Don’t know how to teach deaf bunny not to bite

[Leo]

I’ve had my 2 year old rabbit Ophelia for only 7 or 8 months (I know she spent a few months in the shelter before I rescued her and that she was dumped by her old owners but not much more than that). We’ve bonded quite closely, however sometimes she gets incredibly aggressive with me and I don’t know why or how to scold her. I can’t verbally scold her because she’s deaf. I really don’t know how to get her to stop and I’ve resorted to putting her in a ‘time out’ (she always free roams but when she does this I put her in a large play pen for a while), however when I do this she just gets really relaxed and doesn’t seem to care or realize that she’s done anything wrong. How do I stop her from biting? I have a feeling she gets these random aggressive spats when I come home from volunteering at my local House Rabbit Society and smell like other bunnies, will a change of clothes fix this biting issue? She also seems to get very aggressive and scared when it rains but I can’t figure out why since she only lived indoors. As fairly new bunny owner I’m just really at a loss here, any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

[DanaNM]

Hi there, welcome

Not sure about the rain, but I bet the smell of other bunnies definitely has something to do with it! I’m guessing that since she can’t hear, her main way of recognizing you is through scent. So if you smell like bunnies… she might think you are an invader. Changing clothes (at least shoes) and washing your hands might help a lot.

I wonder if a little spritz of water might help for cases when you just need her to stop biting you? Not a direct shot, but like a sprinkle to the ears. That usually deters mine from digging the carpet when they get obsessed.

. . . 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.  

[LBJ10]

Leopold is deaf and Leopold bites… hard. We believe that since he is deaf, he never learned how to speak bunny appropriately. When Wooly bites, he doesn’t actually bite. He just puts his teeth on me and doesn’t bite down. He does this when he wants me to stop doing something (brushing him, giving him medicine, etc.). Leopold bites when he wants me to stop doing something as well, but boy does it hurt! He has left marks and bruises over the years. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a good way to deter him except to not give in. If I give in and give him what he wants, then he will just think he can bite and get what he wants all the time. He will be turning 9 here soon and, unfortunately, this is just the way it is.

I do find that timeouts do work for him when he is obsessing over something. Since I cannot tell him “no”, there is no way to tell him not to do something except to physically remove him. Obsessively chewing on one spot on the carpet? A little timeout breaks the cycle and he “forgets” about it for awhile.

[Author]

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