Fleurys Aggression…

[tanlover14]

….. So Fleurys behavior has continued….

 

And my boyfriend said something the other day that hit me in the face like a pile of bricks because now I feel like such a complete moron….. I had been thinking all of Fleurys aggression has been linked to him being jealous whenever we touched the other bunnies…. BUT today it finally dawned on us…. He’s become Territorial!   Such a simple conclusion and I never even thought that maybe he’s not hating his life, maybe he doesn’t hate us…. when in reality, that darn rabbit doesn’t want to share his humble abode OR his friends with us!  What a little bugger… I had thought about it because I was always so confused why he was fine when he was outside his x-pen… 

 

Simba has always been very cage aggressive and he’s been so fine in the x-pen and Fleury has never had any sort of cage/pen aggression… but I really think that’s what it is! 

Whether that’s good or bad, I do not know… we spend a lot of time hanging out in their with them as a group.  I love “hanging” with them in there.  He’s always fine if you’re just chilling… but you try petting him or another bunny close to him and BAM, he’s all over you like a rabid little rabbit! 

 

I have started some simple little agility tricks with him though.  So far he can “stumble” over a soda box for a craisin…. For some reason I can’t get him to just hop over it, LOL.  He only stumbles.  It’s a tiny little box too! 

[Hazel]

I guess that means Tanger is the good one…

At least you know what his problem is now, that’s a step in the right direction! I would suggest doing some clicker training, as in treat Fleury for not freaking out while you pet one of the others, but I think you tried something like that already, right? Maybe more clicker training in general would help too, like you’re already doing. Keeping Lily busy mentally and physically makes a world of difference in her behavior. If we fail to work with her she turns into the devil.

[jerseygirl]

Do you have a “sentinel” bunny in your group TL? Or do they take turns?

Potamus used to take this position when it was just her and her mum. Always up in the box keeping an eye out for going-ons. Now with Gooseman in with them, he’s sort of taken up being at the lookout. However, I would say Potamus is the more territorial of the three. She will occasionally do what you describe Fleury does, though probably not as much!

[tanlover14]

Somehow Tanger HAS become the good one! Shockingly…

Fleury is usually the one always being on look out! All I know is Fleury is driving us absolutely bonkers with his aggressiveness! I’m almost positive now that it’s definitely territorial issues. He gets especially aggressive when you try and pet him while he’s in the litter box. But it seems if you wait long enough, he tones it down a bit. It’s when you first go in the x pen that he really lets you have it. Between his evil eye glare, his growling and boxing and nipping…. oh Lord, him and my boyfriend are going at it every day now. I’m not really sure HOW to handle it so we’ve just been picking him up and giving him attention outside the x pen. He’s gotten much better with being handled as I try and handle him a bit now. But goodness.

Such an attitude for such a little guy!

[LBJ10]

Have you been gradually trying to desensitize him? You said you are able to hang out in there with no problems, it’s just when you try to pet someone.

[tanlover14]

Yupp, just the petting. How do you mean by desensitizing him? I haven’t tried much except holding him whenever he begins getting extremely angry. He gets himself so worked up over something so stupid! It’s not even like he gets less attention than the others, the little brat gets the most because he’s always shoving himself into the middle whenever you give someone else attention! Such a brat.

I’m not really sure where to go from here with him besides bringing him outside the x pen to play! But that still doesn’t help the problem inside when we are just hanging out with them for a few minutes. Hmmm… These Tans are so high-maintenance!

[LBJ10]

Is there any way to pet someone inside the pen so he can see but he can’t get to your hand? When I say desensitize, I just mean exposing him to the thing that upsets him more and more (increasing it slowly over time). In theory, he would eventually grow accustomed to it and will react less strongly.

[tanlover14]

Hmm, there’s really no way to let him see without interacting. I would try holding him and letting my boyfriend pet the other buns close to us but if you’re holding him he will spend all of his time digging into your lap rather than paying attention to the other bunny. Such a complicated bunny.

Maybe if the boyfriend and I made a circle with our legs and put Fleury and another bunny inside and have one ready to grab so he can’t bite if he starts going after the other one?

[LBJ10]

Maybe, but then he might associate being grabbed with you petting another bunny. LOL

Hmmm..

[tanlover14]

These Tans will be the death of me…. LOL

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