Do rabbits get overstimulated? Please help with an aggressive spayed doe.

[DianeK]

My Lilly, who is a 11 month old spayed girl, exhibits very random aggression with me. She’s generally very sweet, LOVES to give kisses (she’s a very thorough hand cleaner), but she is also a little more nervous than your average bun. Startles very easily at noises, etc. I adopted her from an animal shelter, from what I understand she was was captured outside at about 4 months, but that’s the only history I know of her.

Anyhow, this is how it usually plays out… I’ll be sitting on the floor with her nicely, she’ll be in meatloaf position next to my hip, I’ll stroke her softly and she’s softly crunching away, eyes 1/2 closed. She’ll then get up into a more standing position, and this is when I start to get worried. I will IMMEDIATELY stop petting her because I know what’s coming…. she starts to “sniff” me, but aggressively, like hard bonks of the nose, those bonks turn into full on bites and slaps with the paw, and she literally chases me out of the room. 

This morning, she started getting aggressive and as I was getting up she bit me in the ass! I had a huge red welt!

I’m frightened of her half the time and I’m tired of it. I immediately stop petting her and leave the area when I know she’s about to have a meltdown, but it doesn’t prevent her from teaching me a lesson. I really don’t think this is a pain or illness response, she’s fine about 90% of the time. 

I also want to add that she has an ideal home life – fresh hay, fresh veg, run of the house, etc. So it’s not boredome/loneliness or under stimulation. ALSO, she had a raging case of spring fever, (even after being spayed in December). Very grumpy, hyper, anti-social for at least 6 weeks…. she just started pulling out of it a few days ago.

Any ideas? 

[Sarita]

Oh dear, she sounds like a handful and probably a very smart rabbit.

I think what I would do if she is free roam, just allow her to come to you at will – sometimes I find that rabbits who are being “ignored” will come to you for attention.

My rabbit is free roam and he has his own little area and can be somewhat grumpy (in a good way) when I come to take care of him in his space, running away, grunting at me, just general moodiness…then he may settle down for some pets.

Generally though I just leave him be and sometimes he’ll come downstairs and jump on his pet-a-stool – it’s really an ottoman, but I call it his pet-a-stool (pedestal) that he jumps on to wait for me to sit next to him to pet him. He lets me know when he wants to be bothered – even if I don’t want to be bothered, I will sit on the floor and pet him on his ottoman.

[manic_muncher]

I think if you could distract her at the moment her mental change is happening that might help. You know the cues and that’s half the battle. I think perhaps when she goes into that sitting up position before bonking you, pull out a few pellet pieces that you set aside within reaching distance (or another “treat” she can’t resist). While she’s eating her little treat, make your departure from the area.

I guess the main thing is to avoid leaving when she’s telling you to leave, since that will just teach her how to boss you around and reinforce the bad behavior. “Oh if I nip, box, and chase her, I get my way and she’ll go away”

[DianeK]

You guys, these are great ideas. Thank you so much, I love the idea of coming into the room with a distraction. 

I just wish I knew the *cause* of the behavior, so I can avoid being such an offensive human!! It’s just so random. The only thing that’s common is the time of day, it usually happens in the morning. It’s directed at me as well, my husband does not experience her bi-polar tendencies – lucky him!!

[jerseygirl]

Posted By Sarita on 5/06/2014 1:18 PM
Oh dear, she sounds like a handful and probably a very smart rabbit.

Lol !
Yes, the smarties can be the most challenging for sure.

The only thing that’s common is the time of day, it usually happens in the morning.

I’m curious. Does she get a feed in the morning & this happens sometime after?

[DianeK]

Yes, about an hour after breakfast is her modus operandi. 

One thing I just noticed too, is she’s starting another molt (this is the second one in the last three months!) I wonder if that could be making her grumpy too…..

[jerseygirl]

Oh for sure! Molting can have that affect.

[manic_muncher]

I’ll have to agree.. Bumpy gets extra grumpy when he’s molting.

[KytKattin]

Not quite the same, but when my former bun, who was also abandoned, would charge me/try to bite me, if I wanted to move around the room. I would stomp my foot to let her know that was not ok. I didn’t do anything else, and I didn’t like, raise my leg up super high or anything. Typically one stomp would stop her coming towards me and kind of snap her out of it. I would just stand there until she either turned away to leave me alone, or I had to stomp again because she was continuing her aggressive movement. If I took a step and she reacted again, we would repeat the stomp and wait until she calmed down routine. We were living in a very small dorm at the time, but she had her own spots such as a cardboard box and her cage that I never bothered her in and she could go to if my being there was bothering her. I don’t know if stomping would work since it sounds like you are already on the floor when she gets aggressive, but if she is chasing you out of the room you should try to stand your ground. In my case I didn’t have anywhere else to go, so she had to learn to live with me there.

[DianeK]

Thanks for your response, KytKattin, your former bun sounds very much like Lilly. I really like your stomping idea, actually. The way you described your rabbit, having to “snap her out of it”…. that’s Lilly to a TEE. She’s such a sweet little thing, but she gets in these modes of almost obsessive attack mode (I actually call her Linda Blair when she gets like that, it’s like something is possessing her). When she gets mad, it sticks with her and takes her a while to get over it. My other rabbit is not grudge-y like that, it’s just so strange.

My husband also mentioned I was making a mistake by letting her run me out, but he’s not the subject of her… “intensity” either. I don’t think he believes me, how terrifying a 6 pound rabbit can be – lol! Of course she’s been a doll lately, but next time she gets all linda blair on me, I’ll try the stomping technique. I have a feeling that would work with her.

[KytKattin]

Nova was only 2 pounds, and I was terrified of her even though I’m super tall! Haha. I had come on here after I ran out of my room really frustrated by her aggression and someone recommended stomping. It is how rabbits communicate their displeasure as well (other than biting), and basically lets you claim your space without needing to be physical in any way or having to have something in your hand at all times (like a squirt bottle). My poor girl definitely came around a little, but in 5 years she was never as affectionate as what it sounds like Lilly is, so I think you have the potential to make a lot of progress! I think my girl was someone’s abandoned 4H project. She had been dumped, pregnant, in a park where I caught her, and I don’t think she ever really trusted people again. Lilly is already opening up to you, and I think you standing your ground will help her respect you more as she learns to trust you!

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