Bun gotten angry

[I love animals.]

Hello humans~ Today for some reason my 1 year old bun bun started to bite me. I don’t know why. Earlier today I was on the floor like dogs are on their four paws and my bun was digging a sheet that part of it got to the floor from the couch. I thought ”Oh how cute. Lemme take a video of it.” but then he came up to me like normally he would and then I moved. He quickly ran next to my leg and bit me. At first I didn’t think of it much but then when I was cleaning the floor with a broom he did pretty much the same thing to the broom. Then I thinked maybe hes just soo hungry so i gave him some pellets to eat. Little bit later in my room he came and bit my legs and pulled my skin. Then I stopped him and putted him to the cage so he could eat hay since there was still time until he got his veggies. Then again I thinked maybe its because he hasn’t eaten much hay.  He didn’t eat much hay that I bought him few days ago from pet store so I went to grocery store where I would usually get him hay and gave him that and he ate it. He has been with me about 3 months now and he got neutered in 21 of May if I remember correctly. Before he started attacking me today he was calmer and sweet and hasn’t attacked me like that at all. He does have kinda nibbled on my toes before but i’ve never seen him like this at all. Not even with my last bunny who wasn’t neutered. When he startes/tries to bite then he does make a growling type of noise but not much of it. He looks calm but once im in my own room and walk around or touch the things on the floor he comes and tries to bite me.

What shold I do? I can’t just wear boots all day when hes out of his cage and I don’t want to keep him in his cage since im trying to litter train him also. I want him to become free-roaming happy bunny but if he’s like that then it’s not really possible.

I also dont have any x-pen soo…

Maybe it actually is because he hasn’t eat much hay past few days? Grocery store bought hay he really likes it and eats it right now. Doesn’t eating hay reduce anger and stress for rabbits?

Any helping information is welcome. (And sorry if my english isn’t that perfect.)

[OnyxMoon]

No worries, i think your English is quite good!

Hay is vital in their diet, but more for digestion and to wear their teeth down since their teeth don’t stop growing. He could be nipping out of annoyance, like when you got on the floor with him, and when he bit at the broom. It sounds like he see’s that area as his territory and his nipping/biting and grunting/growling is territorial. Nipping/nibbling is perfectly normal with bunnies, its part of their communication. He is probably just saying, “Hey, i don’t want you here.” when he nips when you mess with things on the floor or enter.

Bunnies are very very territorial. Especially when they aren’t fixed, so its good that he is. But, for at least a month after a bunny has been neutered/spayed, their hormones are still draining. It takes at least a month, sometimes more, for their hormones to leave their system completely. Bunnies will always be territorial, but they aren’t as territorial after being fixed.

You can try to neutralize the area, by putting together a white vinegar and water solution and spraying the floors with that. After spraying, wipe it up and spray with plain water and then wipe that up. It helps to remove any scents and helps it become a neutral area, where he’s less likely to be territorial.

[OnyxMoon]

You could also try giving him more toys, to help keep him occupied and he can also nibble on those instead of on you!

[Bam]

I agree with OnyxMoon. If he was neutered on May 21 he could be having hormonally driven mood swings as a consequence of the neuter. These mood swings can last up to 8 weeks in a male bun, alsthough they usually subside sooner. You could perhaps wear boots when you need to walk around in his area until his hormones eventually calm down.

Eating hay does take time and a bit of effort, so lots of hay is good. You could perhaps put small heaps of hay in different places in his area so he can search for his food. Wild rabbits spend lots of time searching for food, so it’s natural for them.

[I love animals.]

Thank you all. Im gonna try the vinger and water solution. He does has a wreath made out of leafes and sticks, some toilet paper rolls and a house made of cardboard box. When I last time visited pet store then they didn’t really have any toys for bunnys so i got him a wreath. I do have some chewed toys that my last bunny on the rainbow bridge is used but…It doesn’t feel right to give him those. I guess im gonna stuff those toilet papers rolls with some hay and make more homemade toys.

Hopefully he gets calmer then.

It is kinda interesting to think that even before he got neutered he wasnt territorial at all. After getting neutered he was so sweet and innocent. Well I guess some kind of magic got into him yesterday and made him a evil bun bun. But im still gonna love him tho.

[LBJ10]

I agree, it sounds like a classic case of post-neuter craze to me. He should calm down after a bit.

[I love animals.]

Oke I thought about giving a little update. He has gotten calmer & isn’t that territorial. Well unless someone else besides me is at home like my friend or someone. I also discovered that hes more territorial and aggressive when I miss the day to go outside with him. So I have to go outside with him everyday which is good for him and me.

Before I got him he seemed to be more outside. Im not really sure how previous owner kept him. When I first saw a picture of him on a webpage then he was in a wire bottom cage with some hay. When I got there to pick him up then he was running outside in a smaller yard type thingy. Im not really sure if that’s how it’s said in English. Hutch? And yes, I got him from previous owner because here rabbits don’t get often into shelters. Only rarely.

Thank you all for helping~

[Author]

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