Bunny Buddy
Wise Old Thumper
Having had the care of over 20 bunnies over a period of 10 years+ I feel I should be able to read bunny body language but I'm bewildered by this one.
'Little Skunk' joined me on the Saturday and I tend to keep my distance, feed, keep clean, observe but not much hands on. This is fairly usual for about 2 weeks during the quarantine period. I always feed newly acquired bunnies last so I can wash my hands immediately after handling them/their set up and not go handling the established bunnies in an amongst.... this being particularly so in his case as he is one hell of a sprayer!
So, LS lives directly outside my back door and the other outdoor bunnies across the other side of the garden (two bonded pairs). LS was clearly aware I was feeding other bunnies before him and would stamp his feet and race around whilst they were getting food/attention. But when I attended to him he was just excited about food, I didn't read him as aggressive at all, he had the usual 'unneutered buck' demeanour but nothing untoward. I was careful about putting my hands in his hutch purely for fear of the 'food excitement' potential for biting, not aggression as such, though I was wary of that possibility as I hadn't got to know him.
So, on the Wednesday, 4 days after his arrival, I opened the 'dark' side of his hutch to put in a handful of new hay. He was way over the other side of the meshed side of the hutch, nowhere near my hands. I was spreading the hay out and faster than I could cope with he raced into this side of the hutch, latched on the skin between my knuckles and stayed hung on there for about 30 seconds ... even if I lifted my hand up he was still attached I just couldn't shake the little *** off me. When he did eventually let go I just quickly shut the hutch door and attended to my wound (via nurse at GP practice!!) I had scratches all over the other hand/arm but have no memory for how I got him off/tried to get him off just the panic that he would do serious injury to my hand that I need to earn my living!!!
So - was it food aggression? Territorial aggressions? What triggered it when he has shown no real aggression otherwise? I don't know if he misread me for some reason or if I misread him??? Was the hay so precious to him and he thought I was pinching it that he felt he needed to attack me in such a manner? I'm wondering if he has been neglected a bit in the past due to the previous owner being scared of him? Therefore the hay needed to be defended.
I feel I need to understand what I got wrong so that I can learn to trust him. He's 9 days post-neuter now and I stroked his back a few times over the last few days and stroked his head briefly yesterday - although he isn't enjoying this he doesn't seem in the slightest bit bothered. I reached into his hutch in his vicinity yesterday to remove his water dish and replace it, then pour water into to it, again putting my hand near him... I swept the poop from around him yesterday and he didn't even attack the brush/dustpan let alone me. I'm just really puzzled by the serious attack that day and not reading any such behaviour at other times.
Any insight welcome.
Thanks!
'Little Skunk' joined me on the Saturday and I tend to keep my distance, feed, keep clean, observe but not much hands on. This is fairly usual for about 2 weeks during the quarantine period. I always feed newly acquired bunnies last so I can wash my hands immediately after handling them/their set up and not go handling the established bunnies in an amongst.... this being particularly so in his case as he is one hell of a sprayer!
So, LS lives directly outside my back door and the other outdoor bunnies across the other side of the garden (two bonded pairs). LS was clearly aware I was feeding other bunnies before him and would stamp his feet and race around whilst they were getting food/attention. But when I attended to him he was just excited about food, I didn't read him as aggressive at all, he had the usual 'unneutered buck' demeanour but nothing untoward. I was careful about putting my hands in his hutch purely for fear of the 'food excitement' potential for biting, not aggression as such, though I was wary of that possibility as I hadn't got to know him.
So, on the Wednesday, 4 days after his arrival, I opened the 'dark' side of his hutch to put in a handful of new hay. He was way over the other side of the meshed side of the hutch, nowhere near my hands. I was spreading the hay out and faster than I could cope with he raced into this side of the hutch, latched on the skin between my knuckles and stayed hung on there for about 30 seconds ... even if I lifted my hand up he was still attached I just couldn't shake the little *** off me. When he did eventually let go I just quickly shut the hutch door and attended to my wound (via nurse at GP practice!!) I had scratches all over the other hand/arm but have no memory for how I got him off/tried to get him off just the panic that he would do serious injury to my hand that I need to earn my living!!!
So - was it food aggression? Territorial aggressions? What triggered it when he has shown no real aggression otherwise? I don't know if he misread me for some reason or if I misread him??? Was the hay so precious to him and he thought I was pinching it that he felt he needed to attack me in such a manner? I'm wondering if he has been neglected a bit in the past due to the previous owner being scared of him? Therefore the hay needed to be defended.
I feel I need to understand what I got wrong so that I can learn to trust him. He's 9 days post-neuter now and I stroked his back a few times over the last few days and stroked his head briefly yesterday - although he isn't enjoying this he doesn't seem in the slightest bit bothered. I reached into his hutch in his vicinity yesterday to remove his water dish and replace it, then pour water into to it, again putting my hand near him... I swept the poop from around him yesterday and he didn't even attack the brush/dustpan let alone me. I'm just really puzzled by the serious attack that day and not reading any such behaviour at other times.
Any insight welcome.
Thanks!
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