At end of tether with agressive behaviour

[honeybunny]

I would advise contacting a rescue , we could help if you don';t have one nearer you, and asking them to try bonding her.
With a friend her confidence in spaces should go up and hopefully she will be much happier..she really shouldn't be kept hutch-bound although I understand why at present

 

[VickiP]

Thankyou so much for all of the tips and advice, I have taken them all on board and have been working hard with her to gain trust and confidence.

Now here is the wierd thing.

She did have a large hutch with run attached for 24/7 access but when in the run would just hide under a little rabbit house. This was when her behaviour was at it's worse and she was obviously very unhappy as she stopped eating and drinking which is why we had to do something quite drastic.

So, she is now in a hutch on her own, in the corner of the garden with no run and is happy as larry! She is gobbling down food, even dandelion leaves which she never touched before, she's playing with her toys and stretching up to look around. It's a similar hutch to her one at my friends house but without a run.

I'm really not happy having her cooped up all day every day but she has come on leaps and bounds and providing you don't go into her bedroom while she's in there will not bite or scramble at you.

But she is really happy. Happier than she was as a house rabbit and definately happier than she was at my friends house. So do I leave her as she is while she is happy?

No she is not, she is unsettled and being submissive, what is she like when you need to clean her out, you can't keep her in a hutch all the time, it's not meeting her welfare needs at all, she will get fat and suffer health issues eventually, what you've said tells me this rabbit appears aggressive but is actually fearful and that is largely because up to now she has been misunderstood. She would be happier still with more space without the handling, try putting a pets at home playpen round the front of her hutch with a net over it so she can't jump out and feels safe, you also need to ensure she can't go under the hutch or chew the legs so it's best done while your around to check her every half hour or so, they aren't safe enough especially on grass to leave a rabbit unattended - if you are able to open the door so she can choose when to come out and when to go in she will - she doesn't like the handling - if you can do this you will see her come out and go in and she will in time start to chill out because she will feel your understanding her. You can extend the playpens for rabbits aswell they connect together or indeed carefully close it round a rabbit when she leaves the hutch and move a rabbit very slowly in one to prevent picking them up if you wan't to put her somewhere else for variety. :wave:

 

[DemiS]

Yes, relatively. The run had a rabbit house and as the hutch had a ramp coming down into the run she could hide under the run. She seems to like being contained, which is very odd. :?

It's usually the other way round :? :lol:
It sounds like she enjoys having her own little space, it's secure and it's hers, if she's unhappy and aggressive in a larger space then personally I'd keep her where she is

 

[VickiP]

I would advise contacting a rescue , we could help if you don';t have one nearer you, and asking them to try bonding her.
With a friend her confidence in spaces should go up and hopefully she will be much happier..she really shouldn't be kept hutch-bound although I understand why at present

Yes and a little friend would be good

 

[helgalush]

I would advise contacting a rescue , we could help if you don';t have one nearer you, and asking them to try bonding her.
With a friend her confidence in spaces should go up and hopefully she will be much happier..she really shouldn't be kept hutch-bound although I understand why at present

I think this is good advice. I really hope over time she can grow in confidence and lose her anxiety of exploring and being around people. I really think another bunny could help her...but would really advise asking a rescue to help.

 

[DemiS]

Has the OP said how long the rabbit has been in the smaller hutch?

 

[VickiP]

Has the OP said how long the rabbit has been in the smaller hutch?

I assumed a couple of weeks. Since the thread ended the last time and the OP got the rabbit back from her friend, the doe in question has had a lot of moving around, different accomodation - I find doe's like to get settled, like to feel secure and have their own little home, actually I think probably bucks do aswell but doe's seem to be more 'particular' about their little home - mine move things around more etc I expect she is hoping this is hers now and frightened she's going to be moved again.

 

[SallyT]

Yes, I'm sure that the moving around has not helped her. I only did what I thought best for her and her needs, she was obviously unhappy as a house bunny so my friend provided her with everything she could possibly need, a large hutch with an attached run for 24/7 access. She was there for about 2 months but got more and more agressive.

Now I believe this may have been due to the fact that she was handled, or at least attempted to be handled in order to get her in and out of the run as she wouldn't/couldn't use the ramp to move from hutch to run.

She has been back with me a week and has made dramatic improvements. Especially eating and drinking which she stopped doing whilst at my friends house. I clean out one half of her hutch at a time, the opposite half to which she is in and she will accept that. If I try to clean the part she is inhabiting at the moment she will scrabble at me which I understand is protecting her space. With the doors of her hutch wide open she makes no attempt to even look or come out of the hutch which is only 2 brick widths off the ground.

The hutch size has not got smaller, if anything is slightly bigger just with no run, that's the only difference.

I had thought of getting a collapsible run with cover to put her in during the day and move her in and out of the hutch by use of a carrier, giving her the option to go in and come out of it. But I don't think this is viable, what if she doesn't want to come in again?!

Because of this I'm thinking a run attached to her hutch is better, but she had that before and was unhappy. Do you think it was the ramp? I think she is afraid of heights, whilst in the home she would jump onto and off of the sofa but would not attempt the stairs at all, never even looked at them. Whereas all my previous house bunnies would use the stairs happily up and down when the stair gate was not across.

How could I make an access ramp to a run that she will use given that her hutch must be kept off the ground?

Also, if an attempt is made to bond her with a hub-bunny should that be done once she's settled? Or as soon as possible so that there is upheaval close together? Given that I will not be able to afford another bunny so she will have to be rehomed, again

Many thanks for all your help

 

[VickiP]

Yes, I'm sure that the moving around has not helped her. I only did what I thought best for her and her needs, she was obviously unhappy as a house bunny so my friend provided her with everything she could possibly need, a large hutch with an attached run for 24/7 access. She was there for about 2 months but got more and more agressive.

Now I believe this may have been due to the fact that she was handled, or at least attempted to be handled in order to get her in and out of the run as she wouldn't/couldn't use the ramp to move from hutch to run.

She has been back with me a week and has made dramatic improvements. Especially eating and drinking which she stopped doing whilst at my friends house. I clean out one half of her hutch at a time, the opposite half to which she is in and she will accept that. If I try to clean the part she is inhabiting at the moment she will scrabble at me which I understand is protecting her space. With the doors of her hutch wide open she makes no attempt to even look or come out of the hutch which is only 2 brick widths off the ground.

The hutch size has not got smaller, if anything is slightly bigger just with no run, that's the only difference.

I had thought of getting a collapsible run with cover to put her in during the day and move her in and out of the hutch by use of a carrier, giving her the option to go in and come out of it. But I don't think this is viable, what if she doesn't want to come in again?!

Because of this I'm thinking a run attached to her hutch is better, but she had that before and was unhappy. Do you think it was the ramp? I think she is afraid of heights, whilst in the home she would jump onto and off of the sofa but would not attempt the stairs at all, never even looked at them. Whereas all my previous house bunnies would use the stairs happily up and down when the stair gate was not across.

How could I make an access ramp to a run that she will use given that her hutch must be kept off the ground?

Also, if an attempt is made to bond her with a hub-bunny should that be done once she's settled? Or as soon as possible so that there is upheaval close together? Given that I will not be able to afford another bunny so she will have to be rehomed, again

Many thanks for all your help

As I said I would definately attach a run, use ply along the bottom of the hutch to prevent her going under it and provide a step/box for her to hop onto rather than a ramp, they work better if they are closed on one side.

If you get a routine going where you let her out in the morning say - no handling at all - for some brekkies and then let her choose what she wants to do, she will most likely venture back in as darkness falls anyway, most of us now have runs attached that the rabbits have permanent access to rather than having to move them by picking up etc, this will be a better scenario for her, you still need to sit with her and let her come to you etc and stroke her, talk to her etc without picking her up, does she get free range time to run around at all? I do think a playpen would help you http://www.petsathome.com/shop/small-pet-play-pen-for-rabbits-and-guinea-pigs-by-pets-at-home-24353 this one looks smaller, they are generally 6 panels with rods to reduce or increase by adding or reducing the number of panels - you can connect however many you want together or just use one, put the hutch against a wall ideally open the pen and put it either side of the hutch allowing the rabbit to hop in and out of the hutch at will.

 

[Angie65]

Has she been checked by a vet to rule out pain, eyesight of hearing probs? Sone of the other behaviour u describe, could be pain or fear induced. Im z bit far away, but would be happy to bond if you can't find anyone nearer. I got my aggressive bun suit - they can do what they want to it

 

[Ambience]

Okay first of all i'd reduce all contact except to the absolutely neccesary- this is a bun that doesn't want to be handled.

I have a bun like this who is happy to be on his own,but if you come near him he will go for your hands- when you feed him , launch at the carrier.

He is a different bun when he is being held, but it's trying to get hold of him that is the problem.

In every case of "Aggressive Bunny", not handling has worked best. Time needs to be spent building trust.I used to do this by dangling gloves to get used to the idea of something like a hand being near.

I have one previously aggressive bun who is now totally none aggressive.

Carriers are a godsend with aggressive buns- but one of mine trys to attack the carrier. You just have to adapt to the bunny in this case.

Food aggression- if you distract the bun by getting it to run one way if possible ( I do this by putting my hands towards one area but not touching), then taking the bowl up as quickly as you can whilst the bun is distracted with your other hand.

What i've found is that healing an aggressive bun takes months and months and even years in some cases and it is a very very slow process. Handling is something for when total trust has been gained or for veterinary reasons only. I would also get a vet to clip nails if you don't feel like you can do it yourself. It may just help to have another person there.

Buns will gradually trust you as they know you haven't tried picking them off the floor, stroking them and cuddling them when they dont' want to be ( i think giving extra tlc is a wrong approach with aggressive buns), but time is essential- time spent sitting near the bunny getting it used to your presence. Another bun alongside may eventually bond through bars if kept in a seperate cage for several months and then starting the bonding process may make a difference.

One of my aggressive buns did great with his new friend. He loves his friend and has become a massive softy with people too. So it can be achieved.

Aggression- normally equals fear- so treat it like this regardless of if it seems to be dominant aggressive. A bunny only has to defend there territory when they believe there right to it is being challenged- so they feel insecure. A good routine with this kind of bun is essential to gaining trust.

Any health problems should be ruled out by a vet as suggested. Dental issues can cause aggression.

This isn't something that will change overnight and i think bonding now could be a disaster. I'd work on gaining this buns trust first.

Hope things get better xx