? Is there a way to teach him to be happier, kinder? Is there anything I can do? Or should I just... get used to it?

I look like I've just been in a fight. There's scratches and bite marks all over my hands. He draws blood quite often. I look like I"ve been in a fight. He's given me a fat lip, he once attacked my face and bot my glasses and torn them off my face, scratching them irrepairably in the process. What do I do? Why is he so angry? What's his problem? Is it me, is it him? Can i curb the behaviour, or am I just gonna have to deal with and learn to love his anger?

What do I do?

sounds quite scary

Alvin is quite mean, i no longer try to handle him unless he is ill and i get him in the carrier to pick him up so that he doesnt get too wound up by the chasing we used to do. he seems less distrustful of me now. he knows im scared of him so he will bite, kick, grunt and spit when i try to handle him. yet hes quite tame for Ste because he isnt scared of him

one thing that did calm him and make him more accepting of a human is getting a pal. your bunny may be human angry but if its possible to try he may appreciate one of his own to snuggle up with. i can now fuss Alvin when hes next to his lady friend, that way he can pretend its not the horrible human touching him :roll:

its also taken 3 years for us to get to a nice understanding, but admittedly he was never as visious as your bun

Must be awful for you

Firstly, what kind of background has he come from? Was he kept or treated badly previously?

Has he now got a big cage with plenty to do or is he freerange?

I'm not entirely sure of his entire background. From about 0-4 months I have no idea. Then at 4ish months he was at a rescue type place. They arn't exactly a rescue, they're a pet and farm supplie store, attatched to a vet, that takes in strays and "unwanteds" and fixes them into good health if need be, and them adopts them out. He was there for at least a month, in a decent sized cage for a "store" He then was adopted by my friend Tara. She bought him a rather small cage concidering, and had him not 2 days before she realized what a mess he'd be (She has OCD) and then gave him to me. Within the week I got him a cage that is similar to many I've seen on here, plastic bottom tub so that the begging doesnt fly out, with white metal bar walls and roof. He was in that until about a month ago and now he's in...



That. And he runs free in the basement suite we live in for at LEAST 3 hours every day. At least. Sometimes it's as much as 11-12 hours, but at LEAST 3.

He's not always so frightful and mean. More often than not, yeah, he sure is. But he has his moments. Like when I go sit by the fridge and open the crisper, he'll come running, begging for food of course, and he'll stand on my legs with his front paws and stretch his meck out for food and he's very cute. Or if I'm sitting and he comes near my feet and I reach down to pet him, he'll stretch his front legs out until his belly touches the ground and sometimes he'll let me stay and pet him for several minutes before he runs off. But then if I retract my hand, more often than not he turns and bites me. And it's not just a..Hey keep petting me! nip, it's a chomp. I say OW! I've tried squeeling in a high pitched voice. He just doesn't seem to understand. And I haven't the foggies idea WHY?

I've thought about getting him a wife. I couldn't do it just yet, I've got to get a job and move to a new place, but maybe then I could find him a wife. I just am afraid that wont help either. But maybe it will. I just feel so helpless. I love him so much and sometimes I can tell he loves me to, like at the vets when she tried to pick him up and he turned and jumped onto my chest. But othertimes, I jsut don't understand why he's so agressive!

You've said his eyesight isn't good, have you had his eye's checked by a vet? It might be an idea, he does sound more territorial than aggressive, he's nipping you and biting and grunting when he thinks you are in his space. If his eyesight is not the best that could give you a reason for his behaviour, i would get his eye's checked over in the first instance.

Like Phill says if you get his eyes checked then you'll know for definite if he can see,does he scan?
My first ever bunny was a nightmare nobody could pick him up or hold him without being bitten ,scratched etc [in fact I knew he was ill BECAUSE he allowed me to pick him up one day-it was dental.]However,I got him a friend.The change although not instant was dramatic.Daisy was ,and still is, a cuddle bun and I "think" he saw that being picked up wasnt all that bad.I've got some lovely pics of my daughter holding and cuddling him,[sadly he went to the bridge 18 months ago].The answer may be a friend

River said:

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That doesn't look very big to me.

My Nutmeg has slightly poor eyesight and she also can go for me. I have to ensure I approach her in the right direction and talk to her so she knows I'm there. She spent two years in a small cage all on her own, since being here (post spay) she's always been with another bunny (or bunnies!) and she's really calmed down. She was much worse before, so much so her previous family got her from cage to run and back again and that was it.

I agree with Schuette, his hutch is a little on the small side, so even if he is getting plenty of free run time, he really does need a larger home of his own, I suspect frustration over limited space to play may be exacerbating his behaviour.
It sounds like it is probably a combination of fear aggression and territorial behaviour but perhaps some health issues in there too which might be precipitating the whole thing, such as his sight. It is always important before assuming a rabbit has behavioural issues to rule out ALL health issues. I would get his eye sight checked and also ask for a full examination to check for any pain issues - ongoing chronic pain can make a bun very grumpy, you must rule these things out first.

The aggression sounds very centred around 'his space' and territorial in nature which is completely normal for some buns, the reason it has got worse is that he is now displaying anticipatory learned aggression.... there are definitely some different things you can try to combat this, it may not remove it completely, but it should help, however, I really do feel it would be a good idea to have him vet checked first then come back to us on this thread and we can make some suggestions related to his behaviour once we know what we are dealing with. Good luck :wave:

I agree with the comments above.
He sounds like a frustrated bun to me so I think that getting him a wife and a larger living space (ideally with constant access to a run) would benefit you both loads :wave:

if hes an indoor bunny you could get some run panels and make him a nice large cage, i think with more room he will be much more relaxed

My comment about his poor eyesight was not directed to him it was directed to Buns in general. I don't really have ar eason to think he's actually got poor eyesight. He does scan, stand on his back legs and look about, and he'll turn his head slightly to see things better, I'm fairly certain he has alright eye sight.

I think you're right, it is territorial. He gets ESPECIALLY furious if I've started cleaning up his pee. He was just at the vets and cleared for all health problems except his upset tummy which has been fully resolved. He's got good teeth, good muscles, all seems to be well. And I was talkint to my girlfriend this morning and she assured me as well, it's not all the time and sometimes.. it's just me he hates.

He rarely bites her. He'll run at her with his mouth open, but then he'll stop. He doesn't stop for me. He runs at me with the intent to kill. And It's nto that im afraid, I'm less afraid actually. He still bites her, just not as often as he bites me. His hutch is a bit bigger than that. I'll see if I can take pictures of it later with him in it. It's got enough room for him to stretch out in the larger side without touching the walls. But its the same brand and general idea as the one i posted. The wya things are right now I do not have room or money to provide him with a run in the house. We live in a small place and I'm afraid to let him out un-supervised until I can curb his behaviors a bit more. I dont want him chewing everything while I'm not there to see it and tell him no. When we move in a month or so, I'm hoping then I can get some gates and leave his cage open all day, with the gates surrounding it for room for him. I would also LOVE to get him a wife. I've got to get a job first, but I've definitely thought about it. There's this young rex at the same rescue he's from, I've fallen in love with her. She's very opposite him. Cuddley, doesn't move, doesnt do a thing. Licks instead of bites. Of course that could change outside of that environment once she's at home and comfortable, but it doesn't seem like it would.

I'm just really not sure. As I've said, the vet has jsut seen him, no we didnt specifically LOOK at eye sight, but I have no reason to belive it's any poorer than it already is being a rabbit. He's got his huge blind spot and when I'm in it, and then suddenly i move, he attacks. But he does stand up quite often to scan and check things out and then run off in one direction or another.

That's good he's been given the all clear by the vet. That means if it is behavioural it is something that can be worked on... so this is positive!

Are you male yourself? (Sorry if asking obvious question - I've jumped to assumptions on here before and got it wrong ) If so, some buns 'can' be more aggressive to the same sex... hormones and all that - you will smell quite different and may be experienced as a threat.
I expect there is also a degree of him getting a response out of you which may be precipitating the behaviour.... my suggestion if he runs and attacks you is to COMPLETELY IGNORE his aggression. Wear thick socks/trousers/boots - whatever it takes - and gloves if need be! so that you don't jerk your hand back or yelp or anything... it might be the response he is after. Instead I would tell him what a lovely bunny he is and shower him with affection... not easy.. but a little bit of reverse pyschology!

I would also refrain from disciplining him in any way, buns do not respond to discipline or punishment for bad behaviour... i.e. water spray etc. If he feels he is totally justified in behaving in a certain way as you have upset him in his rabbity world - whatever that may be (it is not always clear to us humans!) then punishing him for it will have no response other than to make him more frustrated that you are not listening to what he is saying.
I would avoid cleaning his hutch when he is anywhere near it... wait until he is playing elswhere and close the door and do it out of sight - even if this means shutting him in his run or a bunnyproofed room he can play in for half an hour whilst you tidy up and clean. I would take the opportunity to put the food out then whilst he is well away from his hutch so that he finds it when he comes back... no need to attack you then.
Rabbits really do protect valuable food sources and rabbit pellets are very high in the protection stakes usually... a quick source of energy which for a prey species is very important. I would provide his pellet ration only once a day, when he is away from the hutch, and try scattering it so he has to forage for it - will keep him occupied. The rest of the time you can make sure he has plenty of fresh hay and perhaps use the veggies as an opportunity to hand feed and bond together every day? Good luck

Hmm.. Alright. I think I can manage to not react. But.. then my one concern is sometimes he'll bit me, and I'll try to move away but he just keeps rnning at me and biting me, so I try to push him away with one hand and pet his nose with another and he just still ends up biting me more often than not. What do you suggest I do in those instances?

And if you think the water bottle is a bad idea, how should I let him know, "Hey, Buddy, stop chewing the wall?" We have tried clapping and stomping and all that does is makes him pause for a second and wiggle his ears.

And no, I'm female. He is the only male in the house. *raises hand* Lesbian.

This may be something you've tried but if he's mainly going for you is there any strong smells on you he may be objecting to?

Sometimes some rabbits just don't like some people. My Smudge only tolerates me, even my Dad who helps me a lot with the bunnies he stamps at and runs from. He hates just the sound of a voice of someone new.

Also if you can't let him free-range because of the house can you not get him some panels like this.

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/cages/pens_fencing/pens_with_racks/35639

Even if it's just to pen off some areas. (Just beware if you get that particular one, you can't make right angles or straight lines with them unless you get some cable ties)

River said:

Hmm.. Alright. I think I can manage to not react. But.. then my one concern is sometimes he'll bit me, and I'll try to move away but he just keeps rnning at me and biting me, so I try to push him away with one hand and pet his nose with another and he just still ends up biting me more often than not. What do you suggest I do in those instances?

And if you think the water bottle is a bad idea, how should I let him know, "Hey, Buddy, stop chewing the wall?" We have tried clapping and stomping and all that does is makes him pause for a second and wiggle his ears.

And no, I'm female. He is the only male in the house. *raises hand* Lesbian.

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You see... sorry! Me and my quick judgements

Okay, if he's biting you and keeps on doing it even if you try and pet him then I think perhaps I would ignore everything including him. I would not move away or respond at all - he may be trying to get your attention full stop. I might try and diffuse the situation also using distraction - offering him a toy when he goes to keep attacking me.... hoping to chanel his frustration and aggression into something productive, but I think I would stand my ground and stay put and not be bullied out of the way by him - so put some very thick gloves and shoes on!

Obvious question really sorry but does he have enough hay in his diet? How much rabbit food do you feed? My experience is that a bun with a diet of mostly hay is a very busy bunny and the chewing of furniture doesn't happen as bun is too busy using up energy getting enough calories for the day. Also plenty of space to play is v. important to burn off energy. The only time my male bun has chewed any furniture it has been PURELY for my benefit and to get my attention - worked it out eventually! :roll::lol: Tried ignoring the behaviour, completely ignoring it - not even looking at bun - it took about 2 weeks for him to stop it completely - never done it since. He used to always do it when I was on the phone.... and I used to respond. I would practise NOT responding to any of his behaviours consistently for a week and see what happens. Block off the bits of wall he normally chews if need be - or fasten cardboard across it and make sure he has plenty of other things to channel his energy into instead.

Good toys are things like natural wood toys that bun can demolish - seagrass/willow balls/twigs etc, cardboard boxes, a phone book etc.

I agree with pretty lupin's comment about the hay. Since mine have had more hay they've been much less inclined to be pains. :lol:

They tend to do these things for a reason. Boredom usually. You should see the big hole Mischa made in the wallpaper before he got his partnerbun. :roll::lol: Unfortunately the only way to fully resolve boredom is to give them a partner and lots of space.

territorial behaviour

He may always be a bit territorial, but I agree a calm wifeybun would probably make all the difference - one you know to be happy being handled so he can see that she is not scared or angry.

Possible ways to reduce the unpleasantness for you...

Only do hutch cleaning when he's not in it. Wash your hands first so he smells soap and not what he knows to be 'your' smell when he goes back. Always put some wee-soaked material and a few poos back in the right place so it smells at least a bit right to him. Always scatter a few treats about for him to forage for on going back so he associates a clean hutch with at least some niceness.

Reduce his biting possibilities - have a heavy gardening glove on the hand that goes in first. Use a scoop for feeding and scatter the food at the back of the hutch so he has to forage and has his back to you while eating. Talk to him while he eats. Maybe in time stroke him a little while he eats his favourite bits.

When he's out, don't approach him for attention - lie down if you dare, and let him approach you. Don't be upset if he doesn't. Maybe wait to do this until he is happily bonded with a friendly wifeybun.

Could the legs on the hutch be shortened so it could go inside a run? More freedom might help. And if the door of the hutch could then be left open he might become less territorial about the space.

Our first bun was very territorial in very similar ways, and I am quite scarred from her kickings. We all had a few bites, too, but she was never quite as bad as you describe. Her behaviour improved overnight when she had a calm husbun. She was always the greater handful of the two, but she was TRANSFORMED.

I wish you all the best. Keep visiting on here - good luck.

I don't think there are any smells on me he is objecting to. My girlfriend and I share the same deoderant, I dont wear perfume or make up or any of that stuff.

I bought him a couple of new toys today, one of this he already loves. It's a ball with wooden stick inserts for him to chew on and grip and throw about. He loves it. I also bought him some alfalfa cubes, more hay, a carrot/parsley roll thing that he absolutly LOVES. Its rock hard so it takes him a while to eat it but he loves it, so i'm going to give that to him tomorrow after I clean his cage.

That's another thing, I have never left poo or wee in the cage after i clean it. I take out the bottom of the cage(it's removable) I wash it, I clean out his litter box and wash it, I wash out his food bowl, I wash his towel, i put them all back in nice and neat, with a big pile of hay and a full water bottle. Should i save some poops and put them back in his cage?

I do give him enough hay, but probably not as much as i COULD/SHOULD. I'll start giving him bountifuls and see if that makes any bit of difference.

He's only bit me once today so far in the 4 hours I've been around him. And that was when I was getting him his dinner and he ran over to me and I must have ticked him off somehow. I just ignored it and fed him instead of saying NO or moving away or anything else.

Also... as a side note..kind of.. my girlfriend and I have decided that WHEN, not if, WHEN I get a job (which is hopefully soon, I've been trying) We're getting a wife for him. We fell in love with the Rex at the one place, and today we found a group of dutch sisters One, oh i loved her. Instead of quite the typical dutch markings, she had the typical face, a grey bum and then one white shoulder and paw, and one grey shoulder and paw. It was so adorable. And she was very calm. Wasn't much of a squiggler at all.

So.. we'll see. Keep the suggestions and tips coming, this is all very good info!!

OK a real long shot here - are you spending time around other rabbits?

Sometimes. Yeah. We go to the rescues and pet stores around town quite often, buy him stuff, keep our eyes open for the perfect wife. And yeah, I hold them, and i pet them, and I fall in love with almost every one of them. But when I get home usually the first thing I do is wash up, if I havn't already at the store. And even then I usually do.

Yes, I spend time around other rabbits, but not enough ( I would think) for it to bother him and spite me everyday.