Bunny is Scratching and Bitting me

[Kyela]

My male bunny is 4 months old. He doesn’t like me to pick him up too much, just a tiny bit, so I grab him, and pet him a little and let him walk away when he wants so he doesn’t feel afraid if I pick him up. I want him to get used to it, so he doesn’t get hurt trying to escape when I need to pick him up to clean things up and such.

Now I am not sure if this makes him mad, because lately he started to come up the couch all exited, kind fidgety and then starts scratching (like digging) and nibbling the cloths around my torso, sometimes my lap. The problem is, I think, that he doesn’t know where my cloths end and my body starts so he winds up biting me. I tried to move him away of scratching and biting but he is all exited and moves his head fast and I am scared he will bite my hand. He is not biting really hard, I imagine he can do way worse. Basically he is not going to take a piece of me with him, but still It scares me, I don’t like being bitten and I am not sure what to do. The other time I had a blanket next to me, so I pushed him away from me a little and he started scratching and nibbling the blanket away. I figured that was better than getting scratched and bit, but next thing he was peeing on my couch!

What should I do? I don’t want him to notice I am scared of him biting me, and I don’t know how to tell him to stop doing what he is doing. The other time he bit me on the chest and it hurt a lot so I sort of yelled a little and he moved to the other side of the couch looking away from me. Lol like HE was offended with ME when I was the one in pain.

I read females can do the scratching and such when they are trying to do a nest, but this is a  male bunny, or at least was told so when they gift him to me.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Mikey]

He wants you to move when he digs at you like that. He is either mad that you are in his room/area/space, or he wants to see the exact spot you are sitting in. Digging like that is how buns ask you to move

Youll have to get used to being nipped, its how bunnies communicate. Nipping means “I dont like that”/”I dont like what youre doing”/ect. If he nips too hard, a loud but firm “No” or “Ow” will teach him that he is hurting you and he will stop nipping as hard

[ThorBunny]

Is he neutered? If not, this could be adding to some of his behavioral problems, especially the peeing on the couch!

With my rabbit, making a loud high pitched “Ow” helped her realize she was hurting me. I think you are right and he is not sure where you start and the clothes begin Rabbits have a lot of fur, so when they nip each other it doesn’t hurt as much as when they nip their humans. You can teach him to nip softer or perhaps stop all together by squealing if he goes to nip at you.

[Kyela]

Lol he wants me to move from where I am sitting? That is not fair lol. I am not in his space is my space. Matter of fact he doesn’t do that when I lay or sit next to him in his area. I guess I can try moving to see if he is happy with that XD

[Kyela]

He is not neutered yet, I read you can neuter them at age 4 months or so? I am going to take him to the vet zoom. There are not many Vets for bunnies around and they have limited hours

I think he likes me beyond that, because he does lick me and all.

[BanditCamp]

As soon as a vet can see it they can cut it. As long as you don’t have a large breed which you don’t because it helps bone growth.

He’s starting to claim his space so I think now’s a good time to check!

[Kyela]

Thanks a lot for your comments, I will take him to the vet as soon as possible. I hope he stops with the scratching then.

Thanks!

[Author]

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