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Why is she so grumpy?!

HorseyHolly

Mama Doe
Mischief has bitten me three times today so far. I think she hates me right now, to be honest :( First time I was stroking her, she suddenly spins round, grunts, and bites me hard on my hand. I realised that that was because I smell of other bunnies and animals, from working at the rescue today. Next time I change into a different jumper so she can't smell them. Of course I forgot to change my trousers so she bites me again even harder on the leg, I then had to hold her down while I tried to get out as she was going for me again :cry::oops: I pick her up for a cuddle, to say sorry for having to hold her down, she's completely happy and doesn't try to bite at all. I put her back after a few minutes, turn round to get her food from behind and she nips me on the shoulder :roll: I still had my clean jumper on, that wouldn't smell of any bunny other than her?

I don't understand why she's so grumpy? She was spayed around June last year, I thought neutered bunnies were supposed to be calm! Why does she hate the smell of other rabbits so much? I'm almost too scared to go anywhere near her at the moment :( We're going to have fun when she goes to meet potential husbuns at a rescue in a few weeks :roll:

It's also amazing how much bites from a bunny can hurt :shock:
 
My grayson does this!I find if i stroke him from head to tail, when i get lower down his back, thats when he swings round and bites me! :roll:
 
You put bunny smell on her territory. Of course she is going to want to drive it away, especially with breeding season here and even though she is spayed, she will still instictively know and act accordingly.

You rationalised the reasons for her behaviour so you know it's not about you, you just made an error with smelling like other bunnies.

If you touched near her backend she may be more sensitive to that at the moment due to how a buck would mount and/or because that's often where they get chased and get fur pulled from. It can be an axiety reaction or a pre-emptive reaction, maybe based on your mood. That is also how 'circling' starts between bunnies before they fight which might be what she felt was going on.

All that said, I would keep an eye on her for health issues in case something is brewing.
 
could be spring fever?

Does that mean I'm going to have to put up with this for another few months?! :shock:

My grayson does this!I find if i stroke him from head to tail, when i get lower down his back, thats when he swings round and bites me! :roll:

Grumpy Grayson! Missy normally does swing round if I go nearer her tail, but never actually bites. But this time I wasn't even stroking her back, just her head and she bites :roll:
 
You put bunny smell on her territory. Of course she is going to want to drive it away, especially with breeding season here and even though she is spayed, she will still instictively know and act accordingly.

You rationalised the reasons for her behaviour so you know it's not about you, you just made an error with smelling like other bunnies.

If you touched near her backend she may be more sensitive to that at the moment due to how a buck would mount and/or because that's often where they get chased and get fur pulled from. It can be an axiety reaction or a pre-emptive reaction, maybe based on your mood. That is also how 'circling' starts between bunnies before they fight which might be what she felt was going on.

All that said, I would keep an eye on her for health issues in case something is brewing.

Thanks for this :wave: Although I didn't touch her backend at all, was only stroking her head while she was facing the other way and she turned round to bite.
Will keep an eye on her for health problems too!
 
with bunes ts best to always go to stroke them from where they can see you and not there blind spot, as to startle them
could be smell of other bunnies and now she feels terrtorial, ie spring fever, rosie used to get like this, not with me but mowgli, with rosie it would last a month then stop yjrm month later she start again then stop till following year :lol:
 
with bunes ts best to always go to stroke them from where they can see you and not there blind spot, as to startle them
could be smell of other bunnies and now she feels terrtorial, ie spring fever, rosie used to get like this, not with me but mowgli, with rosie it would last a month then stop yjrm month later she start again then stop till following year :lol:

I'd been stroking her for a bit so she wasn't startled, think she just suddenly caught a whiff of other rabbits! Wow that's strange, poor Mowgli having to put up with her being grumpy for a whole month though :lol:
 
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