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So according to the internet my male bunny is courting me... What now?

warlepus

Young Bun
Levi was a meat rabbit I purchased near the train station on impulse late July. Since that time, I've suffered all manner of bunny-related blunders - i.e. the butchery of my expensive noise cancelling earphones and laptop charger just to name a few - but he has never once nipped me. Not even when I was applying meds to his chin/nose/eyes/ears which were said to be areas where bunnies hate to be touched.

I've tried screaming when he so much as chews on my clothes several times but the behavior persists. Behavior pages on net searches say it's courting behavior or a sign of acceptance but it's just too painful. He's about 3-4mos old now and neutering isn't a viable option in my area. The most the only vet who will take rabbits that I know isn't offering this procedure (and I don't think I can hop on a plane or boat for a bunny vet who will).


What can I do? Should I consider a second bunny? Are there behavior modification techniques I can use?

PS - Yes, he circles my feet, grabs my used clothing from the hamper and sits on my feet when I leave my room, and climbs up my leg when I stop patting him to type this.

Any sort of help would be great.
 
Hi there........ooooh your bunny loves you!!!!!! What a shame about not having any vets around you capable enough to neuter your bunny. In the meantime, why not give him a (bunny safe) soft toy to............................love.?:oops::oops: Over the years I have come into contact with so many bunnies, some neutered and some not. Some are more amorous than others.......:oops::oops: When he nips, don't shout at him, but use a harsher voice and say "no" and when he doesn't nip you, re-inforce his good behaviour by saying "good boy" in a quieter and calmer voice. I have been doing this recently with a neutered but nippy bunny that is staying with me. Over the past 10 days, he has gone from being a real nippy and quite aggressive bunny, to one who comes up to me, puts his head down and just wants his head to be stroked.

Another bunny will only make matters worse as all he will want to do is....love them.:oops: Even with a neutered doe, he would pester them and try to mount them at every possible moment. The best pairing usually is a neutered buck and a neuterd doe.

Don't shout or scream at your bunny as this will only scare him and will make matters worse. They are prey animals and him being terrified will not help you bond with him.

Be patient, be gentle, be understanding and hopefully you will form a wonderful friendship with your furry friend.


Oh, almost forgot......beware of the fact that he will most probably spray you...........that me he loves you and you belong to him.

Best of luck.
 
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Yes, I am doing my best to be patient and gentle. I haven't lifted a finger on him but the pages said something about screaming so he thinks he's inflicting pain on me and stop.

I tried giving him my plushie frog that's roughly his size but he's more interested in my used... undergarments... ._."


Odd question but can he tell I'm female? Or will he be likely to do this to his owner regardless of gender as long as the owner is to his liking?
 
I definately wouldn't get a second rabbit. In the mood he would attack a male, and if you got a female you'd soon be over run.

I'd suggest wearing tall boots, wellington/rain boots style that way when he attacks your legs you can completely ignore him. What you need to do is make sure the behaviour you don't like doesn't get him what he wants (so he gives up) and when he does behaviour you do like he gets rewarded.

Hopefully you'll find that the behaviour settles a bit as he gets older.

Bunnies are fussed about whether you are male or female, it's just you're a member of his warren :)
 
@ Tamsin: Not sure if it's sales talk but yeah, the seller has been recommending a fellow male bunny for him... Thanks for the head's up. The boots aren't possible though as Levi is living with me in my bedroom... Sorry I forgot to mention this.


Thanks for replying. I'll work on ignoring him for the time being. I'll post again and see how it works out.
 
If you get another male they will fight continously ...it will not work. ..two intact males would kill each other.
 
If you get another male they will fight continously ...it will not work. ..two intact males would kill each other.


Yeah, that's what I keep reading but the seller's bunnies were mixed with males and females. Not sure if it's because they're still too young or have learned to somehow accept each other. I'm thinking of getting a female but as mentioned I'll get overrun with kits in no time.
 
The aggression kicks in with sexual maturity (around 4-6 months) so babies will be fine together, you often see litters of youngsters together. When they get older they start fighting over territory/mates and they are very vicious! If you had the option to neuter it might work but with a male who is obviously very hormonal odds are you'd end up with two rabbits you'd have to keep completely separate.
 
Yes, that's exactly what I've been wondering about. I doubt they've kept same sex pairs during 4-6 months of age or older. Are there like games or activities we can do to help him blow some steam off?

I have a dog and basically with his case, all we had to do was play with him to keep him occupied. I kinda feel bad his hormones are acting up and he has no outlet. He's usually well-behaved and even people I know who don't like rabbits love being able to pet him.
 
i must be really tired because what i read was that you bought a rabbit for meat but your butchery equipment is broken :shock: i was getting all upset for a minute there. :shock: !!
 
i must be really tired because what i read was that you bought a rabbit for meat but your butchery equipment is broken :shock: i was getting all upset for a minute there. :shock: !!

You're tired. The only butchered things are my expensive electrical devices. The rabbit lives up to his name. His agility is superb and he managed to climb to the top of my work desk to do a number on my earphones. :evil:


But yeah. He's a meat rabbit supposedly. Not sure if he's the same as the domesticated breed referred to that came from England. I don't know what breed/term to use to refer to him as...
 
You're tired. The only butchered things are my expensive electrical devices. The rabbit lives up to his name. His agility is superb and he managed to climb to the top of my work desk to do a number on my earphones. :evil:


But yeah. He's a meat rabbit supposedly. Not sure if he's the same as the domesticated breed referred to that came from England. I don't know what breed/term to use to refer to him as...

aslong as it's your things then and not the bunny. ;) x
 
I think that's something you'll have to take up with my weird friend who calls him "Stew" or "Barbecue"... :roll:
 
Keeping him occupied with other things is certainly a good idea, it might help wit the chewing too. Rabbits like games around food, so things like hiding food in a box for him to chew his way into, putting a bit of food under cups for him to sniff out, hanging food on string - that sort of thing. You can also train him to do things using treats as a reward :)
 
Keeping him occupied with other things is certainly a good idea, it might help wit the chewing too. Rabbits like games around food, so things like hiding food in a box for him to chew his way into, putting a bit of food under cups for him to sniff out, hanging food on string - that sort of thing. You can also train him to do things using treats as a reward :)

Are rabbits trainable beyond potty training? What sort of tricks can I teach him?
 
Yes, they aren't quite as reliable as dogs but you can teach them some commands :) You could train him to come to you when you call his name, or to jump on or over things, to stand up and 'beg'. If you try looking for rabbit clicker training on youtube you'll find some examples :)
 
Yes, they aren't quite as reliable as dogs but you can teach them some commands :) You could train him to come to you when you call his name, or to jump on or over things, to stand up and 'beg'. If you try looking for rabbit clicker training on youtube you'll find some examples :)

Oh, he comes to my side automatically when he hears the sound of plastic/tupperware. I guess he associates it with food. I'll try getting him to do an obstacle course of sorts but right now, our games are tag and him chasing the broom/string.

Thanks much for all your advice!
 
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