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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BEHAVIOR Patrick still attacking me

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    • Patrick
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        I took patrick outside today and put him in his outside run, he ran up to me, grabbed my pants with his teeth and started tugging and clawing me with his hind feet, earlier he grabbed my arm and bit me pretty good… but heres the weird one, I was close to the floor and he bit me right under the eye… What gives?

        I brought him in from outside and put him in his cage with water and hay, and folded up his inside run, he’s grounded from his inside and outside run. I got him neutered in Dec. its now april, anyone have any idea how much more of this is going to go on before I take him for the final run to the vet and stop at tractor supply and get a new friend, he evidently doesn’t see how good he has it.  


      • LBJ10
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          Poor Patrick, he just won’t stop with his troubles. The tugging and digging at your pants does sound like it was attention seeking though.

          I don’t know, getting him a friend could go either way. He could be aggressive toward the new bunny or the new bunny could actually help him warm up to you (if the new bunny is affectionate with people). Have you considered taking him on some dates to see how he interacts with other bunnies?


        • Beka27
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            Does he normally seem territorial? If you were inside the run at the time, he may have felt that you were in his space?


          • Patrick
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              Patrick is territorial in his run, in his cage, running around in the house, in the bathroom, in my room… frankly…. i’m in his state… I don’t think a friend will help him, I honestly think he would torment the poor thing to death. I don’t think he’s lonely, I give him a ton of attention, and when he grabbed my pants he was bent on fighting. 

              I don’t think he’ll get better, I think I own a demon… I put him in his cage and took up his run in the house, hes a cage bunny from here on out till I can figure out what to do with him. 


            • LBJ10
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                How do you know he would torment another bunny? Just because he is aggressive with you doesn’t mean he would be aggressive toward another rabbit. That’s why I suggested taking him to a shelter to meet a bunny or two to see how he reacts.


              • Patrick
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                  I live in a small town and the other towns are even smaller, I just don’t see him getting used to another animal and I don’t have the room or space for another animal, i’m not even full time at my job right now. 


                • LBJ10
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                    Then why did you say you wanted to get him a friend? I’m confused.


                  • BinkyBunny
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                      I am sorry to come into this later, so not sure what you have tried before this post. Bunnies definitely nibble or bite to communicate all kinds of things like “move it!” or “pet me”. They do it to each other but the fur is somewhat protective and so it may not hurt, but it gives the “message”. He may not be trying to actually hurt you and so try and give a high pitched “eeeee!” which is bunny language for ouch! Many times that will startle a bunny too and make him stop. Of course, you have to do that each time he nips too hard so he will understand that it hurts you. (if he is just trying to communicate and not hurt you, then that may work).


                    • Patrick
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                        ok, thanks BB, I tell ya, he lunges at me with that tail raised and his glands are stinking, I thought I knew buns till I got this goober, he seems to enjoy hurting me, I do the “Eeeee” sounds and he tends to bite harder in the next round, he’s a bully lol.

                        I give him the freedom and love he needs, good food like salad mix, apples and oranges, run space and he has an outside run, i’ll lay on the floor with him and he won’t even lay near me like he used to, he’s grown up to be a jerk, he was really my best buddy when I first got him. 


                      • BinkyBunny
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                          Oh, I’m sorry to hear that! Does he bite when you move or lean down, or put your hand down, or pet him towards his backside? All of the above? Or is it just out of the blue?


                        • Patrick
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                            petting the head is fine, but if the hand goes to the back, he spins around and will lunge at my hand, he will grunt and sit up on his hind feet with his mouth open and either scratch me or bite and thats on a daily routine, generally if I go near him, the tail is us and hes pissed. If I let him out for too long, he’ll attack my feet, i’ll walk into his run and he follows to protect it and i’ll close it to keep him in it so I can get things done… thats about daily also. its like hes never been neutered.  


                          • Bam
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                              How long have you had him for? My bunny Yohio was a feisty bunny for quite some time, and I had him neutered right after I got him. He still growls and occasionally charges at other people, but since last fall, he’s not growled at me (I’ve had him for 2 years now). I find rabbits to be very slow learners. He’s always loved being pet on the hed, but just as you’re describing, he could turn around, growl and charge and try to bite like out of the blue – then go back to demanding pets on the head.

                              You say he wants to pick fights, I don’t know. It could be some kind of confrontational attention-seeking. Bunnies absolutely can be weird like that. Yohio once ran up to me in the hallway and sank his teeth into my calf and drew blood, then looked genuinely surprised when I cried out and sort of swept him away with my foot (gentle kick).

                              Yohio was ill last fall and had to be force fed for a month (teeth-issues) and that experience, which can’t have been very nice for him, for some odd reason made him bond very tightly with me. You’d think the normal thing would be for an animal to hate you after you’d held it down and shoved countless portions of critical care into its moutht, but apparently not if the animal is a bunny.

                              I hope you were joking (at least a bit) about having him put down and getting another bunny instead. Even if you neuter a bunny (or other animal) it will still go through some sort of teens. It’s an inevitable part of becoming an adult. There are more hormones than testosterone and there is development going on in the brain of adolescent animals even if you neuter them.

                              I would like to urge you to try and hang in there. Chances are good imo that he’ll become your best friend again.


                            • Patrick
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                                Posted By LBJ10 on 4/04/2015 10:29 PM

                                Then why did you say you wanted to get him a friend? I’m confused.

                                “how much more of this is going to go on before I take him for the final run to the vet and stop at tractor supply and get a new friend”

                                I didn’t say I was going to get him a new friend


                              • BinkyBunny
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                                  Okay – getting a little bit of the picture, but obviously it’s just a small portion. The backside thing I can explain — Definitely that is a spot on some bunnies they don’t like to be touched. I have had several bunnies that were like that. The last one I had “Viv” was definitely a spinner to confront you when you pet her and then got from her middle back down. I think that this as seen as a dominant move by some bunnies. (It can mimic the “about to mount” move).

                                  What I did to help with that was I slowly got her used to being touched there (she still didn’t like it but she at least wouldn’t bite). This took months!

                                  I used both hands to pet her head at first. While I got her relaxed petting her head I would use the other hand to pet her neck, then her shoulders and then just approach the “no go zone”, (all the while petting her head and cheeks). Then I would approach slightly into the no go zone with the second hand. The goal is to let your bunny know all intentions are good.  Don’t do this all in one session. This is done over many days and weeks. Go slow in approaching, each pet session maybe just a little itty bit further. 

                                  By the way when you do this, if you put your hands down to his side, he may lunge when you touch there too (?), you would do the same thing as above. You can also try and give a treat during this time too (so it’s all positive reinforcement).

                                  Another method I have used before for another aggressive bunny, Rucy, was to teach to back off with positive reinforcement. She would bite hard! I would use gloves, and do something I knew would make my bunny lunge or bite. (Like move something in her space), She would then come over and bite the glove hard! (so I had to wear thick gloves). Then I would not move my hand away until the moment she backed away. The moment she did that I would give her a treat.  

                                  Now here is the key, do NOT make any aggressive moves at all toward your bunny (like move toward or push away), or that will make things worse. Bunnies are prey animals, and for some bunnies, backing down if they are feeling threatened means their demise, so what we see as even more aggression, that is their survival instincts kicking in. 

                                  So when your bunny bites, you do nothing (hopefully you have thick glove), then as soon as your bunny moves away, you back away. Then if possible, reward with treats by keeping your hand where it is but just exposing the treat when he backs away. Allow him to come back . Later you may be able to give a treat if he doesn’t lunge at it. This is much like clicker training — rewarding positive behavior.

                                  You could do the same thing with your feet – wear boots, and do the same training above.

                                  The good news is aggressive bunnies have a reputation for being rather smart… and quick with clicker training (due to the fact they are very interactive and expressive about what they want!).

                                  But it will still take time and patience on your part. If something doesn’t work the first few times, doesn’t mean it won’t work. It just takes time. (and there will be good and bad days).  I have found some AMAZING bunnies over the years who were extremely challenging at first and then were a lot of fun. They still had their “spirited” nature, but the biting and aggression either stopped or was toned down. (never had a bunny continue to bite though — so training helped with that — took a while)

                                  This is a video of Viv, who doesn’t like me touching her blankets– She lunges (which I don’t care about ), but she wouldn’t bite anymore.
                                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTYDAvBtV2s

                                  This is another one of Viv lunging at my husbands feet. (she doesn’t bite though, so we didn’t need boots)
                                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6vqV8KdtfQ&list=PLD53DF1003CC79DAB&index=2

                                  We worked on that foot lunging behavior by teaching her to do a circle in front of us when we approached. Used clicker training type method.
                                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC5BMhNCfP4&list=PLD53DF1003CC79DAB&index=12

                                  (I had different kinds for many years – as I seemed to be attracted to the challenging cases over the years, but each one is different and how I approach was modified).

                                  The bunny I have now (just adopted a couple of months ago), can get a little feisty when she’s running around doing binkies and having fun. She used to be territorial and food aggressive. But she’s actually really loving and the biggest snuggle bunny I have ever had. In her case, she just needed reinforcement of affection and she has been the most affectionate bunny I have ever had! But the others weren’t like that, but I was able to appreciate them for their different qualities — Jack, who did became a love bug, but still a bluffing lunger. Rucy, who I just enjoyed watching, and she loved to be pet, but on her own terms, but would just box and run, but at least would no longer bite. And Viv, who just had tons of personality and was fun. (and I could pet too — she would tolerate the back side being pet and wouldn’t bite, but she preferred to be pet on her head and shoulders. That was fine for me.

                                  There are some great rewards in training and seeing some transformations.


                                • BinkyBunny
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                                    Forgot to offer this link from HRS http://rabbit.org/faq-aggression/
                                    The last section is about the really aggressive bunnies “Who run with the Wolves”

                                    And I just read your last reply — I figure you were joking about the “final run” to the vet. I know you are at your wits end so wasn’t quite sure.


                                  • JackRabbit
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                                      Wow, that’s some great info. I’ve got a lunger/nipper but with her its all show and usually a game. Going to bookmark this thread in case I ever do have an agressive bunny!

                                      I just wanted to send vibes for success when you try the things BB offered. {{{{Patrick}}}}


                                    • tobyluv
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                                        I know someone who had a very aggressive, neutered male rabbit. He would bite her a lot, not just little nips, but painful bites. I don’t know the exact method she used, but with time and patience, she worked with him and he became a sweet. loving rabbit.


                                      • JackRabbit
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                                          Do you think there’s any chance that going outside is too much for him and gets him uptight and defensive? Maybe too many scary noises and smells so he thinks he’s always in danger? Might be worth a try just keeping him inside for a while to see if that helps.


                                        • Megabunny
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                                            We are bound and determined to cure Patrick!! I’m so sorry he’s being such a little jerk, but BB sounds like she might have had some new ideas from the last thread when we all tried to help. Guess neutering isn’t a cure all. If you’re living in limited space on a limited budget, that’s gotta be tough having a pet that is so ungrateful. I have nothing to offer but my deepest sympathy for your situation. I hope some day we hear that he has rounded the bend and will be one of the success stories here. It sure sounds like you’re trying everything. How old is he again?? I wouldn’t be surprised if he simply mellows with age, but I really don’t know.
                                            Take care and let us be there, trying to keep Patrick in his home.


                                          • Patrick
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                                              Sorry, I had a response to some questions today and when I was proofreading, I accidently hit the back button and cleared it all out. I was a little perturbed. 

                                              At times when he gets in his moods, I feel like dropping back two and giving him a punt like a football, but I know he’s a bunny and he’s my buddy. The part that gets me is after he bites me the second and third attack seem to follow and as i’m trying to stop the bleeding he has the the look like “you want some of this? bring it!” and thats the funny part because he’s so small and his attitude is a mile high. 

                                              I put him in his cage yesterday and put a sheet over it to put him in solitary confinement for the night, it seemed to work and then the attitude came back and I put him back in for awhile, he’s been golden all day so far.  

                                              With the way things are for me right now, I can’t have two animals, its not possible right now, but maybe soon. I’ll keep trying to work with him, thank you for all the input, i’ll work on some things and hopefully he’ll settle down soon.


                                            • Patrick
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                                                I’m doubting any hope for Patrick 


                                              • LBJ10
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                                                  Oh my, how did that happen?


                                                • Patrick
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                                                    I had him out before bed time, trying to give him some time to run out of his run and be with me and I found a poop on the floor, as soon as I picked it up he jumped on my leg, grabbed a mouth full of skin and tried to take my leg off…. I put him in his cage and closed the door, solitary confinement for him till tomorrow… the only thing is, if it were a dog I would have had it put down by now… I just don’t get his behavior… 


                                                  • Bam
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                                                      I’m so sorry.

                                                      If my bunnies were dogs, they too would have had to be put down. Dogs and people communicate much better due to the long long relationship between the species. It’s unacceptable if a dog bites people. Bunnies are way less easy to read for humans (and probably vice versa).

                                                      Could he be in some kind of physical pain? Sometimes aggressive animals have back pain or Lyme disease or sth. I so wish so with an interest in difficult bunnies could take him in. I’m guessing protective clothing is not practical in Arizona due to your hot climate.


                                                    • JackRabbit
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                                                        I’m back to not being able to send new pm’s from any browser or I would do this myself …..

                                                        You might try pming BBer Sonn. She had a very special bunny, Monty, who recently crossed the bridge but had some somewhat similar aggression tendencies and she may be able to offer you some advice.


                                                      • Sonn
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                                                          I am really hoping putting him down is not an actual thing you are considering.

                                                          My rabbit Monty was a demon wearing a bunny suit. I have more scars and had to get more stitches from him attacking me than any other pet I have ever had.

                                                          He would attack completely unprovoked. He could be sitting next to me just chilling on the couch and the next thing I knew he was latched onto me somewhere. He would even do a gator roll sometimes and just rip parts of my flesh off. He bit my neck so hard at one point it took an ER trip and 30 minutes for the bleeding to completely stop. The Dr. thought that someone had tried to kill me. That was an interesting conversation to have with the police. At one point he temporarily blinded me.

                                                          I learned very quickly what would and would not work with him. For Monty touching him anywhere other than his nose was a no go. If you startled him in any way he attacked. If you got too close to his cage he would attack. If he perceived me in any way to be a threat he would attack. To have him brushed or his nails clipped he went to the vet where more than one person was available to wrangle him in. They even made a pseudo muzzle for him.

                                                          What worked with him was a lot of patience. No he was never completely “tamed” but he got to the point that I didn’t fear for my skin when he was out and about.

                                                          I started with his nose because he would actually allow me at times to pet him. While petting his nose I would give him a treat (his favorite was bananas) and while he was busy eating his piece of banana I would make micro progressions towards his head. I would do this a tiny bit at a time a couple of times a day.

                                                          I actually went online and bought a pair of Kevlar gloves that went up to my elbows. I didn’t use them all of the time but only when he was having a particularly bad day and once he latched on a few times and I didn’t react he would just thump and run off. This was extremely helpful since he too was a multiple attacker. I could be bleeding from one wound and find myself with 3 or 4 more while trying to stop the first one from bleeding. I sort of created a routine for this. I bought an x-pen and when he would get me I would quickly (I learned to be extremely fast with this) scoop him up into a position that he couldn’t attack (covering his eyes was very important in this situation) and plop him in the pen while fixing myself up.

                                                          Locking him away definitely would not have worked since he would just be amped up from being caged away for a long period of time. He was allowed out of his cage whether it was just in a single room or his usual whole house access. He was confined to a single room when he was being extra aggressive but he was still not confined to his cage.

                                                          Neutering him did not help his aggression.

                                                          While it took a very long time and Monty unfortunately passed away far too soon, at the end of his life I was able to pet him to his mid back and he had stopped chasing after me when he was out of his cage. I was even able to give him food in his cage without the gloves a month or so before he passed.

                                                          I had many people telling me he wasn’t worth it and that he should just be stuck in the ground. But he was my Monty and I took on the responsibility to give him the best life no matter what. Sure I got extremely frustrated at times but he was an animal that doesn’t understand like us humans do. He just knew that I was threatening to him in some way and that he needed to protect himself.

                                                          Some bunnies just need more patience than other bunnies.


                                                        • Sarita
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                                                            I had an extremely aggressive rabbit too…I found that one of the best things for him was just to allow him free range 24/7. I didn’t initiate any contact with him though which was perfectly okay with him – we both existed just fine this way and I loved him from afar.

                                                            I have no idea why he was so aggressive but he wasn’t mean, just fearful.

                                                            I think he was an extremely smart rabbit though.

                                                            He did have alot of medical problems though – dental and in the end I found out he had heart problems so I often wonder if that was the reason for his behavior. Maybe the only way he could express that he felt bad was to behave “bad”.


                                                          • Patrick
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                                                              Wow, I hear ya Sonn, I nearly did the gator death roll myself to detach him from me, I’ve been pondering whats been going on that would make him act this way, he is in his run alot, I work during the day but I leave the tv on so he can hear music while i’m away (classical music) so being gone doesn’t help, the other is when hes tugging at his cage, run or being an idiot, I have a water bottle I spray him with… mom thinks I need to stop spraying him. Patrick sounds like Monty in a way, as of how he is in his cage because he wanted to be a jerk.

                                                              some months ago, he attacked me and he was nervous, panting and I couldn’t get him away from me, I let him lay on my bed and I sat in bed with him for hours petting his head until he calmed down, it was like he did something and felt horribly bad about it, I haven’t seen that in a while.

                                                              I feel bad for the critter, I just wish I could fix what I did and we went back to being like we were.


                                                            • JackRabbit
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                                                                I’ve either missed some stuff or forgotten (sorry!). So Patrick hasn’t always behaved this way? Have you had a bunny savvy vet check him over really well since the aggression started? I’m starting to wonder if it may be something like Sarita’s bunny and there’s some underlying medical issue.


                                                              • Sonn
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                                                                  The panting doesn’t sound normal. Was he actually panting like with his mouth open? I’ve only seen a handful of rabbits pant with their mouth open and it has always been something health related. The first I witnessed was a bunny who had just suffered a heat stroke. There is an older boy at my local shelter who used to pant and come to find out he had a heart condition. And another had bad teeth and one had respiratory issues.

                                                                  If this was something that just sprang out of the blue I would have him checked by a rabbit savvy vet as it could be something triggering his aggression. Monty’s aggression wasn’t health related he just really did not like people or anything around him in general.

                                                                  I gave up the water bottle since all of my rabbits have ended up being weirdo’s who actually like it.


                                                                • LBJ10
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                                                                    He has been neutered since the aggression started. Wouldn’t a health condition have been discovered at that time? I do agree though, the panting does not sound normal.


                                                                  • Toni
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                                                                      I had a ultra-ballistic evil bunny. Someone thought they were doing me a favor and bought me a rabbit as a present. This person knew nothing about rabbits. Turns out this bun was purchased from a pet store, sold on a discount because he had to be separated from all the other rabbits because he was fighting/humping all of them. That was what I had to start with. He was beautiful, evil, mean and nasty and all he tried to do was attack me.

                                                                      This being 16 years ago, I had very little resources to help knowing how to deal with the behavior. I started by “punishing” him when he came at me….. put him back into his cage whenever he was nasty to me…. flicked his nose to stop his biting. It only made him much worse. I truly believe he could not understand punishment…. they go with what their natural born instincts tell them…. And if he was naturally grumpy/defensive… punishment/negativity only made it worse, and set him up for fighting us more. We stopped any and all punishment… it only hindered our efforts.

                                                                      I changed approach, and enlisted help. We noted he was very cage aggressive/fearful – so we made him a ramp to/from his cage and never picked him up again (unless absolutely necessary). He began to be less on edge…. he no longer was afraid we’d pick him up. Our next tactic….. every time he charged at us, we stuffed a treat at him. It took awhile, but it slowly began to change his intention from anger/aggression to anticipation. He began to instead of attacking us, attacking the treat. Then, he began charging us for treats, and forgetting the aggression. (I have to admit… he got fat during all this treating… but the trade-off was worth it for us). We all came to an agreement that we respected him/he respected us and all was ok after that. He was never really “friendly”…. just sort of tolerated us. He lived to 12, so thank God we came to an agreement. I’d say in the last 3 years of his life as an old man bunny, he actually became docile as he was too old to keep up the tough guy act. He’d still bite you if you irritated him, but overall you could pat him/pick him up/ spend enjoyable time with him.

                                                                      I’m really sorry you’re going through this… I know it’s so hard not to take it personal when they act this way. Remember that he was born with a lot of strong instincts he can’t always “turn off” …. was hoping my story might help you. I too would notice that he would seem scared or upset after he would bite me sometimes. I don’t think he wanted to bite me… I think it was the instincts/fear making him react, and after the bunny adrenaline was over, he was nervous about it. Good luck….. hope this helps. I do believe everyone’s advice to ensure it isn’t medical related is smart… at least you could rule that out.

                                                                      Sonn & Sarita, you’re awesome for sticking in there with your buns… I know how hard it is!


                                                                    • Patrick
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                                                                        Ok, sorry… panting was the wrong term, he was breathing heavy. He’s only been like this since I moved and he grew into his teenage bunny hood. I should have had him fixed earlier but I didn’t.

                                                                        I had some training tonight and I came home and goofball was out of his run tearing up the town, I walked around like I didn’t notice and he was fine with that until I started paying attention to him, so i’m wondering if he’s stressed in his run and wants to be free, but if I give him too much freedom, then he wants to be boss and tell me where I can and can’t go lol… buns are too complicated


                                                                      • Tana
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                                                                          My gosh… I’m glad I hadn’t read this thread before I got a rabbit or I probably wouldn’t have!
                                                                          My second bunny has bitten me a few times and was getting really food aggressive over pellets. Sometimes she gets territorial still.
                                                                          It made it very hard for me to love her because I couldn’t trust her.
                                                                          The only times she mis-behaved was around food (and she still growls at me at times) and when I deprived her immediately of that food (never hay) she made the connection quickly and has learned to contain herself.
                                                                          I don’t know what I’d do if she just attacked me all the time… good for you Patrick for sticking with it. I have no advice that hasn’t been offered but I wish you the best of luck!


                                                                        • RabbitPam
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                                                                            Hi, I know I’m coming to this awfully late, but i didn’t see any mention of him getting checked by the vet for any sort of illness. I can’t help wondering if he is in any sort of undiscovered discomfort – teeth, leg or hip injury, intestinal blockage that’s not complete but still hurts – that may be making him more aggressive. If he was neutered but something was injured in the process or just after, it may not have effectively calmed him down.

                                                                            You also mentioned about him calming under the sheet over his cage. Look up – is there anything above him without the sheet that may be keeping him in a constant state of fear, like a moving fan, a vent blowing air or a sound? I know that if you approach with your fingers spread it looks like a claw to them, so an upturned hand with fingers pressed together is one way to approach for petting their head.

                                                                            Positive reinforcement, combined with ignoring, can often make a turn around over time. This is very hard for you, though.


                                                                          • Patrick
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                                                                              I’ve considered something wrong with him, hes been pretty good. I’ve been giving him more and more attention lately and hes been getting better and more friendly, he will nip and get protective and then go back to wanting his head pet, generally when I can smell his scent glands, he gets upset and I have noticed he doesn’t like his poops “boundary marker” messed with, I can’t understand why he doesn’t like the poops messed with…

                                                                              Anyone else have a bun who hates his or her poops messed with?


                                                                            • JackRabbit
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                                                                                I wouldn’t say mine hate their poops messed with, but strategically placed poops are replenished when removed!


                                                                              • RabbitPam
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                                                                                  If they are the smelly poops, they are probably cecals, and they are a kind of food that he would eat, so if it’s cecals he wouldn’t want to share them with you.


                                                                                • Patrick
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                                                                                    Posted By RabbitPam on 4/18/2015 6:57 PM

                                                                                    If they are the smelly poops, they are probably cecals, and they are a kind of food that he would eat, so if it’s cecals he wouldn’t want to share them with you.

                                                                                    I keep telling him I don’t want his poops, the smell is the glands on either side and is has a sweet onion smell… which has a weird smell and his poops smell like it, when he starts smelling I start calling him stink and he goes back in his run till he cools off because thats when he gets angry. 


                                                                                  • JackRabbit
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                                                                                      I don’t know about other bunnies, but I with mine, I only smell their scent glands when we’re cleaning them or when one of the buns has gotten spooked. The one time all three got spooked was when our dog made it upstairs. The room smelled like a skunk for a half hour.

                                                                                      I can’t help but wonder if its a health issue or something odd is spooking him. How is his hearing? I ask this because Moshi gets a little spooked fairly often because he can only hear a little if at all. He usually just freezes and looks to Marlee for cues or runs and hides. Kieko is a very oral bunny, and I can see her biting in defense if something spooked her.


                                                                                    • Toni
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                                                                                        Fred is still super-hormonal… and he strategically spreads his territory poops in specific areas… everyone was laughing at me just today as I walked about his space cleaning them up and he followed right behind me, replacing them. He gets bothered whenever I mess with his litter box as well. The poops he drops for territory purposes have that musky scent to them… I always assumed that they are able to add their scent to those particular poops they are leaving for territory – so when we are messing with them, I think they are seeing it as messing with or challenging their space. We should prob both try to stick to cleaning up when they are not present to see us do it… might help.


                                                                                      • Patrick
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                                                                                          Posted By Toni on 4/18/2015 10:02 PM

                                                                                          Fred is still super-hormonal… and he strategically spreads his territory poops in specific areas… everyone was laughing at me just today as I walked about his space cleaning them up and he followed right behind me, replacing them. He gets bothered whenever I mess with his litter box as well. The poops he drops for territory purposes have that musky scent to them… I always assumed that they are able to add their scent to those particular poops they are leaving for territory – so when we are messing with them, I think they are seeing it as messing with or challenging their space. We should prob both try to stick to cleaning up when they are not present to see us do it… might help.

                                                                                          Oh yes, I agree. the territorial poops is what he protects and that seems to set him off. they do seem to have that musky smell to them, I try to pick them up when he isnt looking, but he seems to smell them on me lol


                                                                                        • Toni
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                                                                                            When I say that buns are such stinkers sometimes…. that is literally and figuratively!


                                                                                          • Patrick
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                                                                                              I’ve changed some things and Patrick has gotten better, its definitely attention… i’ve been giving him more attention after work and when I get settled into a new place, I plan to get another bun, a local farm store has them and i’ll have to see how this goes… I have 2 cages and i’ll get another run so i’ll start working on bonding 2 buns. 

                                                                                              So i’m ready to have 2 bun dislike me  


                                                                                            • LBJ10
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                                                                                                I honestly don’t think it is a bad idea. You might be surprised. Patrick may blossom with a bunny friend to call his own. I would definitely take him to meet any potential bunnies before bringing one home. And remember, the new bunny will need to be spayed/neutered before any real bonding can occur.

                                                                                                I’m glad to hear that Patrick is doing better. I think everyone has given you good advice. The challenge is finding what works for Patrick. =)


                                                                                              • Toni
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                                                                                                  Posted By Patrick on 4/22/2015 6:37 PM

                                                                                                  So i’m ready to have 2 bun dislike me  

                                                                                                   LOL!  That’s the spirit Patrick!  I’m glad you can keep a sense of humor through this.  Seriously though, keep your chin up.   And I can promise you…. those of us who stick it out with these difficult bun personalities – you will be rewarded for all your hard work and patience and understanding in some way in your lifetime.  I swear, that is how it works.     


                                                                                                • Patrick
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                                                                                                    For an update, Patrick has gotten better, the attacking has stopped and he’s been really friendly. I didn’t want to say anything earlier because I was hoping it wasn’t just a phase he was going through so he’s been really good lately. 


                                                                                                  • Bam
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                                                                                                      I’m so happy for both you and Patrick!!!!


                                                                                                    • Patrick
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                                                                                                        Its not a phase, hes still being good, he hasn’t been pooping on the floor much at all, he uses his box all the time so hes back to my old Patrick, now how do I keep him going for 10 years or so?


                                                                                                      • LBJ10
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                                                                                                          This is wonderful! I’m so happy for you and Patrick! Whatever you are doing, keep it up!


                                                                                                        • manic_muncher
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                                                                                                            I’m glad to hear Patrick isn’t attacking you anymore! Keep doing whatever it is that you’re doing! haha

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                                                                                                        Forum BEHAVIOR Patrick still attacking me