Stargirl170
Young Bun
Hello all
I have been doing a bit of research on the topic of biting / aggressive buns but I haven't really come across anything helpful for my situation so I would appreciate some advice if you have any!
I have 4 bunnies and I have just added a 5th to the clan! before bunny no.5 came along, I have two 7 month old neutered male brothers (no longer get along after neutering and now separated) and two 5 month old recently neutered females (luckily still getting along!). They were all neutered when they were 5 months old.
Just over a week ago, I adopted my 5th bunny. He is a 12 month old male mini lop who was not neutered by his previous family. I got him from a well known rabbit breeder in my area who originally raised him before going to his previous family.
I went to visit him a few times before deciding to adopt him and he was a lovely bunny, affectionate, always running round and wanting cuddles etc. I brought him home with the intention of bonding him with one of my other rabbits but he was so excitable he scared them a bit! Therefore he is currently a lone bunny.
For the first few days in his new home, he ran about like crazy, then dropping to lay down with his feet out the back like he was comfortable. He has a pen in the living room, where we put him at night or when we are at work, but during the evenings and when we are home we let him run free around the living room, kitchen and conservatory, he can still get into his pen if he likes. He wanted lots of cuddles and was even coming to lay by me on the sofa.
My other 4 rabbits live in a huge DIY built pen that takes up most of my conservatory and he likes to chill out there with them (with the bars inbetween of course!)
However, a few days in and he seemed to be getting territorial, dropping poops EVERYWHERE and spraying in the conservatory and on the sofa in the living room. His laying next to me has turned into nibbling my clothes (biting me in the process in some cases) and after a while he will settle down again.
I thought this behavior was normal and thought it may die down. I got him neutered 5 days ago to help calm his behavior as well as the hope I can keep him with my other buns so he has company. I know it takes a good few weeks for his hormones to disappear, but the last few days his behavior towards me has been getting a lot worse.
He has 3 times now lunged at me aggressively and bit me so hard that he has literally hung off my arm when I've pulled away! twice was for no reason, but I believe the last time he did it was because he is territorial over his cage - at the time I was putting his bowl of food in. He is still nibbling at my clothes or scratching at the sofa 1 minute and then the next he is happy to lie down and have his cuddles.
It is getting to the point where I am scared to sit on the sofa without the fear he is going to bite me and I am now very nervous around him as he is quite unpredictable. I want this behavior to stop and I'm hoping after a few weeks he will calm down after his neuter. At the moment I am torn between putting him in his pen and keeping him there for a few weeks (so he can't continue to learn to bite) or just letting him out. If I let him out I'm not sure how I can stop him biting - I don't want him to learn it as a normal behavior. I have tried making a shrill noise to show him it hurts (as suggested on several posts), but I believe this isn't working because he is intending to hurt me.
Not sure what else I can do and I don't want to shut him in his pen but it is getting very upsetting. Opie is completely fine with my partner and even licks him! However I am the 'main' parent and I wonder if this is why he has a dislike towards me one second and loves me the next. I don't know if I am doing anything wrong, or whether maybe my other bunnies are setting him off? I have no idea
Sorry for the long post, but I am beginning to feel a bit desperate for some help! Never had any problems with my other buns so feeling like I'm failing as a bunny mom on this one
I have been doing a bit of research on the topic of biting / aggressive buns but I haven't really come across anything helpful for my situation so I would appreciate some advice if you have any!
I have 4 bunnies and I have just added a 5th to the clan! before bunny no.5 came along, I have two 7 month old neutered male brothers (no longer get along after neutering and now separated) and two 5 month old recently neutered females (luckily still getting along!). They were all neutered when they were 5 months old.
Just over a week ago, I adopted my 5th bunny. He is a 12 month old male mini lop who was not neutered by his previous family. I got him from a well known rabbit breeder in my area who originally raised him before going to his previous family.
I went to visit him a few times before deciding to adopt him and he was a lovely bunny, affectionate, always running round and wanting cuddles etc. I brought him home with the intention of bonding him with one of my other rabbits but he was so excitable he scared them a bit! Therefore he is currently a lone bunny.
For the first few days in his new home, he ran about like crazy, then dropping to lay down with his feet out the back like he was comfortable. He has a pen in the living room, where we put him at night or when we are at work, but during the evenings and when we are home we let him run free around the living room, kitchen and conservatory, he can still get into his pen if he likes. He wanted lots of cuddles and was even coming to lay by me on the sofa.
My other 4 rabbits live in a huge DIY built pen that takes up most of my conservatory and he likes to chill out there with them (with the bars inbetween of course!)
However, a few days in and he seemed to be getting territorial, dropping poops EVERYWHERE and spraying in the conservatory and on the sofa in the living room. His laying next to me has turned into nibbling my clothes (biting me in the process in some cases) and after a while he will settle down again.
I thought this behavior was normal and thought it may die down. I got him neutered 5 days ago to help calm his behavior as well as the hope I can keep him with my other buns so he has company. I know it takes a good few weeks for his hormones to disappear, but the last few days his behavior towards me has been getting a lot worse.
He has 3 times now lunged at me aggressively and bit me so hard that he has literally hung off my arm when I've pulled away! twice was for no reason, but I believe the last time he did it was because he is territorial over his cage - at the time I was putting his bowl of food in. He is still nibbling at my clothes or scratching at the sofa 1 minute and then the next he is happy to lie down and have his cuddles.
It is getting to the point where I am scared to sit on the sofa without the fear he is going to bite me and I am now very nervous around him as he is quite unpredictable. I want this behavior to stop and I'm hoping after a few weeks he will calm down after his neuter. At the moment I am torn between putting him in his pen and keeping him there for a few weeks (so he can't continue to learn to bite) or just letting him out. If I let him out I'm not sure how I can stop him biting - I don't want him to learn it as a normal behavior. I have tried making a shrill noise to show him it hurts (as suggested on several posts), but I believe this isn't working because he is intending to hurt me.
Not sure what else I can do and I don't want to shut him in his pen but it is getting very upsetting. Opie is completely fine with my partner and even licks him! However I am the 'main' parent and I wonder if this is why he has a dislike towards me one second and loves me the next. I don't know if I am doing anything wrong, or whether maybe my other bunnies are setting him off? I have no idea
Sorry for the long post, but I am beginning to feel a bit desperate for some help! Never had any problems with my other buns so feeling like I'm failing as a bunny mom on this one
