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Advice needed for a friend

N

Niklovesrats

Warren Scout
Nothing more embarrassing that when your friends think cause you own rabbits and work with them you know everything!! Had a phone call earlier (told her I would call her back lol) Anyway my friend rang and said she is having some problems with her rabbit.... its not her first rabbit although her previous was female and this one is a male! George lives inside and is neutered. She said that he is really aggressive, growls at her and eats her clothes, he has apparently ruined several items of clothing (mostly while she is wearing them!) If she tries to smooth him sometimes he is fine and other times he will go for her. She is starting to become a bit afraid in case he really bites! She said he gets loads of time out and has plenty of space. She doesn't know whether to get another rabbit to have a pair (someone else advised this) she didn't know if it was good advice or not! (neither do I!) or to try and rehome him (which I have advised against) any advice I can pass onto her cause I don't really know what to say for the best!!!
 
Niklovesrats said:
Nothing more embarrassing that when your friends think cause you own rabbits and work with them you know everything!! Had a phone call earlier (told her I would call her back lol) Anyway my friend rang and said she is having some problems with her rabbit.... its not her first rabbit although her previous was female and this one is a male! George lives inside and is neutered. She said that he is really aggressive, growls at her and eats her clothes, he has apparently ruined several items of clothing (mostly while she is wearing them!) If she tries to smooth him sometimes he is fine and other times he will go for her. She is starting to become a bit afraid in case he really bites! She said he gets loads of time out and has plenty of space. She doesn't know whether to get another rabbit to have a pair (someone else advised this) she didn't know if it was good advice or not! (neither do I!) or to try and rehome him (which I have advised against) any advice I can pass onto her cause I don't really know what to say for the best!!!
Click to expand...


You know what? Without seeing how she interacts with the rabbit, it's hard to say what's going on ...

Has she had him since he was a kit? When was he neutered and how old is he now?

Sometimes you have to work *with* the rabbit you have, and not expect them to behave in similar ways to ones you've had in the past. They are all so different - advice would be of more use if someone went to her home and saw exactly what was happening.

sorry not to be of more help :wave:
 
Being from P@H this could just be his personality passed from his parents.

If it's only recently developed I'd suggest a full vet examination with a rabbit savvy vet to ensure there isn't a medical cause such as a urine infection, dental pain etc.

If that's all okay I'd take her back to basics on gaining trust with him as if a new bunny.
Close off any areas she doesn't want destroyed (e.g. bedroom closed off if there is a habit of leaving clothes on the floor) and provide mental stimulation like food puzzle balls, foraging opportunities with trays of hay etc.

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Also ensure she isn't trying to pick him up - this could be causing a fear response.

Maybe also think about having a pet remedy plug in diffuser and a special place where he's never bothered.

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Thanks for the suggestions, ive asked some more questions, she says that she is wearing the clothes that get chewed, he jumps on her and just takes a bite out of her clothes fear! She doesn't allow him access to upstairs but he has the full run of downstairs. He is fine about being picked up and is only ever picked up when its time to be put away, he gets moody if she tries to stop him chewing at her or when trying to stop him doing something she doesn't want to do.... like chewing the rug or the curtain! He is very confident and more than happy to fall asleep on the lounge floor so I personally don't think its anything to do with fear!!!! She has said that he growls when he is annoyed (mine do that though lol)
 
Niklovesrats said:
Thanks for the suggestions, ive asked some more questions, she says that she is wearing the clothes that get chewed, he jumps on her and just takes a bite out of her clothes fear! She doesn't allow him access to upstairs but he has the full run of downstairs. He is fine about being picked up and is only ever picked up when its time to be put away, he gets moody if she tries to stop him chewing at her or when trying to stop him doing something she doesn't want to do.... like chewing the rug or the curtain! He is very confident and more than happy to fall asleep on the lounge floor so I personally don't think its anything to do with fear!!!! She has said that he growls when he is annoyed (mine do that though lol)
Click to expand...


Seagrass mats are good as a chewing deterrent and boredom buster for rabbits :D

http://www.animalaid.org.au/index.php/online-store/wish-list/seagrass-mats-detail

If you can find something like that, your friend can make herself a fully chewable suit!
(joking .. but they are good for rabbits to chew :))
 
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