Scrappy's Little Helper
Mama Doe
Ouch, I'm really sorry you've had an incident with Bucky [emoji17] I know from my own experience how painful rabbit bites can be. A couple of years ago my bonded pair had a fight and I foolishly dived in to separate without protection and ended up with one swinging from one of my fingers by her teeth! Cue a fountain of blood from my finger to add to the general carnage.
I definitely think it's a good idea to discuss getting him neutered when you take him to the vets. Sounds like his hormones and the fear aggression from his previous mistreatment at his old home have created a perfect storm causing him to lash out.
Also might be worth asking the vet to have a good look at his teeth (and again when he's under GA for his neuter so they can get a really good look at his back ones). As he had such a terrible diet at his old home his teeth might not be in great condition. I'm particularly thinking of tooth spurs and or elongated teeth. So even if he appears to be eating ok it might be painful for him and pain could be another factor in his aggression.
How to deal with him in the meantime? Sadly it seems he doesn't understand yet that you're there to look after him and not harm him. I've had bunnies who are nervous and mistrustful of humans, although thankfully this hasn't manifested in aggression.
I've found the best approach is to take a step back and not interact with them directly for about a week or two. So I would give them their food but not get too close, potter around doing other things, talk (but not directly at them). During that time they're sussing me out and gradually learn that I'm not any kind of threat. It can take time to build up trust. I think neutering and a slow, patient approach are the keys to helping him with his aggression.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I definitely think it's a good idea to discuss getting him neutered when you take him to the vets. Sounds like his hormones and the fear aggression from his previous mistreatment at his old home have created a perfect storm causing him to lash out.
Also might be worth asking the vet to have a good look at his teeth (and again when he's under GA for his neuter so they can get a really good look at his back ones). As he had such a terrible diet at his old home his teeth might not be in great condition. I'm particularly thinking of tooth spurs and or elongated teeth. So even if he appears to be eating ok it might be painful for him and pain could be another factor in his aggression.
How to deal with him in the meantime? Sadly it seems he doesn't understand yet that you're there to look after him and not harm him. I've had bunnies who are nervous and mistrustful of humans, although thankfully this hasn't manifested in aggression.
I've found the best approach is to take a step back and not interact with them directly for about a week or two. So I would give them their food but not get too close, potter around doing other things, talk (but not directly at them). During that time they're sussing me out and gradually learn that I'm not any kind of threat. It can take time to build up trust. I think neutering and a slow, patient approach are the keys to helping him with his aggression.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk