• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Nipping

T

TriL1

Warren Scout
Hi, I brought my two newly bonded pair of bunnies home yesterday, they are both doing very very well. I went into the run earlier (its attached to the hutch) and has a little chair so sat down on their to give both bunnies strokes on their heads, my male bunny i've always had is fine but my new bunny (as you can imagine is a little bit unsure). Although when I was standing up she was sniffing my ankle then nipped me, is it coz she's scared, should I let them be for a while or is it she just doesnt like me??

If anyone has any advice on why, what I should do with newly bonded bunnies i'd be most grateful.:D:wave:
 
How old are they?

One of my bunnies used to nip me when he was very young. Never hard enough to bite through skin, just to let me know he was there. Sometimes it was becuase he wanted me to move!:lol:

After he was neutered he stopped it and has never nipped me since!
 
well i can relate to you at the moment, one of my buns was due to get neutered a month ago but couldnt due to illness but now shes halfway through her treatment and is a right randy buggar again ascerting her dominance..
she humped my arm tried to pin it down by nipping me haha:lol: and shortly after circled other halfs feet
i believe that neutering will do the trick :)
 
Floppy is 4 months old and Tipsy (whos nipping) is 7 months, both neutered? She doesnt do it all the time and i've only just got her really. I was sitting there and she was sniffing then took a nip, not a proper bite but it did hurt? Do you think she is just a bit scared? as shes only just moved here? or do you think its a territory thing?
 
I feel little bit scared getting in the run now, although I have been as trying to get on with it but keep thinking she's gonna nip me?
 
Well I take back what i said earlier about my two not nipping! they have both nipped me tonight because I was taking too long to give their treat I suspect!!! They haven't nipped for a long long time.

Your rabbit is still young and she is getting used to you so give her time. I used to give a little shriek when they nipped me when they were young! I thought it had worked until tonight! But I think that was over the speed that the food was getting to them! Not quickly enough for their liking!
 
ha ha, not thats funny you got nipped but that just as we are speaking about it they do it. Floppy did the other day but did not mean it as I brought his pellets out he comes running out and think tried to take a bite of the food but got me instead.x Like you said maybe she just needs to get used to me, I forget that with floppy (although he hasnt nipped) but he was all scared at first and used to run away as where now I can hold his head in my hands and stroke his head and he loves it. Plus if they are newly bonded maybe she is a little possesive of him too? I'll just make sure I wear longer trousers too as I had shorter trousers on yesterday.xx
 
Alfie occasionally gives my eldest daughter a little nip; it's usually either just to let her know he's there or that she's in his way. :lol::lol::lol:

Rabbits can pick up on your nervousness though, which can make the beahviour worse so I would advise you to wear long trousers (and maybe wellies or boots to protect your ankles) so that you then feel more confident around them. :)
 
Its not a nasty thing, if a bunny really wants to bite you they can draw blood!

I dont think buns realise a nip can hurt, so try squeaking when they nip you, just like another rabbit would if they hurt it.

The new bunny may be getting used to your smell, getting used to you. It depends what type of nip too, a sharp nip may be 'get out of my way' but a gentle putting their teeth on you can be 'are you food or do you have food for me?'

Also, I have a bun who will bite when he gets overexcited about food, or if I'm being too slow with it. I dont think his sight is 100% and he will also sometimes nip if I smell very different or if I have been eating recently (he smells the food).
 
TriL1 said:
ha ha, not thats funny you got nipped but that just as we are speaking about it they do it. Floppy did the other day but did not mean it as I brought his pellets out he comes running out and think tried to take a bite of the food but got me instead.x Like you said maybe she just needs to get used to me, I forget that with floppy (although he hasnt nipped) but he was all scared at first and used to run away as where now I can hold his head in my hands and stroke his head and he loves it. Plus if they are newly bonded maybe she is a little possesive of him too? I'll just make sure I wear longer trousers too as I had shorter trousers on yesterday.xx
Click to expand...



Sods law they would nip after I said mine never do it!!:roll:

As the others have said, if they really wanted to bite they would draw blood, I think it is their way of communicating - hurry up with the food, get out of my way, etc

Hope she settles better soon. Yes wear long trousers and like others have said wellies!!!:wave:
 
she's just done it again, I was holding her and she nipped me, no blood like ya said. I think she could be scared. I was holding her then my little girl was kinda screaming want to stroke her, and thats when she nipped, when I put her in her hutch she kinda started to try hump Floppy and trying to kinda bit him??? when I looked she was hiding behind her arch toy and looked like she was shaking? Im all so knew to this that im just learning? Is making me feel bit scared with her but I need to stay calm as like you said they know your nervous, and maybe shes more nervous than me?:wave:
 
TriL1 said:
she's just done it again, I was holding her and she nipped me, no blood like ya said. I think she could be scared. I was holding her then my little girl was kinda screaming want to stroke her, and thats when she nipped, when I put her in her hutch she kinda started to try hump Floppy and trying to kinda bit him??? when I looked she was hiding behind her arch toy and looked like she was shaking? Im all so knew to this that im just learning? Is making me feel bit scared with her but I need to stay calm as like you said they know your nervous, and maybe shes more nervous than me?:wave:
Click to expand...

Most rabbits dont like being held much, and the majority of rabbits dont like screaming children! I would say she is stressed and scared, just take things slowly. How old is your child? Is she old enough to be taught to be calm around the buns?

Go slowly, handle as little as possible for now and instead concentrate on trust exercises, like getting her to handfeed, reading and sitting in their run etc
 
Sounds like scared nipping when holding her. One of my boys is scared of being held and will nip me to tell me I'm over stepping the mark, also panics when my little boy makes a lot of noise and I'm holding my rabbit, he will nip but only sort of gently and worst nip just bruises. My other rabbit nips my trouser ankles if I take too long to put food down!
 
She's 2, unfortunately she doesnt listen at the moment, I know the rescue centre she was fine when being picked up, and she was this morning but I think the whole screaming thing made her nip me.x

What should I do just stroke her a bit at a time and then feed her some hay and pellets slowly?? Do you think it will pass when she trusts me/us a bit more?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

P
Moving bonded bunnies into their permanent home - advice needed
Replies
4
Views
189
Plushy
P
D
bonding a trio to a quad!
Replies
1
Views
144
Omi
O
C
Pooping outside the toilet area
Replies
10
Views
475
robeyw
R
Back
Top