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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 6sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 4 months ago by Ohbunny.

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- 12/08/2015 at 3:48 PM
  Ohbunny
  Participant
  40 posts
  Sugar Plum was the sweetest bunny the first few days but now she’s biting everything, including people. She’s only supposed to be 9 weeks old now. Is that too soon for it to be a hormonal cause? I’m hoping that’s the cause since she’s going to be a huge bunny and I woupd like to keep my fingers. She’s learned to jump on the couch and will come over and bite our hands. We put her back onto the floor and she jumps right back up and keeps biting. It’s not a hard pinch (yet), but more like scraping her teeth on us. Today she attacked my vacuum cleaner while I was vacuuming and kept trying to bite the wheels. Any tips to stop this behaviour? She’s still sweet and likes to follow us around and be as close to us as possible. She also doesn’t bite feet or legs (if we are standing up). Only when we are sitting down will she nip/bite our hands and arms. As a matter of fact, she is digging on my shirt as I write this.
- 12/08/2015 at 4:35 PM
  MoxieMeadows
  Participant
  5375 posts
  How long have you had her? My bun went through a phase like this right after I got her (I got her the day she turned 8 weeks)
  She would bite HARD. Moxie has been my first rabbit, and I had always had a fantasy of this cuddly, sweet bunny. Once she bit me so hard I started to bleed, and I had my mom call the breeder because they sold me a “defected rabbit”. LOL I laugh about it now, but it was actually scary, Moxie would bite for all she was worth. I squealed and clapped my hands when she bit to discourage her. She eventually grew out of it (after maybe a month?).
  
  Every bunny is different though.
  Good luck!
- 12/08/2015 at 5:24 PM
  Ohbunny
  Participant
  40 posts
  We got her Saturday. I’ve tried squealing but that seems to make her more determined. She’s yet to bite full force, but I’m worried she will and since she is a giant bunny breed, I would like not to get to that point. I don’t have any experience with biting since our other buns, Oz, is more interested in rubs than anything else. If you place your finger in his face, he will do his best to avoid it and will lower his head for a scratch.
- 12/08/2015 at 5:30 PM
  MoxieMeadows
  Participant
  5375 posts
  Since she’s new she might just be testing her limits with you, that’s my guess but I’m not really an expert.
- 12/08/2015 at 5:32 PM
  redbunbun
  Participant
  202 posts
  Our Sukka is six months old, and a giant (French lop) like your Sugar Plum. She went through this phase of nibbling that sounds a lot like what you’re describing – not aggressive, but just “testing” and maybe a little bit commanding. Sukka used to nip when she wouldn’t get her food quickly enough or when we stopped petting her and she wasn’t ready for us to stop quite yet. As long as the biting isn’t aggressive (and you can definitely tell when it is!), I wouldn’t be too worried – your baby will learn! Sukka still nips sometimes, but most of the time when she has something to tell us now she just prods us with her nose instead!
  
  We did the same as MM with Moxie – yelping loudly whenever she used her teeth to show her that she was hurting us. Sugar Plum might not even realize you’re being hurt by what she’s doing!
- 12/08/2015 at 5:49 PM
  Mimsy
  Participant
  271 posts
  From my limited experience I agree with everyone here. Willow was nippy when we first got her. She was demanding her food and more pets. She never bit hard. We just squealed, which I thought she was ignoring, but I know I think she was doing it again to test if lighter was better. She still sometimes will nip if she ignored for too long, but it’s very light and very rare now.
  
  the other housebunny I had was a few decades ago and he would actually bite people. he loved me and almost all women, but for some reason he would bite and draw blood on men. There was no questioning the aggression, his hair stood up on his hackles and he would make a growly/barky sound and then lurch at them.
- 12/08/2015 at 7:10 PM
  Ohbunny
  Participant
  40 posts
  Maybe that’s what it is and she will grow out of it. She’s definitely not a scared or skittish bunny. She’s very curious and wants to explore constantly. She reminds me of a toddler. She doesn’t growl when biting, but will pluck and then look at you. She is just now taking to rubs and starting to lower her head for a scratch, but o ly when she is in your lap. She also is a glutton. She seems like she never has enough to eat, even though she is free feeding right now because of her age.
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