licking and nipping??

[oh_katiee]

so i have a bun named nutmeg (mini/holland lop that i got about 3 weeks ago). i just recently left for vacation for 8 days and had my mom’s friend/neighbor watch him while i was gone. before i left, i would pet him and scratch him and he would chatter his teeth and lick my hand, but only a little. when i got back (this sunday) he was HUGE! he grew so much in 8 days and got coarse adult fur…he didn’t quite double his size but i’d say he grew half that. is that normal?? so anyways, i’ve noticed now when i pet him he’ll let me pet and scratch him for a few minutes but rarely chatters his teeth anymore..and then he’ll move his head and like my palm EXCESSIVELY. he would like my palm for hours if i let him. he’s never done this before. now he nips too. if i let him lick my hand too long he’ll nip. very gently, it doesn’t hurt but it startles me because i don’t want him to break the skin lol. does he do this because maybe my skin tastes salty? i tried pushing him away when he nipped and gave him his salt lick (he has in his cage) but he didnt want it…or does he do this as a form of affection and love? i noticed he only does this after i pet him. he is an affectionate rabbit, hates being held but loves to be petted. he always comes up to the cage door when i walk in the room so i know for sure that he didn’t do it because of a negative reason. so can anyone tell me why they think he does this? and also ideas to get him to stop and correct him if i can/should? if its because of affection..i mean i dont think i should ‘punish’ him for it should i? thanks!

[LoveChaCha]

How old is Nutmeg?

If he is a few months old, it is normal for a rabbit to grow. My rabbit went from 1 pound to 4 pounds in less than a year.

He sounds like he is grooming you. After I give my rabbit pets, she will give me face kisses. Sometimes, she’ll kiss a lot. I would advise against picking him up, as many rabbits like their 4 feet on the ground.

The salt lick isn’t really needed, as rabbits get enough salt from their pellets

[Sam and Lady's Human]

Yup second what cha cha said Just make a squeal when he nips, he doesn’t know its hurting you, thats what they do to other rabbits who have fur to act as a buffer

[RabbitPam]

He loves you, not your salt. I am thinking he may be old enough to start having his hormones kick in, which would cause growth and the nipping after long licks (grooming where he becomes excited after a while.) Spockie used to nip me after a while, and the high pitched squeal tells them they’ve hurt you in bunny talk.
But if he’s a few months old now, I would recommend you have the vet check him out and make an appointment to get him neutered. If the vet says they can do it, get it done as soon as you can. He will start to become more erratic and aggressive until a month after it’s done, and you’ll wonder where your sweet boy went. It’s normal, but best to get it done sooner to avoid the Terrible Teens.

[oh_katiee]

when i got him they said he was about 10 weeks old..so i would say he’s about 12-13 weeks. honestly i dont know if he is a boy or a girl because they place i got him said they could sex him but it wouldn’t be accurate since he’s so young. i have just been referring nutmeg to a ‘he’ so when should i get him/her spayed/neutered? i was thinking about getting him a vet appointment soon so they can clip his nails, check for diseases, and sex him and then i can set up a spaying/neutering appointment.

[RabbitPam]

Sorry I didn’t see your next post until today.
I’d definitely take him now to a vet for an overall exam, sexing, nail trim and even some baseline tests if they want to do that so they have his vitals on record for later one. As soon as the vet is comfortable with doing the neuter is fine. Some vets want to wait until about 5 months, but others, like those who work with rescues and shelters, are comfortable with much younger bunnies. It depends on their experience with the procedure more than on the age. (With a boy, they watch for their balls to drop first usually.)

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