Very territorial, aggressive rabbit

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 3sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 6 months ago by Beka27.

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- 10/09/2014 at 3:45 PM
  Lisa B
  Participant
  14 posts
  My rabbit is about one year old and I just got him about a month ago. He poops and pees everywhere and refuses to use the litterbox. In an attempt to litter train him, I picked up all of his droppings and put them in the litterbox which he absolutely hated. He ran around frantic, chasing me and jumping in the litterbox to block me from it. He growled and even bit me – three times!! I made an appointment for him to get neutered next week, but until then I don’t know what to do. I can’t just leave his droppings everywhere but I am sick of battling with him. He only gets angrier the more I pick up after him and his behavior just gets worse. In all other aspects he’s a perfect pet, just super territorial. Any advice on how to handle this until he’s neutered? Also, will this behavior end once he is neutered? I am worried he will be like this forever.
  
  Also – the bites are not just little nips or nibbles; they bleed and bruise. They are very aggressive bites.
- 10/09/2014 at 4:01 PM
  litheandgraphic
  Participant
  608 posts
  Hello, welcome, and I’m sorry to hear you’re having this issue!
  
  Neutering your rabbit should definitely help, but do remember that hormones can stay in a rabbit’s system for a week or two after the procedure, so the results may not be immediate.
  
  Is there any other space you can lead him to where he can’t see you picking up after him? If you can lure him somewhere where you can block his sight of you picking up after him, this may help.
  
  Another thing you might try to do is to give him a healthy treat before you pick up, while you pick up, and after you pick up, to distract him from feeling territorial. Similarly you could give him his daily pellets when you’re going to clean up – this may or may not work.
  
  Also, since he’s so new to your home, he may be freaking out because he’s still trying to outline his territory. It may be the best idea to limit his out time to an x-pen attached to the enclosure or to simply have him in his enclosure at all times until he is neutered. Security will make him feel less territorial and more comfortable using the box.
- 10/09/2014 at 5:28 PM
  Flopsie
  Participant
  388 posts
  although I can’t say with 100% certainty that neutering him will fix this, evidence as well as my own singular experience indicates that neutering will greatly impact litter box training. I think it is understood that a rabbit cannot be really litter trained until fixed. Of course, exceptions to that rule probably exist.
  
  Know that once you get him neutered, hormones may exist in the system fro 4 to 6 weeks, so I would wait until trying to litter box train. From my perspective, I would cease litter box training all together and start fresh.
  
  That being said, I would do a few things in the mean time. I would greatly limit her area to roam at the moment. You can choose to use an x pen attached to the cage or you can choose to block off an area for him to run around. Limiting the area just means you get to reduce the area you need to clean up at the moment.
  
  Also, I would not clean up until he is distracted. For example, don’t clean up outside the cage until he is in the cage. Clean inside the cage when he is in the x pen our outside the cage. I would also clean during feeding times. From what I can see and this includes my own, rabbits are quite voracious when they eat and are singularly focused. When you feed him, use that time to clean up so that he is distracted
- 10/09/2014 at 7:57 PM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  Next week… So close… But SOOOO FAR AWAY!
  
  I would do the bare minimum to provide care in his space right now. Limit cleaning up after him (the poops) to once a day, but do try to take care of the pee right away.
  
  Keep reminding yourself that the neuter will be here soon and keep your chin up!
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