My Mummy Needs Help ='(

my mummy got me and my sister when we was 9 weeks old. she rescued us from pets at home. they told her we was 2 females, untill my mummy got me home and after 2 weeks of close observation my mum knew i was a boy. my mummy has had 22 years of experiences with bunnies from kits to old age. shes looked after bad temper rabbits like me and angels like my sister lexi.

my mummy spends time bonding with me and she spoils me to the point were i refused to go in a carry Carrier to the vets so she has to put me in her big pauls boutique bag on her lap when driving their. iv bitten my mummy, scratched her, kicked her, pushed her till she gets out my way. with my sister im worse. iv tried taking her eyes out to point my mummy had to take her to vets to get her eyes treated.iv tried to suffercate her, push her down the stairs, i take her food, i fight with her, i bully my sister to the point were my mummy has now separated us. this has caused my sister to be upset and she now goes off her food for days. i can be with my sister for 30 sec before i fight her causing my mummy to take me away. my sister loves me very much as she forgives me every time ( im a lucky bro)

im a spoilt bunny. my mummy has me on the sofa with her, i even follow her to kitchen when she gets off the sofa. she spends soo much time with me compared to my angel sister. we get the same amount of food but i constantly throw my food bowl around and chuck my fresh fruit n veg out. i still get plenty of exercise every day.

every 6 weeks i have to go to the vets to be health checked as i constantly throw my self around my cage. i have to be put asleep to have my check as iv scratched n bitten my vet many a times.iv had my bits removed in a bid to calm me but no change. i dont like being picked up, so when i have to be my mummy uses a towel n handles me quickly so i dont get angry.
my mummy has been told if i continue i will have to be put down. even the vet said im the worst behaved bunny hes ever seen. but my mummy loving me so much n not giving up is asking for help.
iv got 6 weeks to start to improve before my next check n if no change my mummy will have to put me down even tho she dosnt want to

Please Help!!

Hello, and welcome to the forum! :wave:

What a sad story. Well done on persevering.

One thing that strikes me- although I don't have that much experience with bunnies and to be honest both of mine are of the angel sort- is that there is quite a lot of contact here with the bunny. Is the bunny living indoors? How big is the cage? I know you say he gets lots of exercise every day and I'm sure you're right as you sound like you're doing everything you can, but it also sounds like this bunny would benefit from living a life with very limited interaction with humans.

So, in other wods, an outdoor set-up with a huge attached run where he could just be free to exercise himself as/when he pleased rather than having to have any contact at all might be better. Or, when you say throwing himself around the cage, do you mean he's doing this in a run too? Have health conditions been ruled out as the cause of this?

Also, I know this sounds basic, but what is your exact routine with the bunny every day- so we can see if we can identify ways to help? Things like what do you feed him... hay/pellets/ quantities etc :wave:

Oh dear.
Firstly, a vet cannot force you to put a rabbit to sleep regardless of what behavioural issues it may have. If that is the attitude of the vet then I would advise that you change your vet. It also seems odd to anaesthetise a rabbit for an exam every six weeks.
I would consider the following:
When was Benni neutered? It can take several weeks for hormones to die down.
What kind of accomodation is Benni kept in? Is the behaviour due to being kept caged too much?
I would also suggest consulting a specialist vet to see if there is an underlying medical problem i.e. something neurological going on.
Hope you get the little guy sorted.

Hi,

How long has it been since you were neutered? Is your sister spayed? How big is your cage? Is your house noisy and manic? Is your sight ok?

Yes, as Hesperus says, a rundown of your routine would be good. They're quite sensitive little things and there could be a few reasons.

But I don't understand why you have to be put down? Is it because your vet won't see you otherwise? Personally unless you're displaying signs that you're uncomfortable (change in eating/toilet/movement habits) I wouldn't be taking you to the vet. It doesn't seem like you like it/him very much at all, I don't imagine GAs that often can be good for you, and if he's suggesting you be put to sleep because of behavioural issues I'd be inclined to find someone better suited to the problem.

hi guys, it dosnt matter were he goes hes no different. i left him for a week with only him seeing me at feeding/ cleaning times only to discover he was infact worse, he managed to rip a few nails out thats when i took him to the vets and we discused the 6 weeks review to make sure he was fine n not hurt. he was neutered at 13 weeks after i noticed he was a boy n not a girl. both had injections n both have been neutered. their indoors and out doors. in at night n when im out as atm pet theifing is high in my area n have loads of foxes at night. they spend 3/4 hours out side a day in their hutch with pen. now going out at separate times.

iv had an 13 week aggressiveness female albino rescue bunny before and that bit me and i still kept it , till it was 9 years before it died of cancer. this is one guy im not going to give up on. i was told he had a bad up bringing as he was an unwanted kit by his owner thats why he was brought in to pets at home. but its dosnt have anything to do with that as iv had bunnies before treated worse than him and they have been fine.
pets at home vet was useless, assured me with out looking at benni thats he was a girl when after a few weeks i knew he was male went back n still didnt look n just said she aggressive bunny deal with it.
took him to my dog vet and he knows i dont give up on my animals.
this when he told me if he dosnt change he will be put down for safety reason but iv never heard of this before in all my years of looking after bunnies =s

I would choose whether they are indoor or outdoors bunnies and keep them there. Extreme changes in temperature can cause snuffles and infections. Mine live indoors and only go out if it's warm enough for me to sit out there without a jumper.

Is your girl spayed? If he's smelling unspayed animals it could be making things worse.

Do you have to pick him up to bring him in and out? How often is he picked up and by who?

So, is the doe spayed? Even though he is neutered, if she isn't spayed, her smell will be driving him nuts.

Personally it sounds like he is very frustrated. Where do they stay when they are inside? My buck was very aggressive and naughty when I had him kept in a cage, he is much better free ranging in my bedroom.
Has he had a thorough vet check for signs of pain? Aggression can often mean that the rabbit is in pain. I am shocked that your vet would suggest he be pts. :shock: I think you need to change your vet and see a specialist to see if you can get to the route of his behaviour.
At this time of the year you should not really put them outside, the massive temperature difference can cause pretty nasty health problems.

What is their diet and daily routine? How often are you picking him up and when does he bite? Many rabbits will nip to let you know you have done something they really dislike or you have invaded their territory. Also not many buns enjoy being picked up, being prey animals, the only time their paws leave the floor is when they would have been caught by a predator. If I pick my buns up when they don't want to be, I will get a nip or grunt and I it takes them a while to "forgive" me.

Another thing to consider is what his sight is like. I have a partially sighted bun and when I first got her she used to charge me and nip me very hard when I walked in the room. This was because she could only see the movement and was frightened, after a year of working with her and gaining her trust, she is much calmer and confident and hasn't bitten me for months.

Lexi&Benni said:

hi guys, it dosnt matter were he goes hes no different. i left him for a week with only him seeing me at feeding/ cleaning times only to discover he was infact worse, he managed to rip a few nails out thats when i took him to the vets and we discused the 6 weeks review to make sure he was fine n not hurt. he was neutered at 13 weeks after i noticed he was a boy n not a girl. both had injections n both have been neutered. their indoors and out doors. in at night n when im out as atm pet theifing is high in my area n have loads of foxes at night. they spend 3/4 hours out side a day in their hutch with pen. now going out at separate times.

iv had an 13 week aggressiveness female albino rescue bunny before and that bit me and i still kept it , till it was 9 years before it died of cancer. this is one guy im not going to give up on. i was told he had a bad up bringing as he was an unwanted kit by his owner thats why he was brought in to pets at home. but its dosnt have anything to do with that as iv had bunnies before treated worse than him and they have been fine.
pets at home vet was useless, assured me with out looking at benni thats he was a girl when after a few weeks i knew he was male went back n still didnt look n just said she aggressive bunny deal with it.
took him to my dog vet and he knows i dont give up on my animals.
this when he told me if he dosnt change he will be put down for safety reason but iv never heard of this before in all my years of looking after bunnies =s

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How did he manage to rip the nails? What were the circumstances and what did he catch them on (hay rack, door etc ?)Can you not change the accommodation to make it absolutely secure so he can't hurt himself and so that you don't have to touch him at all as that sounds the ideal solution. Is there any way he could just stay in one base and run rather than being moved? (If outdoors could you lock it with a padlock). Are you making sure he's provided with enough stimulation so that he's not behaving aggressively through boredom? What does he eat every day (pellets/nuggets/muesli mix) and how much exactly? How much hay does he get and how often is it changed? If he's not getting enough that could make him bored. How many hours a day is he out on grass? How big is the outside hutch? How big is the outside pen? How big is the inside cage? How often do you pick him up?

I wouldn't recommend the vet trip every 6 weeks personally. Every time you take him it stresses him more and reinforces the bad behaviours as it teaches him even more that he's got something to be scared about. I'd stop handling him altogether unless I absolutely had to for an emergency.


We all can see you're doing well to help him and have taken him on, but I'm afraid we can't help you unless you answer these questions with very precise answers.


We don't want to sound preaching or anything and sorry if it sounds that way, it's just that these things can all contribute towards the problems you're describing so unless we can eliminate the simple answers first we won't be able to give you clues to the solution!

Lexi&Benni said:

hi guys, it dosnt matter were he goes hes no different. i left him for a week with only him seeing me at feeding/ cleaning times only to discover he was infact worse, he managed to rip a few nails out thats when i took him to the vets and we discused the 6 weeks review to make sure he was fine n not hurt. he was neutered at 13 weeks after i noticed he was a boy n not a girl. both had injections n both have been neutered. their indoors and out doors. in at night n when im out as atm pet theifing is high in my area n have loads of foxes at night. they spend 3/4 hours out side a day in their hutch with pen. now going out at separate times.

iv had an 13 week aggressiveness female albino rescue bunny before and that bit me and i still kept it , till it was 9 years before it died of cancer. this is one guy im not going to give up on. i was told he had a bad up bringing as he was an unwanted kit by his owner thats why he was brought in to pets at home. but its dosnt have anything to do with that as iv had bunnies before treated worse than him and they have been fine.
pets at home vet was useless, assured me with out looking at benni thats he was a girl when after a few weeks i knew he was male went back n still didnt look n just said she aggressive bunny deal with it.
took him to my dog vet and he knows i dont give up on my animals.
this when he told me if he dosnt change he will be put down for safety reason but iv never heard of this before in all my years of looking after bunnies =s

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Btw all OP says both have been neutered!

Hesperus said:

How did he manage to rip the nails? What were the circumstances and what did he catch them on (hay rack, door etc ?)Can you not change the accommodation to make it absolutely secure so he can't hurt himself and so that you don't have to touch him at all as that sounds the ideal solution. Is there any way he could just stay in one base and run rather than being moved? (If outdoors could you lock it with a padlock). Are you making sure he's provided with enough stimulation so that he's not behaving aggressively through boredom? What does he eat every day (pellets/nuggets/muesli mix) and how much exactly? How much hay does he get and how often is it changed? If he's not getting enough that could make him bored. How many hours a day is he out on grass? How big is the outside hutch? How big is the outside pen? How big is the inside cage? How often do you pick him up?

I wouldn't recommend the vet trip every 6 weeks personally. Every time you take him it stresses him more and reinforces the bad behaviours as it teaches him even more that he's got something to be scared about. I'd stop handling him altogether unless I absolutely had to for an emergency.


We all can see you're doing well to help him and have taken him on, but I'm afraid we can't help you unless you answer these questions with very precise answers.


We don't want to sound preaching or anything and sorry if it sounds that way, it's just that these things can all contribute towards the problems you're describing so unless we can eliminate the simple answers first we won't be able to give you clues to the solution!

Click to expand...

I agree with this. We took on an aggressive male (neutered) and he calmed right down as we never handled him. OH sat on the floor for hours at a a time and Alfie came as close as he felt was safe, until he was running all over him. He's regressing a bit because of spring fever, he's lunged a couple of times when we've gone to stroke his lady, but I'm confident he'll be back to normal come summer.

atm he goes out every other day. he used to get picked up to be moved in/out but recently i just put my bag down he climbs in i move bag n with a treat in front of him he will get out eventually . . when he goes to the vets, i put my bag down n he jumps in it n loves going in my bag n he just sits in it. i told the vet id give him my bag permently in his cage if it calms him down but the vet said he would harm him self if he chews it.

he dose have a loving side, from time to time he will sit on my shoulder when im on the sofa and when my hairs up he will pull my hair toggle out. but even saying that to vet wasnt enough to convince him hes just a hot headed bunny. hes put to sleep to have his nails clipped, teeth check, bum cleaned, ears checked, eye check, general check as hes soo aggressive

only i deal with him, hes at his calmest with me but every one else he just goes for em. if he sees some one at the hutch that ant me he kick his bedding at them.

It's also relevant as to how long it's been since they've both been neutered.

I'm not surprised he doesn't like travelling or his carrier or even humans if he's going to the vet every six weeks. I would handle him as little as possible, and when you do use gloves and thick clothes and even boots. If you're calm around him, he's likely to be calmer.

Lexi&Benni said:

atm he goes out every other day. he used to get picked up to be moved in/out but recently i just put my bag down he climbs in i move bag n with a treat in front of him he will get out eventually . . when he goes to the vets, i put my bag down n he jumps in it n loves going in my bag n he just sits in it. i told the vet id give him my bag permently in his cage if it calms him down but the vet said he would harm him self if he chews it.

he dose have a loving side, from time to time he will sit on my shoulder when im on the sofa and when my hairs up he will pull my hair toggle out. but even saying that to vet wasnt enough to convince him hes just a hot headed bunny. hes put to sleep to have his nails clipped, teeth check, bum cleaned, ears checked, eye check, general check as hes soo aggressive

only i deal with him, hes at his calmest with me but every one else he just goes for em. if he sees some one at the hutch that ant me he kick his bedding at them.

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He just sounds like a dominant bunny, and sounds quite like my Fiver. He is very dominant, nudges me constantly for nose rubs and if I ignore him he will nip me. He is the most cuddly bunny i know, though and will snuggle up with me in bed getting kisses and a nose rubs. If I stick my hand near his litter tray I will get "attacked", that is HIS and I am not allowed near it whilst he is in there!

http://language.rabbitspeak.com/ Have a look at this website. It helped me so much to understand Fiver's behaviour.

As asked by another poster, how did he rip his nails out? :shock: What cage are they in?

Hi again Lexi&Benni,

Thanks for all your replies.

I'm not sure I can help you any more now until I know more specific answers to some of the questions that have been asked in the thread so please do havea look through and feel free to private message if you want. :wave:

hes 2 years old next week!! so this isnt just an over night thing. he goes in cage at night n when im out. when im in hes roaming around my house. thing is this isnt just about benni, also lexi is effected because when she dosnt see him see goes off her food and when shes around the house with me she just sits in my hand bag that he goes in witch is by the front door because it smells of him.

hes on excel nuggets witch is the only food he will eat. musil he will just tip straight away out the bowl n kick it every were. fed twice a day or once a day pens on my work. fresh fruit n veg every 3 days. he has vitamins in his water, wont take plain water. allways has unlimited hay

Lexi&Benni said:

hes 2 years old next week!! so this isnt just an over night thing. he goes in cage at night n when im out. when im in hes roaming around my house. thing is this isnt just about benni, also lexi is effected because when she dosnt see him see goes off her food and when shes around the house with me she just sits in my hand bag that he goes in witch is by the front door because it smells of him.

hes on excel nuggets witch is the only food he will eat. musil he will just tip straight away out the bowl n kick it every were. fed twice a day or once a day pens on my work. fresh fruit n veg every 3 days. he has vitamins in his water, wont take plain water. allways has unlimited hay

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Do they not live together? What's the size of his cage? My bun was only shut in when I was out and on a night but he went crazy with boredom because his cage wasn't big enough for him. The minimum recommendations are 6x2x2 ft but obviously the bigger the better.
Does he have plenty of toys?

How many pellets does he get?

Sorry for all the questions but often behavioural problems are to do with external influences so it's a matter of trying to pin point that.

hes now in the large hutch n lexi is in a medium . both have toys.

he was in the medium cage when he ripped his nails off. he was Constance at scratching so i kept an eye him n one day i went in and his cage was covered in blood, rushed to the vet n he had ripped his nails off

Lexi&Benni said:

hes now in the large hutch n lexi is in a medium . both have toys.

he was in the medium cage when he ripped his nails off. he was Constance at scratching so i kept an eye him n one day i went in and his cage was covered in blood, rushed to the vet n he had ripped his nails off

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How many feet are they, if less than 6ftx2ftx2ft you could have your answer...

Sorry if I missed a detail earlier in the thread ... but are his sight and hearing OK? His behaviour might be a result of insecurity, which is common in rabbits as a prey species, but especially if one of the senses is impaired.

Well done on persevering with him. If your vet is really considering PTS as an option for a bun with behavioural problems, I would definitely change vets. The Rabbit Welfare Association may be able to recommend a rabbit savvy vet in your area, or you could ask on here - The Forum has members in most parts of the country, and we all like a good vet for our buns.

Best of luck. :wave: