Getting frustrated

Hi,

I'm new to this site because I am having troubles with my bun. She is almost a year old and I've had her for 10 months. She is comfortable with us but is starting to get REALLY aggressive. She attacks everything and anyone. You can't pick her up anymore or anything. We respect her and her space. We got her spade, not for aggression reasons, and she has been getting worse ever since.
Also, I'm having absolutely no luck with litter training and have done everything to try and litter train her.
I don't know what to do because I'm having trouble litter training her and she is really aggressive!!
Please help!!

Thank you!

Hi :wave:
How long ago was she spayed? It could be her hormones.
And is she an only rabbit?

She was spayed 5 months ago. And yes she is.

my niece has had about 6 bunnies in her lifetime and one of her existing pair is a seriously aggressive bunny who hates being touched or petted at all. i daresay if vet has checked her over to see if there no other reason for her to be behaving like this, perhaps a little friend might calm her down.?

Good luck
fee x

Is she aggressive whilst in her cage/hutch or even when out of the cage?

How do you approach her?

Is it fear aggression?

She is aggressive inside and out of her cage. When I approach her I do it slowly and so that she can see me so I don't scare her. Sometimes she is fine and sometimes she does that really fast scratching attack. Or if I need to pick her up, sometimes she kicks fast with her back legs. I understand she may not want to be touched, but sometimes I will just be sitting there and she just comes and scratches me.
I do not think she is scared or is in fear.

Personally I believe that all aggression has its root in fear so I would be looking for what she is afraid of, or why she is perceiving you as a threat

I haven't the slightest clue why I may be threatening. She wasn't always like this and I am not doing anything different.
I'm not sure how to act or handle the severe aggression.

Has a vet ruled out pain?

No, maybe I should get her checked?
She attacks object as well though, not just people. Maybe hormones or just personality?

jones055 said:

No, maybe I should get her checked?
She attacks object as well though, not just people. Maybe hormones or just personality?

Click to expand...

i would be inclined to get a vet check as it could be pain related or something neurological, especially if it hasn't always been common behaviour for her. until you can rule out everything medical related i wouldn't try to treat it behaviourally.

i hope you manage to work it out, i know how frustrating it can be to deal with an aggressive bunny!

If she attacks objects as well it might be her eyesight is bad. Is she a REW?

She sounds frustrated. What is her accommodation like? Is she shut in her cage for any length of time?

Fiver, my buck, is neutered but still boxes me (the fast scratching, you describe). He usually digs or boxes me when I ignore him, he is very easily "insulted". He sometimes boxes me when I go to stroke him too. I have no idea why, but I just accept that this is the way he is. I don't get annoyed or upset with him, I just talk to him and if I stretch out my hand slowly and give him nose rubs, he generally gets over himself.

I will say, though, that I have had to teach him that digging and biting me is not the way to ask for attention. It was fairly easy to do and he now tends to lick objects around me to get my attention...much nicer than being bitten or scratched. :lol:

Obviously it could be that she is bored and frustrated. A friend will certainly help that, but if it is just her personality, as it is Fiver's, then a friend may not do anything to stop the aggression. Generally there is always a reason for it, it's just a case of understanding bunny behaviour and language.

jones055 said:

No, maybe I should get her checked?
She attacks object as well though, not just people. Maybe hormones or just personality?

Click to expand...

Have you checked her eye sight? I know dogs with poor eyesight can react this way to people and/or objects.