How to deal with a biting bunny?

[Fenris.Wolf]

I guess technically she doesn’t bite me, but she puts her teeth over my skin and puts pressure on, just enough to let me know that she might bite if I annoy her any more. She’s never actually bitten, but every day I feel she’s getting closer to starting.

The thing is though that its only EVER when I try and take her out of her litterbox or her cage. She doesn’t mind if I pat her, take her food, re-arrange things in either of those places, its just if I try and pick her up. She loves being out of her cage, and as soon as she’s in the air shes fine. Its just the part of getting her into my arms thats the hard bit! Shes the friendliest bunny apart from this, she’ll lick you and go to sleep on your lap, and just follow you around all day. So I don’t think she’s really an ‘aggressive’ bunny. I can’t re-arrange the cage to be on the floor so thats not an option, so I was thinking would just buying some leather gloves be an appropriate way to handle this? Or should I be ‘training’ her not to bite? I think I may have caused this, because she was never like this until she learnt that if she backed herself into a corner and lunged I wouldn’t pick her up. Would buying gloves and picking her up even when she backs into a corner eventually help her understand that biting won’t get her anywhere? (Sorry, I really have no idea on rabbit psychology or anything, hence why I’m asking here :p) 

Any other ways I should be going about this?

[Hazel]

Rabbits are prey animals. In their minds, being picked up equals becoming someone’s dinner. Most rabbits hate being picked up for that reason and will fight it. If they get backed into a corner like your bun, most will bite as a last resort. There’s nothing wrong with her, it’s a natural behavior. Forcing the issue is only going to make things worse and destroy her trust in you more and more.

It’s best if a bunny can enter and exit their cage on their terms instead of being picked up. So if I were you, I’d first make it possible for her to do it on her own. Then you can slowly work on gaining her trust again.

Also, is she spayed?

[Baxter n Boos Mom]

Some members here have mentioned that they have the bun hop into a box, to lift them – they somehow feel safer doing this, than being picked up. Worth a try.

[Bam]

By having had success with backing into a corner and showing her teeth, she’s learned this is the way to deal with a threatening human. So the glove-method is not a bad idea. But I’d try the box-thing for lifting her that Baxter n Boo suggests first, because that’s a nicer and less stressful way.

They don’t bite from meanness but from stress and by habit/ established pattern of action. I can sometimes talk to my growling lunger so he calms down. Offering a treat helps a lot with him, he’s a sweet-tooth (bunnies often are).

[LittlePuffyTail]

Sounds like my bun, Olivia, only she doesn’t bite, she boxes me with her front paws. I let her come out of her condo on her own, I open the door and sort of herd her into the living room. She’s become really good at it, she knows where I want her to go. It really saves the headache of trying to pick her up out of her cage.

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