my bun does that same thing to! i am really interested in knowing why they do it to.

I wouldn’t say aggressive. Aggressive biting is sudden and it HURTS. It can’t be mistaken.

It sounds like he might be trying to groom you in reciprocation of you grooming him. If he starts to nip harder, firmly press his head down to show your dominance.

When Otto was a baby he could be quite mouthy – he was testing everything out, seeing how it tasted, and learning how much he could get away with. I found the most effective thing was getting up and walking away from him when he did it, since saying no and pushing him away didn’t help. I got up, walked away and turned my back on him for 30 seconds and he learned that nipping lost him a playmate. After a month or so he grew out of it.

As long as it’s done while petting, he’s reciprocating affection.

When Eddie would “groom”/lick me, he’d do little nibbles. After awhile, they’d start to hurt a bit so I’d make him stop, but he’d just come back to grooming and do it again. lol But they weren’t bites and done in affection. He would also actually bite me for other reasons – not getting treats fast enough, not getting food fast enough, being in his way, etc. lol

I agree. It’s not aggression. I think he is grooming you. Baxter does it to me all of the time. He does it all over me. lol You should be proud your bun is grooming you. That is a big sign he loves ya!

Hunger. It’s hunger. If you would salt your fingers, maybe add a drop of ketchup and some pickles, he’d be all set….KIDDING!

The wee babies are still learning to control their instincts, and I have seen my bunnies go from nibbling a bit hard to developing the ability to touch with their teeth without any harm, or even use a bit more force if annoyed without getting near breaking the skin. It’s as if they use their mouths as a fifth hand. You will see him change for the better over time. Right now it’s everything from “I love you” to “I need your attention right now!”

I like what Elrohwen suggested, losing him a playmate. When Petie nipped my fingers I let out a loud shreik to let him know – or think – he had hurt me – EEEEEEEP!!! and he bounced away. Next time i had my hand available for nipping he just sat and lay near it, no nipping. so that may help as well.

Good to know. I have a 4 month old female Californian half harlequin. She had a best in show sire and a best in show doe which made it weird that she ended up with the coloring. But she was really quick to socialize. I’m not sure if it’s because she’s female or because she’s just that attention hungry. But from day 1 I took her home and set her cage up inside, she would always shadow me around. As soon as I spent more hands on time with her, like a week after I had her she started doing a lot of this nibbling. She’s very social, almost codependent. but she doesn’t get to groom humans often so the skill isn’t there yet. And she keeps thinning out my arm hair…