My bun is only aggressive towards my mom - help!

I’ve had my lop ear bun TimBit for almost 2 years now and he was neutered one year ago. He is always snuggly and loving towards everyone in the house even licking everyone too, all except my mom.

This behaviour has just started within the past 2 weeks and has gotten progressively worse this past couple days. When it first started he would just lunge at the treat she was holding in her hand, wouldn’t bite her or anything, more just startled her. The past two nights however, he’s lunged and attacked her unprovoked. Tonight he bit her and drew quite a bit of blood. I’ve never seen him this aggressive with anyone else in the house.

There were two incidents about 6 months ago where she was touching his food and his toys where he lunged at her and I told my mom not to touch them. It seemed revolved but as of recently he has taken up being aggressive towards her again and even worse now.

When he’s been attacking I’ve been putting him in his hutch for a time out but that doesn’t seem to be working as discipline anymore cause he loves it. I’ve tried verbal reinforcement and spraying him with water but neither of those seem to phase him.

I’m looking for advice on how to fix this issue. How can I help my rabbit learn to trust my mom again? And what exactly could have triggered him to respond so negatively around her? And is there any other way that I can discipline this behaviour?

Maybe he thinks your mum is trying to take over his territory!

Is he neutered? Do not try to discipline him with time out’s and the like, he doesn’t understand. Also please do not spray him with water as that is just cruel. If he isn’t neutered I would suggest that as your first course of action.

I don't have any answers but maybe getting him a female friend might help as he will then be dominant over her and not your Mum.

One thing I can think of is if your mum maybe smelled like something he doesn't like. Like, for example, if she's been in contact with dogs and he's scared of those. Or maybe he associates her with something bad? Has she accidentally hurt or scared him? Was she nearby when something scary happened to him? I agree with TheBee that you shouldn't try to discipline him, though; it simply doesn't work with rabbits. It's not fair to him, as rabbits don't understand it and they don't learn that way.

Positive reinforcement is much better. Get him to make good associations with your mum. You could give him a treat if he's near your mum and he's calm, or your mum could just sit on the floor with him, not reaching out to him, and have yummy things for him to snack on while he's near her. You could give him his veggies or pellets that way. If he can't be near her without being aggressive, try gradual steps, starting from a bigger distance and building up until he can be close to her. Have your mum talk calmly to him so he can learn she's not a threat.