Bunny Biting Hard, Nothing is Working

[EmeraldDove]

Hello,

I am hoping that I will be able to get some help here. Ill
try my best to explain everything fully, but if I missed something just ask and
ill try to reply asap.

So I got a bunny from the pet store last January. Her
birthday is estimated to be in November, so I’ve had her for over a year now.
I’m concerned that I am doing something unintentional to make her unhappy with
me.  Anna is a very…independent
bunny.  I let her free roam and provide
many boxes and other bunny toys for her to play with. She never chews my
furniture and always uses her litterbox. I had her to the vet for checkups and
she got spayed when the time came around. 
She is a healthy, happy bunny by these standards. She always binkys and
preforms bunny 500’s. She is a single bunny though… I considered getting her a
friend several months ago but I honestly don’t think that she would be
receptive to it. I also started a new job and don’t necessarily have the time
to keep two rabbits apart and go through the possible few months of bonding
time. Anna still gets the same amount of attention. She HATES to be held,
though I pick her up from time to time so that she can handle it when I take
her to get her nails clipped. She gets her nails done at a local bunny shelter
because there is no way I can do them on my own…football hold/wrapped in
blanket… just not happening.

I hate to use this term but even though she’s fixed and only
lived with me her entire life… she’s just so mean. She seems territorial and
like she tolerates me because I feed her. Only occasionally she will flop next
to me or come to me for attention. Even then, she only wants to be petted once
or twice before running off.  Every time
I come near her though, her ears go back and she “growls” at me.  When I try to dump pellets or add hay to her
feeder she lunges at me. She has bitten me twice in the past week alone, hard
enough to make me bleed.  Even if I try
to brush her (offering treats at intervals) she bites and tries to “throw” the
brush or runs away from me.

I never mistreated her as far as I am aware. I’ve never
yelled at her, other than saying “no” when she bites. (squealing when she bites
does not work either) She gets fed twice a day at the same times… she gets
pellets and hay… and at night I make her a bun salad. I give her papaya and
other treats in moderation. She has tons of toys. I never go into her cage
unless I am feeding her or cleaning it because I wanted that to be her safe space.   I don’t force her to be near me if she
doesn’t want to. I don’t chase her around or make her let me pet her.

I just am at loss for what to do. I’m so tired of getting
bitten when I am just trying to feed her. I’m tired of her running away when I
just want to say hi and pet her at the end of a long day. But most of all, I’m
ashamed to admit that I am getting tired of spending so much time for
nothing.  I’ve spent so much time the
past year on the floor so she could come to me and get use to me, just doing
random activities. Sometimes I would even read out loud so she would hear my
voice. Other times I would just sit on the floor and watch tv or eat just to be
on her level, and she rarely came up to me.  I’ve had so much patience and I haven’t seen
any progress.

I love her but she’s honestly draining me emotionally a
little bit. I’m not sure how to change these behaviors. 

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[Bunny House]

I know it can be frustrating. My lop I’ve had for 2 1/2 years just became loving to me, it started after her partner died in August and I spent a lot of time with her, but she also had horrible ear infections that we corrected with surgery so she feels like a normal bun now but it took her over 2 years to open up to me and some buns are like that. I also felt like she was a lost cause and she would always act like that. You have to go slow and don’t rush them, sit on the floor and let her come to you, like you’re doing now. You can even get some pellets and try to teach her agility or some tricks so you can build trust in you. She may have no reason to trust you and that might be hurting the bond. She may also see you as a threat so she pins her ears and growls. You need to associate you with food and that will make her see you as a good thing to come to. I always thought my lop would never be loving but she’s as loving now as my other ones are, it just depends on the personality, and she would always bite me too.

[DanaNM]

That sounds so hard.

I remember some other stories of members with bunnies like this. I’ve alerted the other forum leaders to see if they have any advice, as I think one of them might have had a bitey bun at some point.

I do wonder if you could try to interact with her in a different way. Will she accept food from your hand? If so, I wonder if you have considered doing some clicker training with her? It might be a nice way to interact with her and build a relationship with her even if she isn’t cuddly (you could also use this to get her into her carrier for nail trims, so you would not need to pick her up at all).

. . . 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.  

[FlemishDad]

You have a right to take care of yourself. Can you figure a way to add hay without getting bitten, with tongs or something? If she attacks you giving her pellets just don’t give them until later. Rabbits don’t really *need* anything besides hay and water. I think she will quickly learn any behavior to get pellets.

I also agree with training. My Xavier is a total snugglebun so maybe too different but even with him I feel sometimes he is being nice because he hopes it will get him treats, which it sometimes does because we feel we need to give him something to make up for leaving.

[EmeraldDove]

Hello! I think that it would be a good idea to do some clicker training with her. Ill look into it!

I also didnt quite type it out right- She will jump into the carrier on her own. I meant that I tried to hold her from time to time so that when the groomer picks her up she does not freak out.

I appreciate the help… Its been difficult but I couldn’t actually give up on her….

[EmeraldDove]

Hey!  It sounds like I could possibly have a long, long way to go yet. I did teach her to spin and to stand up on her hind legs awhile ago… she still does good with those tricks.  In the mean time, Ill just keep doing what I’m doing then. Ill make sure to keep working with her and letting her come to me.   Thank you very much!

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