Why is my bunny so hostile?

[ChloeBee]

I got my Netherland Dwarf bunny, Glenda, last Christmas and I was so excited! For the first 6 months that I had her, she was so cute and adorable and easy to care for. She used to allow me to pick her up, let her sit in my lap, pet her, etc. Feeding her was easy, she never bothered when I would reach into her cage to give her food or hay. Over the summer, it’s like a switch went off!

She literally HATES me. If I reach into her cage to give her food, she lunges and grunts at me and tries to bite me! I started to let her out of her cage for hours everyday in hopes she would start to behave better, get more exercise and freedom, and get more used to being around me. Boy was I wrong. Everytime I try and pet her, she will let me for a second and then snaps to try and bite me. It seems as though she is very territorial of her cage (and a couch that she likes to hop up on) In addition, getting her nails clipped is a freakish nightmare! I have to catch her in a towel and basically bundle her in it just to get her into the pet store, and even then she tries to jump out of my hands. The lady at the pet store was mortified at how misbehaved and skiddish she is. The few times I got her nails clipped were a breeze! She would happily sit in my cradling arms without moving or biting or trying to jump out. 

I would like to know why she is acting this way. Is it because she is not spayed? If I get her spayed will she return to the cute friendly Glenda that I used to know? What is the easiest way to bring her into the pet store to get her nails clipped without it being total chaos?

Thanks!

[Sarita]

Spaying is done to prevent uterine cancer and it is necessary for that.

The behavior you describe about messing with her in her cage is normal for most any rabbit – they are territorial and you need to respect their space.

I do not believe she is misbehaving – I think she is acting like a normal adult rabbit. Let her come to you rather than grabbing at her to pet her too. These little rabbits just see hands grabbing at them. Rabbits do tend to get more independent too as they mature.

Do you have a proper carrier to put her in to take her to the pet store for nail clippings?

[Jessie1990]

Ashe was like this before she was spayed. She would chase us if we walked in her room. If we didn’t move she would “run her teeth into us.” She never bit, but it still made us jump. She was still pretty rough for the two months following her spay, and recently she has become a very loving (somewhat more skittish than Moogle) rabbit that seeks attention again. Surprisingly, I do not regret those “rough months” we had with her. She taught me a lot about patience, and it has REALLY helped me when dealing with some of my “problem students” in the classroom.

She taught me that it is not okay to give up on someone just because they have issues, and that there is always hope for a better future. I know this might some corny to some people, but she really did seem to mirror some of the kids I work with. It was a rough start to a school year, when you go home and have to deal with another “problem child” (I am an art teacher, but I take a special interest in kids with problems at home. Art really helps them get out some of their stress/frustration).

Honestly, Moogle helped relieve some of the frustration I felt with Ashe. He is the complete opposite, personality wise. Very affectionate, always demanding attention. If I didn’t have him to cuddle up to and learn what a rabbit could be like, I may have given up.

[ChloeBee]

Thanks for the feedback! Like I said, I got her as a present and wasn’t correctly informed on how to care for her so I guess I’m still learning. I know that rabbits aren’t naturally excited about human contact, I just wasn’t sure if the change in her personality was normal. I do try and be patient with her and let her come to me, but sometimes I feel like it doesn’t help at all. I think if I devote more time to her she may be less aggressive towards me. I didn’t even know they made carriers! I will be sure to get one 

[Sarita]

I would also look at getting her spayed :~)

I just use a cat carrier for my rabbits – they don’t make rabbit specific ones that I know of.

[tobyluv]

If you can find a carrier that is top opening or dual opening (top and side end) those are a lot better for rabbits. It’s much easier to lift them out of a carrier with a top opening, than it is to drag them out of a carrier with a side opening. Get a hard sided plastic carrier, not a cloth carrier that can be chewed on and is not as safe. Place a towel in the carrier so that she doesn’t slide around.

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