Advice on what to do with biting rescue rabbit please

[Azraelm]

Hi everyone
I've been reading the messages here for the last couple of weeks, but haven't posted yet, so hello!

Just wondering if i could ask all you rabbit knowledgable people's opinions please??
I'm at university (mature student) and volunteer at a wildlife hospital. The hospital also houses an overflow of pet rabbits from the RSPCA. For the last few weeks there has been a male rabbit there who bites quite badly and last week a lady told me he was going to be PTS as they wouldn't be able to rehome him.

I don't know his previous history but didn't think this was right as he is perfectly healthy. I think his biting is probably due to the fact he is unneutered and obviously very scared/and territorial. He has bitten me when putting food into his hutch at the wildlife hospital.
I told them i would take him and on thursday I brought him home with me. He's currently living in my summer house. He really does bite hard- not just a little nip here, and I already have a wound to prove it from making the mistake of trying to pick him up! I'm not sure how to put photos up yet, but here's a link to one of him and my own rabbits (Esmerelda and Silent Bob) house. http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cartermandy/album?.dir=/4d58

I long-term foster Esmerelda and Silent Bob (they both have malclussion and Bob has a nasty face absess) for a local rescue centre who have agreed to take him, but i feel bad for burdening them with another rabbit when they obviously have so many already. They did say he would stay there forever if he continues to bite as they do not PTS.
Unfortunately, my boyfriend isn't as keen on animals as me and I had to persuade him to have the other two so i couldn't keep him permanently. Also, there is the cost issue, as i'm a student I can't really afford a hutch etc.
So...although i do not have much money I was thinking of either giving the rescue centre a donation to cover the cost of neutering or getting it done myself and then taking him over to them.
Or...after neutering myself, he could stay living in the summer house and I could try and work at making him more friendly as they wouldn't be able to give him much attention with all their other buns to look after and then rehome myself- but I'd be worried about where he was going, a rescue is in more of a position to homecheck.

So what is the best for him? He seems fairly happy in the summer house, perhaps a bit bored (just a brick building really but its quite big- 18ft by 10ft.) and i've been letting him out in the run as my rabbits live in a converted play house and have the run of the garden. Unfortunately the run is quite small though (5ft by 2ft). As proof of his hormones, whilst in the run earlier today he went mad when he spotted Esmerelda and sprayed at her and tried to dig his way out! (She is unneutered, Silent Bob is.) I have now moved the run to the patio, where they can't go and he can't dig.

Is there much chance that his behaviour could be changed? If so, how long after neutering would he calm down? I'm not sure how old he is but he must be well over a year old. I've read a few threads and articles on how to alter biting behaviour, but any tips would be appreciated.
I think his behaviour is mainly due to fear and hormones as he does seem curious but very nervous. He is also incredibly energetic and jumps up on a very high window ledge in the summer house.

Also...he hasn't eaten much at all since being here. I've tried two types of food and lots of veges but he's not really interested.

Sorry this is so long, thank you in advance for any replys.
Mandy
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[elve]

sounds like he's lucky to have you!

As for neutering curing their energetic, boyish antics - I've just had to dash out of the house as I saw through the window that my neutered boy, Benny, had managed to jump up onto the hutch roof and was surveying the garden, before launching into freedom!

But neutering should help your bunny to calm down certainly - there's not a mean bone in Benny's body towards humans, although he hates all my girls with a passion.

A few people on this forum have noticed a surge in 'bad behaviour' for a couple of months after getting a boy neutered (Benny was ready done when I adopted him, so I wouldn't know) but they calm down after that phase passes.

As he's such a wild thing I would book him in for neutering ASAP - especially since you have an unspayed female, and he's an escapologist :?

He sounds majorly stressed and hyper to me - give him time and the snip, and plenty of space for now - rabbit bites are painful!

 

[raven_guest]

If lots of people are coming and going, he is probably just nervous, try gaining his trust by just sitting with him, taking him treats but not expecting anything in return, then gradually stroke his head, get him to take food from your hand etc. It ttakes time, the snip will help though. I had a savage little rabbit and it takes a lot of patience (and thick skin ouch!)

 

[doorkeeper]

Neutering ought to help considerably and should be done as soon as possible. If he does go to the rescue having him done already will greatly reduce the burden.

Having enough space to run about and get rid of some of his excess energy would probably help too. As would having him live in such a way that he doesn't need to be handled going in and out of the run. Rabbits often don't like to be handled and as with humans avoiding the triggers that set off difficult behaviours and allowing them to behave in a more acceptable fashion can be the start of the road to a happier life for all involved.

I took on a difficult character last year, he was a biter, and some dreadful woman had set her dog on him and tried to get it to kill him :evil:
I put him in a large hutch in a big enclosure and let him burn off his energy and waited for his hormones to settle after his castartion. I didn't try to handle him, but just gave him a treat every time I passed him so he came to associate me with good things. When he was a bit calmer I bonded him to a nice big girly and he has gradually calmed down. I can now handle him without worrying about him biting me So there is lots of hope if you can get him what he needs either by providing it for him or by passing him on to someone else who can provide it. Castrating him is the first step no matter who is going to help him so if you can get that done asap that'd be brilliant.

 

[Karly]

Regarding the situation on where he should live, perhaps you could make an arrangement with the rescue for you to get him neutered and foster him for a couple of months, give him a chance to settle down (I think it's around 4 weeks for the hormones to be out of his body, 6 for him to be unfertile) and see how things go. If she's got lots of bunnies to look after, she won't have so much time to work on convincing him humans aren't so bad after all, and the smells of so many other buns may stress him out too. Then if he improves, he could possibly go into the rescue to give him a great chance of being homed. That or the rescue could have info about him up and anyone interested in viewing him could arrange a time to either come to yours or have him brought over to the rescue to meet?

 

[raine]

There was another topic similar to this and someone suggested a link to an American site which had advice on "biting" rabbits. It has been up recently, but I cannot locate it on a search. Any ideas?

 

[bunnymadhouse]

most biting buns start out by biting out of fear . If this gets the desired affect ie. being left alone then this becomes learned behaviour (he has learned that biting works!) this learned behaviour can be difficult to unlearn but sometimes with patience and understanding it can be done .

I would certainly have him neutered as this might help . please dont expect miricles though .
lots of space , treats , soft voice when talking to him (yes i know your neighbours will think youre daft....but so what) :lol: and not forcing him to be handled when it isnt needed .
Also a mate may help (a neutered female would be best)

We have a bun here called Arthur. when he came he was realy nasty ai was scared to death of him but my OH doesnt care if he gets bit or not so he set about taming him . We paired him with holly which has helped and now although he does still sometimes bite when in his hutch he has settled down well . I can pick him up and carry him , brush him, and even cut his nails and clean his bum .

So there is hope and you just have to remember its not his fault , buns are not born mean .

well done for rescueing him from being pts and good luck.

Angie

 

[Gem]

most biting buns start out by biting out of fear . If this gets the desired affect ie. being left alone then this becomes learned behaviour (he has learned that biting works!) this learned behaviour can be difficult to unlearn but sometimes with patience and understanding it can be done .

Wasn't case with one of my females :roll:

You've certainly got some good advice here so I won't really add anything other than, training the bun to get in a carrying basket and transporting him to the run also works well.

Good luck and keep us updated!

 

[bunnymadhouse]

Gem ....i did say MOST .
ok so some are just little b.....gg..rs :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Azraelm]

Thank you so much for all the advice everyone, its been really useful. After the biting incident on thursday i had been moving him from and to the run using the carrier- luckily he's quite nosey so doesn't take much persuading to go in there!

I had been thinking that perhaps I won't put him in the run for the time being, as its so much smaller than the summer house he's living in and he can't have the enjoyment of going on the grass because of his digging, so its just the patio. What do you all think?

I'm going to ring round some vets in my area on Monday (Nottingham) to see about the cost of neutering. My vet quoted £55! Would he need to have a check up first or anything? Or would I just take him straight in? How long does it take? And how soon after would i pick him up?
Are there any other costs other than the actual neutering price, such as follow up meds/appointment?

Thanks again
Mandy x

 

[doorkeeper]

I wouldn't bother putting him in the run if it is smaller than where he is living without grass even. He might like the fresh air but the stress of being moved and the chance to behave badly probably means it isn't worth it for that. He also might get miffed about being more closely confined than usual, and all keyed up wanting to get out of there to the big world outside.

The price quoted for neutering is usually all inclusive, but that does vary between vets so it is best to ask first. If you were willing to drive to get him neutered the pet vaccination clinics charge just under £30 and it is all included. There are several around Birmingham easily accessible from the motorway. My local vet only charges £30 for a male, probably because of the competition with the PVCs. 5 years ago they charged £35 and that wasn't all inclusive :? You can usually book straight in for neutering although some vets like to do a check first - but of course this puts the price up. Post operative checks and stitch removal(if necessary) are usually included in the price. The PVC don't do them - they just say bring them back if there is a problem and they use dissolvable stitches or glue.

 

[Leanne]

My 9 yr old Vinnie was exactly the same.

A woman brought him in the surgery I worked at to be pts because of the same reasons ~ can't rehome/clean him out etc.
Turned out he was in a tiny hutch with no access to an exercise area so no wonder he was scared & biting!!!
I have a scar on my leg from his biting swinging antics pre castration & relaxation!!! :lol:
Anyway, I took him(he was a year old) had him neutered immediately & just gave him time & respect & he is the sweetest most loving bunny!

Can you ask if you can rehome him & put him on rabbit rehome & here for a knowledgeable bunny owner to adopt?

Im so glad you are there to give him a chance!!!

 

[Azraelm]

Thank you again everyone.
I'll defiently be phoning round vets tomorrow about neutering, and thank you for the info about the place in Birmingham Doorkeeper.

Thats great about Vinnie, Leanne, that gives me some hope although I know not to expect miracles! And that sounds like a good idea advertsing him on here when he's better behaved of course! So...now all i have to do is hope that my boyfriend forgets that he's here!

 

[tupperwarequeen]

when Daisy was in hormonal she would bite, really deep, hard bites too I found that until I could get her spayed I just had to keep trying, I bought a pair of stiff protective gloves for wearing when putting food in the hutch or any contact with her, I was determined not to let her isolate herself, because prior to this she had been very easy to handle and very friendly. I think this paid off, as once she was 'done' she slowly returned to the Daisy that I first knew. she still has the occasonial bite, but it is usually when she is upset about something....she gave me a good one the other day, I think she knew I'd been sitting with new bun Trinny :shock:

 

[Azraelm]

Those deep hard bites are not very pleasant are they?
I brought some gloves too, but luckily haven't had to use them. He hasn't tried to bite me again, I suppose because he's got a bit more space now and I have not tried to pick him up.

When I go in to feed him I hold out a bit of food and he backs away at first and then comes forward to eat it. When he's munching on a piece of carrot though it reminds me of the potential of those jaws! :wink:

 

[tupperwarequeen]

I think this bun is very lucky to have found someone to understand him, not label him aggresive, welldone you