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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.

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Forum BEHAVIOR Sudden Aggression in Foster Rabbit?

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    • Niki
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      8 posts Send Private Message

        Hi everyone! 




        We just brought home our first foster rabbit. His name is Toby and today is his third day with us. Prior to Toby we had our own rabbit, Titan, who we had no problems with whatsoever so while we have knowledge on rabbit care we are pretty unsure about aggression. 


        A little background on Toby: He’s two years old and was neutered the morning we brought him home. He spent most of his life outside living in a makeshift hutch, essentially a wooden frame with chicken wire floors, walls, and ceiling. He was described as very friendly and when we went to visit him he really was. He was fed pellets meant for “growing” rabbits (pregnant rabbits or bucks) and occasionally some dried corn and carrot tops. I don’t think he ate the hay that was provided to him, I didn’t see him eating it while I was there, but the hay he had waiting for him was yellow and had a bit of a foul smell to it. 


         We’ve been feeding him a mix of new pellets and the old pellets from the previous owner. He’s also been provided fresh, green hay and to avoid overloading him on fresh fruits and vegetables we’ve only been giving him a few sprigs of parsley throughout the day. Also, he gets a Craisin after taking his pain medication in the morning. He has two more mornings of pain medication. These last few days we could reach down and pet him, offer him his parsley, and place poops into the litter box to try and encourage it’s use without a problem




        This morning, his third day here with us, he changed suddenly. He had eaten all his old pellets, scattered the new ones into his litter box, and hadn’t touched the hay. He had also spilled some of his water out of his bowl. I reached down to start picking up his poops and he was immediately on the defense. He never really liked me doing this and would nudge at the tissue I was using,but otherwise did nothing. I was trying to clean out poop from one corner, his “relaxing” corner so it appears, and he laid down in my way. I gave him a little pet and tried to get to it anyway. He was determined, he pushed his body against my hand to keep me from getting his poop. So, I offered him a piece of hay to get him out of the corner. Unlike what I’ve seen before Toby lunged at my hand and went not for the hay but for my fingers. I jerked away and made a high pitched noise in pain (I’ve read this is a way to let him know what he did was bad) and he grabbed the hay and ate it. 


        My husband went to give him his medication and he took it without a problem. Same thing, my husband offered him a piece of hay and he went not for the hay but his fingers. Thankfully he was wearing gloves after my encounter with Toby. I decided to give him his Craisin, since he had been getting it after his pain medication, and again he went for fingers not food. I jerked away, dropped the Craisin, and while he ate that I tried to scoop up all the pellets he had spilled back into his bowl. As soon as he finished the Craisin he went for my hand again and then flung his bowl around, spilling all the pellets again. 


        We are so confused! He was just a peach these last few days! We’ve been loving him, feeding him well, talking to him! If this behavior continues I will have to tell the rabbit rescue, but I don’t want to hurt his chances of finding a forever home if the behavior can be fixed by us, his fosters. Anyone please help? Ideas? What should we do? 







      • Roberta
        Participant
        4355 posts Send Private Message

          Don’t despair. Their hormones get pretty scrambled during a neuter. He will eventually settle down. It takes about 4-5 weeks for sperm and hormones to abate after surgery. The aggression is probably from discomfort and hormones. A few days of tlc should see some of the aggression cease. Avoid sudden moveme ts or putting your hands immediately in front of him or behind him. When the opportunity presents itself gently stroke the space between his eyes and under his cheeck, it’s soothing and simulates grooming.


        • JackRabbit
          Participant
          5451 posts Send Private Message

            Like Roberta said, hormones get a little crazy after a neuter. I also wonder if he wasn’t let out much previously and your seeing territorial behavior, plus, he really hasn’t had a chance to settle in yet. Poor little guy’s whole world has changed on him in a matter of days, and he’s scared. Try waiting to clean his area until he’s out exploring a bit, even if he’s only out long enough for you to clean while he’s healing.


          • Sr. Melangell
            Participant
            1708 posts Send Private Message

              I agree with JackRabbit and Roberta here, he will calm down, my Olly did, he sounds like he is a bit territorial of his cage, Niki, I’m going through the same thing, I know how frustrating it can be, I was in tears earlier with my Olly’s behaviour, they do this for reasons only they know, they think we understand, we are just big animals to them, what I do with Olly is as soon as he gets a dirty cage I let him out and let him run about, when his cage is done he goes in himself. (Saying that I have had trouble the last few days.) but I know Olly did not like me touching anything whilst he was in his cage and still doesn’t sometimes, open Toby’s cage let him come out on his own accord and sit away from his cage, be very quiet and he should come out and let you clean Mount unpleasant, he might come back in again just seeing what is going on, stay calm, when you are done he’ll go back in, please don’t give in, I know what its like trying to clean Mount unpleasant and a grumpy bunny, good luck, you can do it.

              Don’t be surprised if when he goes back in he stamps his back leg and then throws things about, the throwing about is like showing off, like if someone else cleaned your house, its like. “That goes there, not there.”

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          Forum BEHAVIOR Sudden Aggression in Foster Rabbit?