Aggression Towards Objects

[BrandyBunny]

We got our rabbit at the end of August last year. She was doing great up until we got her spayed and now she has become very aggressive towards when we move things around in her enclosure and feed her. We have her cage where she spends her time when we are away and when we sleep and a larger pen for her to roam around during the day. She is aggressive towards us moving things in both her pen and her cage. She will lunge and try to bite us every time we try to move anything. Does anyone have any suggestions on what we can do to get her to not be aggressive towards us anymore?

[DanaNM]

How long ago was she spayed? Rabbits can go through a post-spay “craze” around 6-8 weeks after spaying which can make them somewhat territorial/aggressive.

In general though, many rabbits don’t like you “messing with their stuff”, so it’s best to do cleaning and rearranging when they aren’t in the cage/pen.

. . . 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.  

[Moonlightbunny66]

I agree with DanaNM, depends on how long ago she was spayed. Her hormones could still be crazy a few weeks after. But if she’s all healed up, you could try giving her more free time outside of her own space. This can help them see that there’s more areas they can be in and don’t have to be so protective over their own area. I have the pen open from morning to night so the bunnies can hop around my room. I think this helped my Pinky not be territorial anymore. Just make sure you bunny proof.

I’ve seen one bunny online that was really territorial over her cage because she was kept in it a lot. She would bite and lunge at anyone’s hands if they even tried to open it. Then they let her be a free roam bunny in their bedroom and she became more friendly.

[BrandyBunny]

She’s been spayed for about two months now and we used to have her free roam but she became very destructive of the apartment (tearing up the carpet…) almost like she was doing it out of spite even though she knew it was naughty lol. We always kept her in her cage over night and let her out during the day until we got the larger pen (which surrounds her cage and gives her more free roam without being destructive).

[DanaNM]

The timing lines up with post-spay hormonal fluctuations and growing up. Carpet digging can happen with hormonal changes, fortunately for us spite is a human emotion, not a rabbit one.

I’ve had success using heavy ceramic tiles to block problem spots (since they tend to get obsessed over specific areas), and cardboard cat scratchers as an alternative to chew. Seagrass and paper mats are also great for carpet chewers. She may still not be a candidate for unsupervised free roam, but perhaps she could get a few hours a day to run in the larger space (maybe while you clean her pen!).

. . . 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.  

[Wick & Fable]

My suggestion is more things for her to chew, such as willow baskets, cardboard scratchers that they sell for cats, and maybe fleece blanket throws she can dig at. This can definitely be post spay craze, and at the same time, she could just be settling into natural rabbit behaviors from boredom and a need for engagement. The first month of adopting my Fable, she tore up a lot of carpet and chewed so many baseboards and all the wall corners essentially. Fast forward to a year later, I definitely know that my lack of things for her to chew was a big issue. She could tell I didn’t like her chewing those things, but didnt have anywhere else to turn. It also took trial and error to find out what sort of toys and chews she liked and how to play with her to get that energy out.

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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