I've had Toby Rabbit as a single, very pamper housebun since he was 12 weeks old, he'll be 7 in a couple of weeks time. He is the most friendly, loving, licky rabbit you could wish for but if he gets one whiff of another bun on me, then it's lunging with tail & ears up & growling & chasing me.
If I've been helping at a rabbit shelter or fosterer - I walk straight into my kitchen, strip off all my clothes & put them into the washing machine & then go up to the shower to wash my hair & have good scrub.
Even doing this, when I open the door of the room where Tobes has been shut in he takes on an aggressive stance & has to sniff me all over before I can walk off without being chased & growled at.
It doesn't seem to matter if the rabbit smell is male or female. A friend walked into my house with her female bun in a carrier. Toby charged into the hall before I had time to close the door & when I put my hand down to shoo him back he bit me for the first & only time.
This is behavior so different from my previous rabbits who didn't show any aggression to me after handling other rabbits, just very interested sniffing. Any ideas why he behaves like this ?
If I've been helping at a rabbit shelter or fosterer - I walk straight into my kitchen, strip off all my clothes & put them into the washing machine & then go up to the shower to wash my hair & have good scrub.
Even doing this, when I open the door of the room where Tobes has been shut in he takes on an aggressive stance & has to sniff me all over before I can walk off without being chased & growled at.
It doesn't seem to matter if the rabbit smell is male or female. A friend walked into my house with her female bun in a carrier. Toby charged into the hall before I had time to close the door & when I put my hand down to shoo him back he bit me for the first & only time.
This is behavior so different from my previous rabbits who didn't show any aggression to me after handling other rabbits, just very interested sniffing. Any ideas why he behaves like this ?