Biting Bunny-sitters

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 8sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 11 months ago by bunnytowne.

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- 12/30/2008 at 12:30 PM
  pryzmkess
  Participant
  50 posts
  This may have been covered elsewhere, but I had to leave town over Christmas, and I left my roommate to tend Bruno. I left two pages of instruction, which didn’t amuse her, but she seems to have followed it. But the question I had was about Bruno’s behavior: she said he bit her hard enough to draw blood, repeatedly. She said that she yipped when it hurt, but he kept doing it. I think he was telling her that she didn’t belong there, especially since he’s in my room and since she said he kept knocking the food dishes out of her hand. Or is she right, and does my rabbit have a taste for blood?
- 12/30/2008 at 12:41 PM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  Does he do this with you too or just her?
  
  It sounds like she just is not entirely aware of how to approach him and isn’t aware of how territorial rabbits can be.
  
  I have a rabbit this is a big biter and has bruised me and drawn blood but can also be extremely affectionate. I just think that rabbits are wired differently from us and some are just more cautious than others. They also have a blind spot in front of their face so it could be that if she approached him that way that he couldn’t really see her and that was his response.
- 12/30/2008 at 12:43 PM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  LOL I’d think not; She may have done something that translates to ‘really rude’ or ‘really aggressive’ in rabbit language without knowing it (like reaching into his cage, going at his head with her hands at the wrong angle, putting her hand under his chin etc etc) and to boot, his moms gone and she’s not his mom so probably a bit of stress too contibuted to it. If he’s never bit you I’d say it was an isolated thing But you may want to get her a gift so that next time you go out of town she’ll still petsit for you
- 12/30/2008 at 12:55 PM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  hmmm. like the others said, there are all kinds of factors that could have contributed to this. it’s hard to say one way or another what might have caused the biting without you witnessing it first-hand and evaluating the circumstances in which it took place. how is he with YOU in different situations (cleaning, feeding, petting, grooming?)
- 12/30/2008 at 1:10 PM
  pryzmkess
  Participant
  50 posts
  When I met Bruno, he lay quietly in my arms, no biting. He only bit me the first week, and only once hard enough to draw blood (I couldn’t figure that out until I found him marking my bed and remembered that he’d bitten me on the bed), but I’m pretty sure that was a territorial argument over my “cage”. He’ll pull on clothing with his teeth (he likes to untie the knots on my slippers), but seems to get the difference between cloth and skin.
  
  I’m wondering if this will be an on-going issues, as I’m planning two more trips this year. And for at least one of those, he’ll have to be boarded. If he’s going to bite strangers caring for him, I need to warn them.
- 12/30/2008 at 1:37 PM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  has he been neutered? what were his living conditions before you got him, do you have any idea? when was the last time he’s been examined thoroughly by a rabbit savvy vet?
- 12/30/2008 at 2:06 PM
  pryzmkess
  Participant
  50 posts
  Beka,
  
  Yes, he’s neutered, thankfully. He was living in a smaller cage in the living room of the previous owner. She said he never bit her kids, even when they stuck their fingers in his cage. And he hasn’t had his check up yet – that’ll be later in Jan, after I have the money for it.
- 12/30/2008 at 6:06 PM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  you mention he was knocking the food bowl from her, has he been food aggressive with you at all? i’m really not sure like i said what might have caused this.
- 12/30/2008 at 6:56 PM
  bunnytowne
  Participant
  7537 posts
  He might have become really attached to you and dont’ like other peoples hands in his house.
  
  Can you have your friend stick her hand in there to feed him while you are there and instruct her how to handle the situation in case for next time?
  
  If she dares stick her hand in there again that is hehee.
  
  Really no kidding I know this sounds silly but maybe you can resolve the situation by having her pen him down for a few seconds after showing aggression to her hand in his cage or first she can offer treats from her hand. That might help him relax with her. Feeding him treats from her hand. Maybe he acted that way cause he was confused as to what was happening you weren’t there and it confused him.
  
  You just can’t always tell why a bunny does what a bunny does sometimes.
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