• 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.

aggressive rabbit

I was hoping to ask the advice of you knowledgeable people here. :)

Just over a year ago we rehomed a Tulip, with our castrated male Floppy. She was always a little testy, especially when we fed her but they bonded so nicely (done by the lady who rehomed her to us). We thought she maybe needed spaying, but when she went in the vet couldn't find a uterus so she was already done.

Recently she has been getting much more aggressive, still mostly at food time, she now not only lunges at us when we drop food in, but attacks Floppy too, often spending a long time running round and attacking him before she settles down to eat.

She used to be fine when not feeding her, but after both my children being bitten by her they refuse to go near the rabbits other than to hastily drop food in the run. She doesn't attack me when I clean them out, but does grunt quite a bit if i try and stroke her.

I think she is probably nervous, possessive over the food, but am not sure what to do to help her and Floppy (poor lad, though he is now standing up to her when she goes loopy over the food).

They are fed twice a day, plenty of hay and veg as well as dried food. I have two food bowls, but this doesn't help. They have constant access to a large (6 by 6 foot at least) run and have sticks to gnaw, stick tunnel and platform to sit up on. They occasionally have run of the garden.

any ideas please? Really want both rabbits to be happy, and even for the kids to be able to sit in run with them again if possible.
 
Hello,

My first thought was hormones, I think some rabbits do still get rushes of hormones even if they have been spayed.

My second thought was maybe take her to your vet and have a chat with them. Jasmine my female was so aggressive when her hormones were up before she was spayed. She actually bit me so hard once it drew blood. Jasmine is the most mild mannered beautiful rabbit when she isn't hormonal and touch wood now she has been spayed she has not lunged at me once.


Hopefully, someone with a bit more knowledge can help you out, I have heard of some rabbits personalities changing for the worse after spaying so it is not always the answer for every problem although obv necessary for lots of reasons.
 
Yes I think she is probably still hormonal. Spring has made her quite rampant! She is nesting (lots of fur in the sleeping area) and keeps trying to rut poor floppy the wrong way round.

She always draws blood when she bites, they are proper mouth wide bites, not just warning nips. The kids have had bites to legs and hands. I just don't trust her with them any more.

I stupidly tried to pick her up at weekend when we moved the run/hutch combo onto fresh grass and she has made quite a mess of my hands by scratching, I kept away from her mouth though! We normally let them run round garden when we move it so she doesn't get picked up, but where in a rush. next time will use carrier!
 
Ouch that sounds awful, I have heard they can get a bit crazy in spring even if spayed. Have you got some gardening gloves? Nice thick ones? I would try approaching her and stroking her with those on. I used to wear leather gloves when Jasmine lunged. Are they sure everything was removed when spayed? I am so sorry you are going through all that. It used to make me so upset when Jasmine lunged at me xx
 
Hiya :wave:

One of my girl bunnies has done me some damage with biting - it really hurts doesnt it!

I took her to the vet to be checked as I'd read somewhere that she may be agressive due to being in pain. The vet said that she thought that Millie had pain in her bladder area and gave her antibiotics. Since then she hasnt be so aggressive or tried to bite. She still beats up her brother though!

Just a thought...

Hope you get this sorted as it is awful being afraid to get near your bun for fear of being bitten.
 
One of my rabbits has recently started getting very aggressive towards me and her partner at breakfast time. She's lovely any other time and this only came on recently.

What I did was feed them earlier and as they're not expecting it they weren't so worked up. It sounds such a simple thing but it worked for me so it might be worth a try for you. They have really good internal clocks and seem to know exactly what time it is so if you normally give them breakfast at 8.30am move it forward to 8am. That's what I did and it's much better. The only problem is that soon they will get used to being fed at 8am and you'll have to move it even earlier so this might only be a temporary fix.

Good luck :)
 
If you think it may be food related you could try feeding little and very often so that it isnot quite so exciting for them when food appears.
 
Back
Top