Bunny perfect, except he BITES HARD

[boeing]

So Tully was 10 mos old when he was rescued, and was 7 mos when he was neutered (which was 4 weeks ago). I took him home from the vet that day and he’s been affectionate, energetic, minimally destructive (!). He jumps up on the couch when I’m there, settles down next to me, or ON me, and wants pets for as long as he wants. My hand usually tires before he’s had enough. I have dreamed of having a cuddlebunny my whole adult life and now I have one.

Except there’s this: I’m getting randomly bitten, and hard. When I first brought him home, he was very aggressive about food and would lunge at my hands and bite them in a frenzy to get at the food. I’ve been able to calm him down and now he is very driven, but at the food, not my hands. I did it by gently stopping him from biting with my free hand on his head, and petting him a little till he calmed down. Then putting the food in behind him. He now knows to lunge at the bowl, not my hand, so it’s working. Yay me.

He jumps up eagerly onto the couch for long petting sessions, which is so wonderful, I can’t believe it. Except he often bites…when I stop petting him, when I am still petting him after he put his head under my hand and clearly asked to be petted (aka I’m not forcing him to sit still). When he sees a leg in front of the couch and it’s in his way (that’s reasonably normal, except it’s not a nip we’re talking about). There seems to be no cause/effect that I can find. He bites when he wants to.

He bites hard. Breaks the skin often. I have been SQUEALING at the top of my lungs in response to every bite, and he just ignores it. He often comes back for another one right away. The squealing worked as a deterrent (a little) at the beginning when he was biting at my shoe. But for flesh, he doesn’t stop. He’ll hear the squeal and just try again.

I wonder if he still has testosterone in him and that would explain the residual aggression. I read it could last up to 6 weeks. So that’s 2 weeks left, possibly. 

Or perhaps he’s the Monty Python rabbit, and I’m toast?

Advice welcome.

Thanks, Amy

[jerseygirl]

Very possible it is the post-neuter craziness but I would still keep up the squeal and reprimand when he bites. If on the sofa when he does it, I would be doing the squeak then moving him off quick smart.
I have a single boy rabbit that gets into modes where he’ll be really persistant at chewing my bedding. I have to repeatedly move him off the bed (He’s allowed there normally) He eventually does get it that Im standing firm on this.

[boeing]

Good advice. I haven’t been putting him off the couch when he does it. That might help reinforce. Thanks!!

[Author]

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