Very very aggressive rabbit UD - she's reserved

Bibi is my latest foster bunny or rather challenge Bibi or balcony bunny as she has been nicknamed, was living on the balcony of a 9th floor flat, in nothing more than a 3ft dog crate. She is a stunning lionhead and around 12-18months of age.

Her problem is she is really aggressive, I have had hutch aggressive bunnies before and fightened bunnies that act aggressive to try and frighten you away but I have never had anything like Bibi. She will grunt when you walk past her, you don't even need to look at her, she will attack anything you try and put in her hutch. Tonight for example she attacted the spring greens that I putting in her hutch, she grunts, boxes them and then rips them to shreds before calming down and realising it's actually food.

She has been here for nearly a month and so far I have been trying not to handle her and just talk to her, but with her being a lionhead it's difficult as she needs grooming every few days. Surprisingly once you have actually caught her she is fine and will let you groom her.

I'm really out of my depth with her and have no idea what to do, does anyone have any ideas? She's never going to get a home at this rate.

and finally a pic of the little monkey

Ruby used to box veg out of my hands and grunt at me. I just used to make sure I always approached her from the side not head on in her blind spot, she settled down though after she had been spayed and bonded with Castiel.

Is she spayed yet? Or has she been spayed recently? Mine seemed to get more hormonal in that two week post-spay period than they were pre-spay

Is she spayed?

Thats so sad where she came from - it sounds like she must have been a) very scared and b) very neglected and depressed. I bet she wouldnt have had a run around if she was kept on a balcony - and living in a 3ft hutch I am not surprised that it has driven her insane

I have no advice other than to keep with her and remember it isnt her but her experiences. She looks lovely

Do you need to rehome her? Stability might be really important for her if you can stick with her?

Shes gorgeous. I'm not a bunny behavioural expert but sounds like your doing all the right things by just talking to her and not scaring her by being too hands on. Maybe the owners didn't pay her any attention and she isn't used to it so is still getting used to you.

She has already been speyed, she was done long before she arrived. (she went in for a spey, and they found she had already been done.)

Yes she has to be rehomed (I foster for the RSPCA), although I agree stability is probably what she needs most.

Oooh what a meany face on that little monkey!! That bunny needs some love. I have found with aggressive rabbits it's usually to do with the past-i.e bad bunny experiences or human.

I would just keep doing what you are doing with talking in gentle tones etc. I think this kind of bun needs alot of time and attention to sooth that aggression. I think the grooming will probably help and after awhile you will become her fave person- but i can see this happening with any new people too.

I'm not sure if there is anything you can do about it, except make things as comfortable as possible for bunny and don't handle too much unnecessarily except for grooming so it's not too stressful.

Blaze did so much better along side my other bunny patch- who seemed to teach him manners I think rabbits do learn from each other for sure

Lots of luck xx

p.s Initially blaze used to have to be fed through the top of an indoor hutch, i'd drop the pellets from a height and also veg as i daren't put down incase he took my hands off. He used to be a very naughty bunny. It was down to his past experience with other buns.

He is a sensitive little soul- actually aggression is fear, so confident handling is a must. Blaze still runs at me, but he knows i won't react. If you react in fear, they are getting the response they want- i.e you to back away. They are frightened little bunny's at heart, rather than mean.

Blaze now is soft as a brush in and out of his cage even though, he definitely does still have some aggression in smaller spaces. Have you tried a larger space? I approach blaze from above and pick him up and once he is in my hands he is fine, no struggles, nothing. He since trusts me, when i pick him up it's not something foreign to him, so i think as with most buns, time will be a good healer

xx

my 1st bun was like that, she would attack my ankles when she was out..

Could it be agoraphobia? From going from such a small pen to the better larger conditions you keep her in?

What's her eyesight like? Has it been checked? Does the fluff round her eyes restrict her vision at all? I guess she's been vet checked for general pain which could cause grumpiness?

I have found that hugely aggressive bunnies calm down if you can sit in an enclosure with them, maybe holding some food or having some on your lap, and completely ignore them. Easier in the summer in a large run with a book to hand, but there might be a way you can do it. Eventually, and it may take several weeks, they will start to calm down and realise that you're not a threat. I guess it depends on the overall level of aggression and whether you could get into the enclosure without being bitten constantly!

You could try a thick pair of gardening gloves and just put your hand slightly inside the hutch and don't move it when she goes for you. Maybe even starting with some time literally just crouched next to the hutch doing nothing, let her get used to you being there and not responding to her grumbles. Some bunnies also respond well to massage, might be worth a try when you next groom her.

She's gorgeous

Is her hutch in an area with frequent foot fall past her? If not, I'd try and have her where most people walk past or you have to walk past her frequently, if that's possible.

you say shes fine once you pick her up ??

how is her senses eyesight and hearing etc this can make them agressive, she may settle with a freind

with carrie ( shes very cage aggessive ) when out id lie on the floor near and slowly slide my hand flat along the floor so everything is as low as possiable so there is no threat from above, this can be a nervy if shes a lunger this just enabled her to build a bit more trust as she would slowly become curious


doesseem like you are doing all you can at the mo, some buns are either just like this or take longer to settle, good luck

Santa said:

What's her eyesight like? Has it been checked? Does the fluff round her eyes restrict her vision at all?

I have found that hugely aggressive bunnies calm down if you can sit in an enclosure with them, maybe holding some food or having some on your lap, and completely ignore them. Easier in the summer in a large run with a book to hand, but there might be a way you can do it. Eventually, and it may take several weeks, they will start to calm down and realise that you're not a threat. I guess it depends on the overall level of aggression and whether you could get into the enclosure without being bitten constantly!

You could try a thick pair of gardening gloves and just put your hand slightly inside the hutch and don't move it when she goes for you. Some bunnies respond well to massage, might be worth a try when you next groom her.

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Oh yes gloves initially as santa mentioned. I think i used at one point with blaze, then to test his aggression i gave him the glove,to see if he would attack, after he didn't i handled him. He got attached to the glove and it wasn't such a big shock when my hands were in them x

areia said:

you say shes fine once you pick her up ??

how is her senses eyesight and hearing etc this can make them agressive, she may settle with a freind

with carrie ( shes very cage aggessive ) when out id lie on the floor near and slowly slide my hand flat along the floor so everything is as low as possiable so there is no threat from above, this can be a nervy if shes a lunger this just enabled her to build a bit more trust as she would slowly become curious


doesseem like you are doing all you can at the mo, some buns are either just like this or take longer to settle, good luck

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If your doing that I'd definitely wear some gloves. I know blazes would have had my hands if I'd have approached him like that when he was in his full on aggression mode xx

Santa said:

What's her eyesight like? Has it been checked? Does the fluff round her eyes restrict her vision at all? I guess she's been vet checked for general pain which could cause grumpiness?

I have found that hugely aggressive bunnies calm down if you can sit in an enclosure with them, maybe holding some food or having some on your lap, and completely ignore them. Easier in the summer in a large run with a book to hand, but there might be a way you can do it. Eventually, and it may take several weeks, they will start to calm down and realise that you're not a threat. I guess it depends on the overall level of aggression and whether you could get into the enclosure without being bitten constantly!

You could try a thick pair of gardening gloves and just put your hand slightly inside the hutch and don't move it when she goes for you. Maybe even starting with some time literally just crouched next to the hutch doing nothing, let her get used to you being there and not responding to her grumbles. Some bunnies also respond well to massage, might be worth a try when you next groom her.

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She has had a full health check and they couldn't find anything at all wrong with her physically. I'll trim the fur around her eyes when I next groom her as it won't do her any harm.

I'll try the gardening gloves, it sounds like the best option to start with. Don't think sitting in the enclosure is the best option yet, although I'm not frightned of her I'm sure she would just keep attacking me. I do spend alot of time talking to her and make a point of speaking to her everytime I go outside.

Ambience said:

If your doing that I'd definitely wear some gloves. I know blazes would have had my hands if I'd have approached him like that when he was in his full on aggression mode xx

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:lol: problem with my lot they are more likely to lunge with gloves on than off, they hate gloves thy can smell your fear :lol:

this is why i suggested only doing this flat on floor, there is no way i could do that sitting up

areia said:

:lol: problem with my lot they are more likely to lunge with gloves on than off, they hate gloves thy can smell your fear :lol:

this is why i suggested only doing this flat on floor, there is no way i could do that sitting up

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Hehe i think it's different things for different buns Try everything i say xxxx

So do we have any volunteers to come and try it without gloves.

x-vic-x said:

So do we have any volunteers to come and try it without gloves.

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lol nope xxx

i would but hey i like a challenge :lol: plus a biten finger may take my mind off toothache at mo

How much space are you giving her? If it's a lot does she have somewhere small and dark to hide? I just think maybe if all she's ever knows is a three foot hutch she might actually feel safer with a small space. Obviously have it in a large run or hutch so she can venture out in her own time.