Unexpectedly aggressive

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 1sd reply, 2 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 11 months ago by DanaNM.

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- 12/14/2018 at 10:15 PM
  babybella
  Participant
  35 posts
  Not sure if this is the right place for my question since I haven’t really started the bonding process, but just trying to understand my bunny’s behavior. I’ve had her (Bella) for a few years and she’s always been a single bunny, but my husband rescued another little bun the other day and we’re considering keeping her as well. I know there’s a process to bonding so I’ve been keeping them apart until I could research that more thoroughly but the new little bun is speedier than I expected and got right up to Bella’s exercise pen, and Bella absolutely freaked – lunging at the pen, growling, boxing, etc. I was just so surprised because she gets along great with most other animals and even little kids. She’s fearless and playful around our neighbor’s large dog and the only time I’ve ever seen her get aggressive with anyone, human or animal, is if they’ve gotten right up in her face with no warning or if they’re messing around in her litterbox. So any ideas why she reacted so badly to this poor tiny bunny? Is it just because she’s the same species? Or maybe because she’s smaller than Bella and an easier “target”? I just want to understand how she’s feeling and why she reacted that way.
- 12/17/2018 at 7:15 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9054 posts
  What you saw is very normal!
  
  You are right in that it had to do with her being the same species, and the fact that Bella was in her home turf. As you said, she’s gotten aggressive when people get right in her face or her litter box, and the baby did pretty much the same thing.
  
  Rabbits act aggressively out of fear, so this new bun made her feel like her home territory was threatened and that she had to defend it. Is the new bun spayed?
  
  Not sure where you are in the process, but pre-bonding often helps a lot with these sorts of interactions. Do be very certain that they cannot get to each other and cannot nip through the cage bars, as that can hurt the process.
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
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