I’m on the edge! ADVICE NEEDED!

[LunaBaby]

This is going to be quite a long one, so I apologize in advance. 

My rabbit is getting on my last nerve, and it’s really starting to test our relationship. She has her cage, which she has always had, and I have just built her a permanent run last month so she can be constantly out in her own room. At the beginning, everything was fine. But recently she’s started biting me whenever I’m in there. Which is weird because she always bites the cage for my attention, yet when I give her attention, she bites me. It’s never on my skin, only my shirt, dress and even toenail! But she sometimes catches me and it really hurts! 

Whenever she’s been doing this, I have been giving the wrong reaction, by shouting, and I know I’m not supposed to. But it’s just such a shock when it happens, because she has never been like this. I’ve thought of a few reasons why it could be, but they could just be total bull, so apologies if they don’t make sense: 

– She doesn’t want me in her pen, which doesn’t make sense because she’s practically asking me to be in there.

– She wants more space, which doesn’t make sense because she’s got the most she’s ever had, and I let her onto the grass every day for at least two hours.

– She’s in pain (she has something wrong with her front leg, which we are getting her an x-ray for next week), but she’s on pain medication.

– Some sort of puberty, she’s not been neutered yet but will be after her x-ray and possible surgery.

I honestly don’t know what to think, because I love this little girl with all my heart, but it’s getting me down because it’s making me feel like she doesn’t even like me. Which is really weird for me, because we’ve always had such an amazing bond. 

Please, let me know if there is anything you know, or any advice you could give. Because I am so fed up with it. 

[Deleted User]

It could honestly be her hormones. She’s not spayed yet. Girl buns tend to get very territorial during puberty.

[Deleted User]

It could be that she’s exhibiting territorial/aggressive behavior because she is not spayed. My bun was never like that toward me, but every bun is different.

Since you know that she has pain, it may just be that she’s telling you she wants to be left alone. Since they are prey animals, they try to hide their symptoms so that they don’t look like an easy catch for a predator. She might be fighting back to ask you not to mess with her.

Just try to be patient with her. I know it can be frustrating. Be understanding and try to see where she’s coming from. Being unaltered and being in pain is probably a pretty tough combination on her, poor thing. All those hormones and an injury… recipe for an unhappy bunny if you ask me! Hopefully all is well and she can be spayed soon!

[Q8bunny]

Sounds like she’s hit puberty. Sorry it’s manifesting this way. One thing you might try until her spay is whenever she nips you, don’t shout, but rather yelp as loud and high pitched as you can. With buns, it communicates undesirable behaviour and might let her know to nip you more gently (Yep. You read that right.)

[Deleted User]

Q8 is right!! I did that when my bun nipped me and she caught on quickly to not doing it. Now I use the same noise when she is digging at the carpet or going to chew on something she shouldn’t be chewing on. She stops immediately and stares at me for a few seconds and usually hops off. Sometimes she needs a second squeal to nudge her in the right direction though.. lol

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