I am scared of my bunny

[jess.01]

I had adopted my rabbit from a pet store in which someone surrendered her. i immediately got her spayed to prevent future illnesses. for a while now she’s been biting and showing signs of frustration. i don’t know how to stop her from biting me and my family. yesterday i sat on the floor with her and she was laying around not showing any signs that she does not feel safe. today i sat on the floor with her again but she bit my shoulder and my vet told me to spray water to make her stop. but once i was cleaning up the water she started attacking the paper towel roll. she was lunging, grunting, tearing sections of the the paper off. i dropped a blanket on top of her to pick her up and place her in her cage. i need advice

[DanaNM]

how long have you had her and how long ago was she spayed? It would also be helpful to know the details of her housing set up and how much exercise she gets.

Females can go through a “post-spay craze” around 3-5 weeks after being spayed as their hormones adjust. So it’s possible you are in that time window.

There are different reasons rabbits bite. Sometimes they are just exploring or testing out what things are. Sometimes they are trying to “groom you” or communicate that you are in their way. Sometimes they are fearful and defending themselves. It sounds like the attack on the paper towel roll was defensive. Rabbits sometimes get confused when you are cleaning around them and see it as an invader. The shoulder bite could have been more of a exploratory bite but it’s hard to say.

There are a couple of things to try. First, don’t clean her area while she is in it. Rabbits need to have a safe space that they feel protected in. So wait until she is not in her enclosure to clean it up. Next, when she bites you, make a loud “EEEEEK!” noise. This mimics what rabbits do when they are in pain or very afraid, and will tell her she is hurting you. The last is to wear thick gloves if she bites your hands, and don’t withdraw your hand, just keep your hand there. She will learn that biting does not make you leave.

I may have more insight once I hear what your housing situation is for her.

. . . 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.  

[jess.01]

I got her June 2021 I spayed her in May 2022. reasoning for this was because i wanted her to feel safe in her surroundings before doing the surgery. Before the surgery is when she started to show minor signs of frustration which i thought were hormonal and territorial. after her surgery we was calm and sweet she would climb on our shoulder when we would sit on the couch. for housing she stays in her hutch for most of the night because she still hasn’t perfected her litter training and for safety that she doesn’t attack while we slept. during the day is then i let her roam around and play with her toys. after she recovered she would nip at our hands when we would feed her and i just thought she was just enthusiastic for her food. it wasn’t until my mom walked into my room and my bunny bit her calf really badly. which is when my vet told be to just spray some water to get her to understand that it’s not okay. which leads to this recent incident last night.

[DanaNM]

Ah I see, so she has been spayed a long time. How long ago did the aggression start? If it was a sudden change I would recommend having her checked out by a vet, because sudden changes in behavior can indicate medical issues as well.

In general, rabbit aggression is an indication of fear, so I don’t think spraying with water will help in the long term and could make things worse. I wonder if your mom smelled different that day? Maybe she was around other animals or used a new perfume? Rabbits are so scent oriented this has happened to members before.

Do you have to pick her up to put her in her hutch? Daily handling can lead to aggression as well, especially if you are having to pick the bun up to remove them from their cage. Also how large is her hutch?

There are few older threads where members dealt with aggressive buns, they may have some helpful ideas as well:

Rabbit aggression increasing – when will it end/what to do?

Random Attacks?

https://binkybunny.com/forums/topic/how-to-deal-with-an-aggressive-rabbit/   (this one also has some good articles linked within)

Aggression toward me and boyfriend

https://binkybunny.com/forums/topic/territorial-behavior-in-spayed-female/ (note the suggestion about clicker training, which also could be useful in your case)

Vicious Bunny

 

 

. . . 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.  

[jess.01]

i would say the aggression started in June  2023 this was when her bites broke skin and blood would show up. before that she would do nips here and there but it never broke skin like in June.

instead of using a spray bottle what should i do. and that’s day she bit my mom she had just finished showering.

my bunny has the space to get out by herself but i do pick her up and move her to another location when i clean her area and litter box. her hutch is 40.6″(L) x 26″(W) x 34.4″(without wheel)-37″(H) i got this off of the specs of the hutch.

[mia]

I’ve had several females that were highly “aggressive” with a couple even labeled as such as the shelters with giant warnings. At the end of the day, just observe what exactly is the trigger. Think with a bunny hat, rather than a human hat, and pour as much love and tenderness as possible. Rather than quarantine them away, I quarantine myself (I’ve literally hid in the bathroom before) and give them as much space as possible. Typically, I find they were terrified of being locked up (side eye a grid or barrier of some kind and it’s over) and sudden or unexpected movements (walk past when they didn’t see you and ankles are dead). Probably stems from abusive past.

Note that this is different from the highly opinionated bunny who may bite to express their tastes. For these, I think a little water spraying may be ok, depending on the situation, but not for the “aggressive” buns.

[LBJ10]

Some bunnies can become cage aggressive, even if they aren’t in an actual cage. That being said, her enclosure is way too small. Have you considered a pen or a NIC condo? One where she can come and go on her own without being picked up?

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