Nibbling Bunny

[nicz1234]

Hi everyone, 

                        I am new to this forum and to the Rabbit world. I have just purchased a 9 week old Netherland Bunny who will be 10 weeks on Friday. I bought him from a registered breeder and met bunny mum. She was very nice natured and contented. Our bunny is the same when taking him in to play, he sits on my knee and will jump up to my face and cuddle into my neck. After a while of cuddles I will put him down and he will have a run around and running around me and my 2 daughters who love him dearly. Then he will come over and nip. He nipped both me and my daughter today. it isn’t sore but enough to feel. Also sometimes when he is being petted he will sniff fingers and then nip. Usually my nail! he is not  being aggresive ( I dont think) as he enjoys cuddles, and yes I always wash my hands before and after handling my bunny, Also he has been fed before hand so its not that he is hungry. How should I deal with this? And is this normal or aggresive behaviour? Thanks in advance

[RabbitPam]

It’s normal, but it’s not really aggressive as you suspected. He is a baby bunny, and they commonly learn about their world by tasting it. So, he tastes you and others along with (eventually) wires, carpet, furniture, sneakers, etc. Unlike puppies though, they do not devour and keep on tasting, so nibbling is the right adjective. You need to bunny-proof your home if you haven’t already. (See the Bunny basics for tips on that.) As you mentioned, he isn’t doing it out of hunger. He just will be pleased if something he’s nibbled turns out to be tasty food!

A bunny will also communicate using their teeth, as in pushing you out of their path by pulling on your jeans to get you to move you leg, things like that. The thing is, a baby bunny is still learning how to do everything, and will often chomp too hard unintentionally because it hasn’t yet learned to touch with teeth but not bite. RARELY does a bunny bite and draw blood intentionally at any age. Not their nature. (this can indicate illness in a bunny actually.) So if baby punctures, it was accidental.

The way to teach a baby bunny that it is not ok to nibble so much on you and other humans or wires, is first to say a firm NO. Deep stern voice will convey discipline. Do not ever, ever strike the bunny. They learn what NO means, but it only gives the message of disapproval.

The next way to say “you’ve hurt me doing that” in bunny speak is to let out a high-pitched squeal. Bunnies only scream in extreme pain and it’s terrible to hear. (If lucky, you’ll never hear that in your life together.) So you are saying to the bunny “Ouch! Pain!” And they will stop it. Communicating to a bunny in bunny’s language is the fastest way to make progress. But be patient. Babies take time to learn, and just when they get it right, they become teenagers and we have all sorts of new advice for that!!!! (We’ll talk again in 6 months. )

[Monkeybun]

In my experience, baby bunnies use their little teeth as testers, to taste stuff, move stuff, feel stuff. SO it’s totally normal, and usually they grow out of it. If it bothers you or hurts, make little high pitched squeals of pain, and he will learn that it hurts you and stop. Hopefully

[nicz1234]

 Thanks very much for the reply. No i would never ever strike the bunny or do anything like that, I was trying the high pitched eek as had read that else where. Glad he is ok tho as I was starting to worry if I was doing something wrong. I have never owned a bunny before and I am new to all this. I have only ever owned dogs and there is no guess work really ina dogs behaviour un like our bunny friends lol. Thanks again guys x

[Elrohwen]

Definitely normal! My bun was a bit nippy as a baby – they just want to taste and figure out everything around them.

I would push him away a bit when he did it, but he would come right back and nibble again. The most effective thing I did with him was step outside his pen and turn my back to him so he could see me, but realized I wasn’t playing with him anymore. I’m not sure if that worked well or if he just grew out of it, but either way he hasn’t nibbled in years.

[Author]

Messages