How do I get my bunny to stop biting me????

[Synister Sarnal]

I just got my bunny Charlie last week, we were told that he was a rescue and he didn’t get great owners before, and he is still in an adjustment period right now and even is marking his territory so to speak, as he is not fixed (working on it though!) First couple nights he was good and even cuddled with me a couple times while I watched Netflix, and now he’s starting to bite and it hurts. We got him a new cage and basically new everything since the stuff he came with wasn’t ideal. Is this just part of him trying to adjust to the new home environment? How do I convey/teach him that biting is not okay, and how can I make the process easier for Charlie to settle in and get used to us and hopefully really like us. Also, how does a human go about bonding with their new pet rabbit?

Thank you in advance ^_^

[sarahthegemini]

Are they full bites or just nips? And what is happening when he does it? Does he just come up to you and bite? Or is it when you’re reaching into his cage for example? Sorry for all the questions! 

When I was first bonding with my two terrors, I would sit on the floor with them and just let them investigate me. I had a pen set up and I would sit in the pen and just read/watch TV to allow them to get used to my presence. Treats also helped As your boy is 2 years old (I believe?) I assume he’s already had veggies so you could offer him veggies whenever he approaches you. Rabbits usually think anything hand-fed is a treat! Even a few pellets would work as a treat. Try not to pet him until you can see that he’s comfortable being around you. Then start slow and pet him once while he’s eating a treat. Basically, let him come to you in his own time and when he does, reward him so he associates you with treats 

[tobyluv]

Here are some articles on aggression/biting that might be helpful.

http://rabbit.org/category/behavior/aggression/

[Synister Sarnal]

9/10 it’s just nibbles, but a couple times it hurt! haha The last time he bit me, he hopped on my bed and was licking my bed sheet like there was no tomorrow haha and when I went to get his attention with my finger he bit it. I think it’s because he was either trying to say “I’m licking and you’re in the road” or that he was being a bit territorial. He doesn’t come up to us and bite, it’s usually when he comes up we put our hand out for him to sniff, then we get some nibbles in.

He’s not fixed, which I think could contribute on top of the new environment??. My boyfriend and I sit around and talk to him or each other or watch tv as Charlie roams around and sniffs us and then hops away. He has cuddled me before, he has also licked my boyfriends hand, but then got playful and held his hand with both of his paws and nibbled on his hand lol But he does hop and race around and chews his toys.

I will definitely try that tonight after work. I have some romaine lettuce in the fridge so I’ll some of that with me whenever he approaches me ^^ Thank you!

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I also read that rabbits don’t have very good vision when it comes to things that are right in front of their faces, so we humans might scare the crap out of them by putting our hands in front of them, resulting in a nip or a bite, is that true also?

[Synister Sarnal]

Thank you very much! I’m going to take a look at that!

[Synister Sarnal]

Posted By tobyluv on 2/06/2017 5:13 PM

Here are some articles on aggression/biting that might be helpful.

http://rabbit.org/category/behavior/aggression/

I am learning a lot on the link you gave me, thank you!

[tobyluv]

I’m glad that the articles are helpful to you. Neutering Charlie should help greatly with the nipping, but don’t expect it to be instant. It can be 30 days or more until the hormones are leveled out. It is true that rabbits can’t see directly in front of them, so that could be a cause of nipping. A rabbit may see movement in front of him and be frightened and possibly lash out to ward off the danger. It sounds like Charlie is nipping more than aggressively biting, but you still don’t want that behavior to continue. Although, any rabbit may nip occasionally if a sudden irritation comes over them, or they perceive your foot in the way as they hop by, etc. I get occasional nips, from my otherwise sweet bunny. My other rabbit doesn’t nip at all, but I have had other rabbits in the past that nipped very occasionally.

[Synister Sarnal]

Posted By tobyluv on 2/07/2017 4:43 PM

I’m glad that the articles are helpful to you. Neutering Charlie should help greatly with the nipping, but don’t expect it to be instant. It can be 30 days or more until the hormones are leveled out. It is true that rabbits can’t see directly in front of them, so that could be a cause of nipping. A rabbit may see movement in front of him and be frightened and possibly lash out to ward off the danger. It sounds like Charlie is nipping more than aggressively biting, but you still don’t want that behavior to continue. Although, any rabbit may nip occasionally if a sudden irritation comes over them, or they perceive your foot in the way as they hop by, etc. I get occasional nips, from my otherwise sweet bunny. My other rabbit doesn’t nip at all, but I have had other rabbits in the past that nipped very occasionally.

Around where I live the cost of neutering can go from $200-260, so there’s some saving we have to do haha But thank you for your knowledge! I also fed him a bit of lettuce as a treat whenever he came up to me and sniffed me, just to get used to me and to say “I’m not a danger, I give you yummy treats and pets” haha
Last night, he started this thing where he loves to come up and sniff me and sometimes my boyfriend and then nip at us, is that his way of saying he wants our attention?

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