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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BEHAVIOR Is my rabbit mean? Or is he just trying to tell me something?

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    • DutchRabbitsFtw
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         so i adopted my rabbit from a rescue like… 43 days ago. he is VERY used to me and isnt scared of me or anything. he loves it when i pet him and stuff. anyway, recently (i think it started last week) he has been trying to nip me non stop. at first he would only nip my clothes but now he will nip my leg or whatever.

        first he nudges me really hard with his nose and when i move (cause im scared hes going to nip) he keeps on digging into my leg with his nose. and sometimes he will nip. and now he does this ALL the time. i am always wearing shorts and a t shirt so there really is “no protection” below my mid-thighs. i dont stay in one place too long to actually “scream” in pain to scare him but i have before and he just stops but he continues within 5 seconds. i also try petting him when hes nudging me (and its not the soft nudge its like an actual SHOVE basically with his nose/ head) but he just ignores me and even tries to nip me.

        at first i thought he was becoming aggressive but then i realized that he only does it to me. my mom likes to come in my room and look at my rabbit when he is out of his cage and he simply smells her or gently bumps into her with his nose. but he doesnt try to nip her or anything. and he is used to her too (he isnt as used to her as he is to me but he KNOWS her and is somewhat comfortable around her). my mom noticed this and told me that he wanted something/ is bored/ wants to tell me something. but i am not sure what it is? i guess he could be bored? i mean there really are no toys or playhouses (he has toys but he doesnt play with them; i plan on getting the maze haven soon btw. i really wanted to get the mini willow ball but its out of stock… already -_-… so i might wait until it gets back into stock)

        its not hard enough to break the skin but hard enough to leave a little red mark. and when hes on my bed he will nip me a lot and push me with his nose while nipping me at the same time. i also considered that he might be territorial? he doesnt lunge or anything but he nips. i have also tried moving places incase he wanted me to move but no matter where i move he still follows me and nips me (usually its my clothes but other times its my legs since im sitting down most of the time. and sometimes i’ll stand cause im tired of moving and getting nipped and he will just sit still and carry on as normal.. but as soon as i sit down he will follow me and nip my clothes -.-… he loves it when i pet him and he doesnt seem to be AGGRESSIVE just very nippy. i have tried covering my self with a blanket so if he nips it wont hurt but he will still try to nip me a lot.

        at this point he is around 7 months old, is a male, and he IS neutered. he doesnt mark his territory with poop or pee or anything… he hasnt peed on my bed in a long time so thats good. could he just be bored? does he want food? what should i do to handle this? he is very sweet besides the constant following and shoving me “out of his way” his his nose/ head and nipping me at the same time. MOVING PLACES DOES NOT HELP! thanks. he gets a lot of free time outside of his cage too and gets lots of fresh veggies daily, unlimited hay, limited pellets and fresh water at all times. he has no medical problems or anything at the moment. 


      • Stickerbunny
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          Rabbits use their teeth to groom and to play, they don’t get that our skin can’t handle it. When he nips make a high pitched squeal, like a rabbit being hurt, it will tell him “you hurt me! don’t use teeth” in his language. Stickers when she wants attention will run up to my legs if I am in my chair, bump me, then dig my pants leg and nip at me if I keep ignoring her. You just have to teach them to be gentle.


        • BunnyDuck
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            My bun nips at me, but it normally means he wants attention from me or wants me to move out of the way. When he was around the same age as your bun, he was particularly nippy. He’s now 10 months and he still nips at times, but he isn’t as hard at doing it. I just tried to figure out what he wanted. If I was sitting with my back up against the wall, he would nip at my hips, telling me to move out the way, so I moved. If I was sitting in a chair or on the floor he would nip at my legs/ankles and he just wanted me to pay attention to him and pet him. If I stopped petting him he would go back to nipping me.

            I have tried squealing, making a loud noise, ignoring, leaving the room. But none of that made a difference. I’ve just got used to him now and I understand it’s just his way of trying to tell me something. I’m sure if he could speak, he would prefer to tell me lol. Your bun is probably just trying to tell you something too.


          • Quantum
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              A nose bonk can mean a lot of things–“Hey! Can I get your attention here?”, “Food!”, “Pet me!”, “Excuse me, but you’re in my way.”, and as a general rabbit greeting–“I’m walking past you and just wanted to acknowledge your presence and let you know I’m here.” it can also be an invitation to play. No-Name Bun will run up, bonk you hard in the leg and frisk off with a foot flick, inviting a “gentle” round of chase. Nipping can be grooming or a, “Well, I *tried* to get your attention with a nose bonk, but you’re not *listening*, silly human! What do you mean you can’t read my mind??!??” NNB will attempt to groom by licking and then he’ll just graze you with his teeth, trying to get rid of what he sees as a burr or a mat or something-just-not-right with your “fur”. Try wearing some pants for your own protection and when he comes over and gives you a big, ol’ bonk, give him a few pets to see if that’s what he’s looking for.


            • Elrohwen
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                It sounds like he wants your attention. When he does this, I’d try the squeal. If that doesn’t work, get up and walk away. If he is trying to get your attention (and everything you’ve said makes it sound like he is) then he will start to understand that nipping makes you leave and give him no attention – the exact opposite of what he wants. It can take a while for them to get the cause and effect here, but if you’re consistent he should realize that nipping just means he loses his friend for a while.


              • HoneysBuns
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                  My holland lop does this all the time, he started doing it when he was going through puberty and continued to do it after his neuter. After seeing bunnies hump (neutered of course!) they seem to bite the other bun, and I wonder if it was something to do with him bonding to me and “falling in love” for the short time he was unneutered. I must say though that since he’s been with his bunny girlfriend, he has completely stopped biting me, so I make it a point to check her for little wounds since she might be the new target for his “love bites”, haha.


                • DutchRabbitsFtw
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                    thanks! i will try wearing jeans and some sweats (over the jeans) and when he bites i’ll squeal and if he stops (even for a few seconds) i’ll take that time to pet him and see if thats what he wants.

                    i actually tried petting him whenever he nipped me but he would only “shove” me with his nose harder and nipped. -_-… but who knows, i’ll try it again tonight (:

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                Forum BEHAVIOR Is my rabbit mean? Or is he just trying to tell me something?