House Rabbit Community and Store
-
Sign In
-
Forum
-
Store
- This Forum and Store have separate secure Sign Ins
-
OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS. SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED. We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best.
You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time.
BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES
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.
What are we about? Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules.
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.
- This topic has 13sd replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 7 months ago by
.
-
-
Hello!
I’m new to the world of bunnies, and feel like i have a lot of questions so please bare with me!!
Twix came home with us on Saturday and seemed to be so comfortable and gained confidence so quickly (he’s a 9 week old male) By Sunday afternoon he was already jumping out of his cage and exploring his new home, running around at one million miles an hour! (he’s going to be a house rabbit). And then by Monday, he had gained even more confidence and was happy to climb all over our legs, come and sniff us, and let us stroke him.
Today, he has started biting us
at first I thought it was only a nip but he kept on doing it, just when I was putting my hand down by his nose to sniff, like he has been for the past new days quite happilyI’ve had a few thoughts about the reasons why he’s started this…
1. At first I thought it was a hunger thing, so I left him to eat loads of hay, and then went back to him about an hour later. He still carried on to bite.
2. Then I thought it could be a boredom thing, like he wanted us to play with him, so I would sit on the floor, play for a bit and he would even let me stroke him but then soon after, went straight back to biting
3. Lastly I thought it could just be because he isn’t neutered yet…although I read that he shouldn’t reach sexual maturity till about 4-6 months and hes only 2 months old? I am looking to get him neutered as soon as possible though
I could just be worrying and he might stop biting by tomorrow! But either way I’m still stressing out and just want me and Twix to bond. Any suggestions about what I can do to try and stop him from biting would be really appreciated!
Thank you
-
Hi! Nipping, as opposed to biting, can mean several things: “Move human, you’re in my way!” or “Give me attention” or “Get your hands out of my cage”.
1. Buns will always act hungry (it’s an instinctual thing), but you are correct that they should be given unlimited amounts of hay to eat. I usually fill Luna’s hay feeder halfway when I’m home because I’ll be there to refresh it often, or I’ll fill it all the way when I’m at work. He might have been begging for treats if he is used to getting a treat from you.
2. Buns are social creatures and need plenty of environmental enrichment, as well as human interaction. His nip afterwards could mean “Stop, I’m done playing now” (if he nipped right away), or “Let’s play again please” (if there was a lapse in time).
3. Since he is only 9 weeks old, I don’t think it is related to him not being neutered, though his behavior can change as he gets nearer to sexual maturity.
As more time passes, you will learn how your particular bun communicates with you. In the meantime, it might not be so apparent as to why he is nipping. You could start logging his nips in a notebook and write down what you were doing when he nipped you. This could help you identify whether or not there is a pattern in his nipping habits, and if he is saying any of the above
. -
Posted By Luna on 3/29/2018 7:05 AM
Hi! Nipping, as opposed to biting, can mean several things: “Move human, you’re in my way!” or “Give me attention” or “Get your hands out of my cage”.1. Buns will always act hungry (it’s an instinctual thing), but you are correct that they should be given unlimited amounts of hay to eat. I usually fill Luna’s hay feeder halfway when I’m home because I’ll be there to refresh it often, or I’ll fill it all the way when I’m at work. He might have been begging for treats if he is used to getting a treat from you.
2. Buns are social creatures and need plenty of environmental enrichment, as well as human interaction. His nip afterwards could mean “Stop, I’m done playing now” (if he nipped right away), or “Let’s play again please” (if there was a lapse in time).
3. Since he is only 9 weeks old, I don’t think it is related to him not being neutered, though his behavior can change as he gets nearer to sexual maturity.
As more time passes, you will learn how your particular bun communicates with you. In the meantime, it might not be so apparent as to why he is nipping. You could start logging his nips in a notebook and write down what you were doing when he nipped you. This could help you identify whether or not there is a pattern in his nipping habits, and if he is saying any of the above
.
Hiya,
It definitely wouldn’t be a “get out my cage” message as I don’t ever go in his cage whilst he’s in there, and even if I am changing his litter tray or something, he’ll happily come and see what I’m doing without any fuss!
I’m starting to think it’s definitely a social/playful thing… only because it doesn’t seem to be anything else? Normally it will always happen when I will be sitting on the floor and he will actively come over to me from the other side of the room, and start nipping my hand… I guess it might be a “hey come play with me!” message?
Thank you for your help x
-
Posted By jo93 on 3/29/2018 3:59 PM
Posted By Harley&Thumper on 3/29/2018 7:02 AM
If the nip hurts, make sure to squeal so he knows not to nip so hard in the future
Yes this is exactly what I’ve been doing
but unfortunately he keeps on doing it, not sure whether it will take a long time for him to learn that it hurts?I adopted my bunny 3 months ago when he was 4 years old, not neutered, and skittish. So his main way of communication was biting. Mainly when I was holding him or when he felt insecure. I did the squealing thing, and after three months of squealing and many bruises and bite marks later, he has finally stopped biting (for the most part).
So it will work, but sometimes it takes longer than you think. Not every bunny will get it right away. My best friend got a baby lop who kept nipping too hard, and after about a week or two of squealing, the baby lop caught on and now never bites too hard or even nips.
-
I would think this would be him saying, “Out of my space human!”. Give him time, as bonding with your bun wont happen overnight. Something that really helped me with my bunny is sitting on his level, presenting my hand to him and if he doesnt run away (more importantly, if he bows his head) i would pet his head once and take my hand away. A minute later, i would repeat. If he does run away, i leave him alone completely for a while.
This tells him that if he doesn’t want to be pet or bothered, you will listen. Bunnies are prey animals, so they scare easy. Be patient.
If he runs away or turns away and gives you ‘bunny butt’ which is him turning around and peaking at you over his shoulder, this is a displeased position. If this happens, i leave him be. These things tell him that you wont pick him up every 8 seconds and bother him. This also tells him that you will listen to him when he doesnt want to be bothered. This will get him to trust in you, and bonding can begin.
Also, more importantly, give him time to settle in his new environment. Environment and territory changes can be scary to bunnies, so please give him a little bit more time to get used to everything.
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.