Feet Circling & Feet Biting

[DanDex]

Hi all.  My bunny is 5 months and he circles my feet constantly and has started nipping.  At first he nipped when they were in his way, but now he just nips them generally.  He was booked in to be neutered, but the vet said that would not calm these behaviours.  I am so confused as reading threads on here, that would not appear to be so.  Please could anyone give me advice as I can’t carry on like this and yelping when he does it does not make any difference.  He shows no other signs of aggression and loves a fuss, but I need the ankle nipping to stop.  I don’t want to spray him with water as that means he may not come near me at all.  He has plenty of toys to chew, but my ankles seem a better option.  Also, he chews constantly on his cage bars – even though the cage is open.  I am worried he is unhappy.  He has the run of the conservatory and the run of the house when I am in, so he gets plenty of room to run around.

[DanaNM]

I’m happy to say your vet is incorrect (most likely)! Not all vets have a ton of knowledge on rabbit behavior, unfortunately.

Feet circling and nipping is an “amorous” behavior, male buns will do this to female buns when they are preparing to mount. So he loooves your feet. LOL

So I would say just hang in there and wait till his neuter. Wearing thick socks or slippers will hopefully make it more tolerable. It may take a few weeks for the behaviors to calm down while his hormones settle.

As for chewing the cage bars, sometimes it helps to add a visual barrier, so you can try clipping a towel or a blanket over the cage wall that he tends to bite.

Does he use his chew toys? If not, it prob means you should try a different type of toy to find one that he likes and will use. Organic palm plates are very popular with my bun that is also a cage-biter. They are the one thing that gets him to stop obsessing over biting the bars (mine also does it when the pen is open). 🙂

. . . 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.  

[DanDex]

Thank you for the advice.  My vet said as he isn’t bonded and is not aggressive there’s no need – but this nipping is a huge problem.  I will try covering the bars with a towel and see how that goes – many thanks.  Just off to Google Organic Palm Plates!!!

[Susanne]

I would definitely get him neutered!  It does help, I agree that the vet was incorrect. Mine also love the palm plates, and TP rolls stuffed with hay. I’ve also made a dig box with tissue paper which one of them got obsessed with… they all seem to have different toy preferences 🙂

[DanaNM]

Yeah I’ve noticed the main reasons for neutering solo male bunnies seem to be hormonal behaviors in general, not necessarily aggression (spraying, marking, circling, nipping, and mounting). And sadly often times these behaviors lead to the animal being surrendered at a shelter because the owner doesn’t realize that many of them could be much improved with neutering!

Perhaps your vet isn’t that experienced with neuters so they were trying to deter you? If that’s the case I would recommend finding a different vet for the procedure.

. . . 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.  

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