Ambrer
Young Bun
Hi guys! I could really use some advice on bonding, and dealing, with my rabbit Chappy.
Chappy is a female mixed breed - she's mainly Californian, but also part lion head and dwarf. I am doubting that she's dwarf very much, as she's massive!
Anyway - Chappy is nearly one years old, and she is spayed. Chappy was spayed due to behavioral problems that occurred shortly after she hit 4 months old. She because extremely aggressive and territorial of her hutch, so much that I couldn't even feed her. I was so upset as Chappy had been handled every day from birth and every day since I took her on; I thought it was something I did. I still think it might have been something I did....but I have no idea what.
Chappy was spayed back at the end of February, just after she reached 6 months of age. It was agony waiting for her to get big enough to be spayed! She'd gotten so bad it was dangerous for me to try and handle her, as every single time I'd go in to fill up her bowl she'd immediately bite me, hard enough to break the skin. She HAS calmed down considerably since having her spay - but I'm still struggling with behavioral problems that I'm hoping you guys might have some insight on. I'm at my wit's end, but I don't want to give up on her. Me and Chappy were really close before the problems started and I just want to have that again.
Currently, Chappy is still very territorial of her hutch, as well as her items (including the food bowl, water bottle, etc) which I can perfectly understand! I try and avoid touching any of her things until I've gotten her safely out of the hutch (unless it's for feeding) to avoid being attacked but she still...likes to attack me whenever I try and feed her. I have tried giving her a treat, stroking her head and then move in to get the bowl...to just be bitten. I've started wearing gloves.
Whenever Chappy is touched, she instantly starts snarling and tries to aim for my hands and face. Had a close call several days ago while trying to get her out of her run - she'd actually quit trying to bite me for several days and was letting me pick her up, I reached over to pick her up and she aimed for the face. I'd rather have my hands bitten than my face, so..another nasty bite. Gone back to wearing gloves.
Biting and scratching - again, as soon as I try to feed her as well as touch. I've managed to get gloves thick enough to stop her breaking the skin; but still hard enough to hurt. She's not too bad with me (she's like....10 times worse with everyone else.)
I've tried researching as much as I can into the matter and I've tried to avoid reaching in to pull her from the hutch. I've tried opening up the doors and letting her come and go as she pleases, but she refuses to leave the area. I've also tried training her to go into a carry-case, but she refuses to do that either, even for treats and veggies that she likes! I've also tried persuading parents to get another friend as I've read that could help, but Chappy is a handful as it is! Let alone two rabbits with the same problem! There's also no way she'd be allowed to be a house rabbit, either.
Talking to the breeder, it turns out that actually, part of it could be genetic. Her Mother is apparently worse. Would have been great to know that before I agreed to buy one! I did ask the parents temperaments before I bought Chappy and I were told they were supposedly sweet natured. I guess it's my own fault not insisting on holding the rabbits and seeing what they really were like.
Anyway...if anyone has any ideas of what I can do, anything at all, to try and re-gain the bond I had with Chappy before all of this started, I'd be truly grateful. Chappy and I were pretty close before all the problems started, and I don't want to give up on her. It's not fair on her. She'd most likely be put to sleep because of how she is. I'm just...getting really desperate. I feel terrible. I don't know if it's something I did, I can't think of anything at all which may have caused this...it was literally almost overnight.
Thank you.
Chappy is a female mixed breed - she's mainly Californian, but also part lion head and dwarf. I am doubting that she's dwarf very much, as she's massive!
Anyway - Chappy is nearly one years old, and she is spayed. Chappy was spayed due to behavioral problems that occurred shortly after she hit 4 months old. She because extremely aggressive and territorial of her hutch, so much that I couldn't even feed her. I was so upset as Chappy had been handled every day from birth and every day since I took her on; I thought it was something I did. I still think it might have been something I did....but I have no idea what.
Chappy was spayed back at the end of February, just after she reached 6 months of age. It was agony waiting for her to get big enough to be spayed! She'd gotten so bad it was dangerous for me to try and handle her, as every single time I'd go in to fill up her bowl she'd immediately bite me, hard enough to break the skin. She HAS calmed down considerably since having her spay - but I'm still struggling with behavioral problems that I'm hoping you guys might have some insight on. I'm at my wit's end, but I don't want to give up on her. Me and Chappy were really close before the problems started and I just want to have that again.
Currently, Chappy is still very territorial of her hutch, as well as her items (including the food bowl, water bottle, etc) which I can perfectly understand! I try and avoid touching any of her things until I've gotten her safely out of the hutch (unless it's for feeding) to avoid being attacked but she still...likes to attack me whenever I try and feed her. I have tried giving her a treat, stroking her head and then move in to get the bowl...to just be bitten. I've started wearing gloves.
Whenever Chappy is touched, she instantly starts snarling and tries to aim for my hands and face. Had a close call several days ago while trying to get her out of her run - she'd actually quit trying to bite me for several days and was letting me pick her up, I reached over to pick her up and she aimed for the face. I'd rather have my hands bitten than my face, so..another nasty bite. Gone back to wearing gloves.
Biting and scratching - again, as soon as I try to feed her as well as touch. I've managed to get gloves thick enough to stop her breaking the skin; but still hard enough to hurt. She's not too bad with me (she's like....10 times worse with everyone else.)
I've tried researching as much as I can into the matter and I've tried to avoid reaching in to pull her from the hutch. I've tried opening up the doors and letting her come and go as she pleases, but she refuses to leave the area. I've also tried training her to go into a carry-case, but she refuses to do that either, even for treats and veggies that she likes! I've also tried persuading parents to get another friend as I've read that could help, but Chappy is a handful as it is! Let alone two rabbits with the same problem! There's also no way she'd be allowed to be a house rabbit, either.
Talking to the breeder, it turns out that actually, part of it could be genetic. Her Mother is apparently worse. Would have been great to know that before I agreed to buy one! I did ask the parents temperaments before I bought Chappy and I were told they were supposedly sweet natured. I guess it's my own fault not insisting on holding the rabbits and seeing what they really were like.
Anyway...if anyone has any ideas of what I can do, anything at all, to try and re-gain the bond I had with Chappy before all of this started, I'd be truly grateful. Chappy and I were pretty close before all the problems started, and I don't want to give up on her. It's not fair on her. She'd most likely be put to sleep because of how she is. I'm just...getting really desperate. I feel terrible. I don't know if it's something I did, I can't think of anything at all which may have caused this...it was literally almost overnight.
Thank you.
