Bunny biting me before licking?

[Grill]

Ever morning I like to go out and put fresh food and water in my bunnys hutch. Recently whenever i do this she jumps up on my hand as if she were about to scratch, bites me once (hurts, but doesn’t draw blood) before licking me. Is this normal behavior or am i scaring her?

[joea64]

Are you sure that she’s actually biting you? That sounds much more like nipping to me, which all rabbits use as part of their communication repertoire. Bunnies nip to, you might say, put an exclamation point on something. I’m not sure but one answer may be that she wants you to groom her the way she grooms you, in other words, “hey! pay attention to me!” (Also, I gather you keep her outside. At the risk of scratching a well-worn record, pet rabbits should really be kept inside for the sake of social interaction between them and you.)

Nipping is normal, but you shouldn’t let your bunny nip so hard that it hurts. When that happens, what you need to do is squeak or screech (not scream – more like a little “Eeeeek!” sound) in a high-pitched tone, then say “No!” firm and clear without shouting. You could also try turning your back on the bun (which is how rabbits show disapproval/displeasure/insult). Keep doing this consistently and in due course your bun will get the idea that she’s not supposed to nip you so hard.

[senatcha93]

Does she snatch at your hand? Mine does that before licking. It’s like he wants to bite me but then he licks me as in he wants to say look I’m grooming you so you can’t be mad at me now. I don’t know either what this behavior could mean. sorry

[RC92]

Posted By Grill on 8/28/2017 8:46 PM

Ever morning I like to go out and put fresh food and water in my bunnys hutch. Recently whenever i do this she jumps up on my hand as if she were about to scratch, bites me once (hurts, but doesn’t draw blood) before licking me. Is this normal behavior or am i scaring her?

I think there’s good chance she is nipping you rather than biting. During my bun’s (Rolo) hormonal stage before neutering he used to get quite territorial – he would happily allow you in his area but he didn’t like being put back in his hutch overnight – one time I felt the full force through a ski glove, no blood as it wasn’t at skin level, but A LOT of force. Alternatively, Rolo also nipped me the other night as I was laid on the bed and was “in his way”, but feels nothing more than a short, sharp prick. 

Is there any possibility she believes your hand is just in the way or overly excited? Rolo used to sprint towards us whenever we refreshed his food, but not so much now. 

Does she lunge  / is she spayed? I found with both my buns before they were fixed they would both lunge if they were feeling territorial. 

If you’re worried about scaring her maybe try talking to her prior to opening the hutch and when the hutch is opened let her approach you before putting your hand in. It probably sounds a bit ‘odd’ to non-bun owners, but I find if I make a kissing noise and say either of my buns names it calms them down as they associate it with someone that won’t harm them. It could be that if your bun doesn’t realise it’s you straight away and may be a defensive action – if my female bun is in her housing area and doesn’t realise it’s either my girlfriend or I, she will sprint off sharpish when any of the hutch doors / roof as she doesn’t know whether it’s a threat or not.

Apologise for the questions – I only got the first of my two buns last August so I’m intrigued as a learning process myself as to how everyone else’s act!

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