Belle the adopted rabbit

[Bunnybelle]

Hi All,
I have been on the site so much since adopting belle and wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who has posted and replied on here because it has seriously helped me!
So more on the reason for my post- I guess I’m a bit unsure of what’s going on with belle. I adopted belle from a local pets at home in November 2017 she is a Netherlands dwarf breed, they placed her age at approximately one and a half years old and little was really known about her/ why she was given up- except that she was an ex show bunny? Firstly I’m not entirely sure what that means if she would have been well looked after or not? She was in pets at home for about 3 weeks before I took her and the staff had struggled to have bonding sessions with her due to her lunging, growling, scratching and even sometimes biting the staff. I knew she was going to be hard work but I was/ am willing to persevere because I want her to have a good home and a happy little life.
Anyways since getting the mite home, i have tried bonding with her by picking her up which I now know she hates- however she does like being held and petted as she purrs away- it’s not the picking her up and putting her down she gets a bit flighty. Now i have watched tutorials and I can assure you I’m holding her as I should be
 I have also tried letting her hop out and back into her cage- sometimes she doesn’t want to go back into her cage. This can be after hours of play she still won’t hop in.
Belle is very territorial and I’m afraid the display at pets at home hasn’t changed I face daily attacks even tryi g to put hay and food in her cage. I recent got belle spayed two weeks ago now and she is worse than ever behavioirally. Has anyone been here before? What can I do to help Belle? She flops fully and relaxes she binkies like there is no tomorrow and she purrs when I pet her. On the flip side she hates hands if she runs to me and I move to pet her she will quickly run away again her aggression isn’t getting any better and I don’t like not understanding what’s going on? ? sorry this is maybe a long one really happy for any suggestions or feedback

[Wick & Fable]

Post-spay craze is natural, as her hormones are going through much needed regulation. Territorial, mating, and destructive behaviors can amplify during this time. It is the same for post-neuters as well. You want to differentiate that the behavior is not due to her being in pain though. Any odd topical characteristics at the spay site or changes in appetite/activity level? Also poops— anything abnormal (appearance/frequency)?

The hand attack could be a result of how she views your hand. If it’s directly in front of her or she does not notice it in her periphery, she may lunge out of defense. Rabbits have a good panoramic field of vision, but they have a big blind spot in front of their nose, and they are quite tunnel visioned, so even when you’re at their side, if they aren’t consciously focused on you, they may not realize you’re there.

Another consideration is she not knowing your hand is your hand. Humans are very large, and it can be very difficult for a rabbit to grasp that your big toe to your pinky to your nose is all . Getting down on her level before reaching in, and just making sure she reacts as a sign of “ah, I see you” may be a good measure before reaching in to do things.

The default is rabbits do not like being picked up. They’re prey animals, so programmed within them is “Being lifted up off the ground = A predatory animal just picked me up and is about to eat me”. There are rabbits that will tolerate being picked up and held, as there are exceptions to everything, but generally speaking, everyone goes by the advice to pick up your pet rabbit as least as possible, unless necessary for safety, medical reasons, or transport.

For the picking up (not liking it) > being held (teeth chattering contentment) > putting down (not liking it), I use a sky diving metaphor, based on my observations with Wick. If someone is really terrified of skydiving, they will fight before getting pushed off the plane (fighting to get picked up). Once you’re in the sky (being held), someone hands you a gift that you always wanted so you’re happy (being pet while held). Then you land on the ground and remember, oh wait, you pushed me out of the plane in the first place (being disgruntled after being put down). So in short, you may bond better and sustain a better relationship if you keep petting to the ground level, rather than when held, but there are exceptions of course. It’s just something to keep in mind I pick up with multiple times daily for many reasons, so I cannot rightfully denounce picking up rabbits at all. I think this is the reaction she’s giving you with being picked up, but I can’t find a clear statement in your post (not necessarily your fault; I’m quite tired right now)

A show rabbit is one that would be trained and highly exposed to getting maneuvered, posed, asked to stand still for periods of time, and poked and prodded by judges. If the rabbit is an ex-show rabbit, it may be that way because she was intolerant of that life, which is natural for rabbits. A rabbit that stays still and lets things invade their space is dead in less than a minute in the wild. Yikes! Because she may have a history of hands approaching her to test fur texture, spine posture, head shape, hip shape, etc.. I can understand why she’d be defensive towards hands. That association may need to be broken, so try just presenting your hand to her and letting her investigate that it won’t always go after her. At times when you’re cuddling, put your hand right by her so she’s exposed to its presence more and the fact that the presence is not a danger. When you’re petting a rabbit, it doesn’t really see your hand since it’s above them, so being afraid of a hand approach doesn’t seem too unusual, even for a rabbit that likes being pet.

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.

[Bunnybelle]

Thanks for your reply. I have been hoping that she would calm down unfortunately her agressive behaviour is getting worse and although she is fine when she hops out of her cage when i try and handle her to get her out of her cage she still bites scratches and growls at me. I only try to handle her to take her to vet appointments or tonight was to brush her to help as she is molting heavily. Is this normal for a rescue rabbit? I am now doubting whether or not i have done the right thing taking her on, she maybe needs someone with a lot more rabbit experience than I and I am just being bitten and scratched all too often ?

[Manda]

Do not be discouraged Bunnybelle! You are doing great! I know how it feels to be rejected but please do not take it personally. It sounds to me that your rescue bun has had some bad experiences which has caused a bit of behavior that are not particularly desired. It does take a while for hormones to die down and netherland dwarfs(and other pointy earred buns) are a lot more high strung that lops( I have both and feel this myth is true) It sounds to me that your buns is throwing a tantrum when it comes time to go “home” which I can’t really blame them because buns like being free rather than locked up. I think you are doing a great job and you have a bun that needs some more time as it has only been 2 months and god only knows what she has been through. I would also suggest just sitting with her during play time with maybe some yummy veggies and letting her continuously approach you and your hand. Once she associates your hand is good and delivers treats and such she might become a litle better. I say keep up the good work and be patient, she sounds happy but just doesn’t like having to be put in her cage.I would suggest if you can give a small treat after putting her back so she associates something positive after putting her back that might help too. Also my buns don’t like being brushed either

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