Biting?

[SnowyTheBun]

Snowy is usually a VERY friendly bun, she is free roam and she follows me EVERYWHERE I go. Always giving nose bumps and sitting by my side, but today I decided to sit her on my lap due to the family all being in the living room and I didn’t want her running around. I pet her and she sat calmly, she nibbled at my shirt and I did feel it but I know it was a love nibble. Then, she started trying to jump off to run around, but I wouldn’t let her. She then bit me once. I screamed, and she got scared but continued sitting on my lap while I pet her. Then again she started trying to get up, I didn’t let her, and she bit me. Then, once again she sat down calmly and bit me AGAIN and I made a loud noise again and she bit me AGAIN, two times in a row!! I then grabbed her and took her to my room and closed the door. I think I should’ve put her in the pen instead of free roam, so she would know what she did was wrong, but oh well. Any advice?  btw Im new here so sorry in advance!

[HerculesandMolasses]

She was probably in a grumpy mood because you made her stay. I learned that the hard way.

[Hazel]

Rabbits are very independent and opinionated animals. They don’t “submit” to their humans and their rules like a dog would, not because they are mean, it’s simply not in their nature. If you make them do something they don’t agree with, they will let you know in no uncertain terms. If I forced something onto my rabbit, there’s no way in hell that I wouldn’t expect him to nip me.

As a side note, punishment doesn’t work well with rabbits, if you had put her in her cage I doubt she would have understood that she’s being punished, or for what. She just did what came naturally to her.

As rabbit owners, we have to learn to work with them instead of against them. They can be a pain (literally) but that’s just the way they are.

[Author]

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