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

[Lisa-P&T]

Hi guys,

 

I posted previously in this thread about my 8 month old female rabbit’s behaviour. Her name is Phil. We have a second, 4 month old female called Toni. They live in separate areas of the apartment as Toni is not yet spayed. They will hopefully be bonded in the new year.

My query last time was about Phil’s bad behaviour toward me and was advised that she may need more time post-spay, to bear with her teenage stage, and to be careful of changing my clothes between rooms as she was being very territorial if she could smell Toni on me. I was more careful and with the weeks that passed, she seemed to be coming back to herself.

This week, she has turned back into a maniac. It started on Monday. I am back from town and was assembling a large picture frame. I laid it on the ground next to her bed where there was space and she started by chewing it etc. Then she was smelling my feet and got very agitated and charged them repeatedly and aggressively until I left the room. This campaign continued all evening whenever she saw me again, despite changing clothes. That Monday, she also went into our bedroom and wouldn’t come out for hours and we’d on my boyfriend’s pillow. She hasn’t wee’d on our bed since her spay. Tuesday and Wednesday, we kept her out of the bedroom, as she did the same thing on Tuesday, went in and wouldn’t come out and wee’d on my side – dug back the duvet and wee’d on my side of the mattress. She was quite annoyed Tuesday/Wednesday when we kept her out of the bedroom and again, she was quite aggressive with me, ie. charging my feet and continuing to be very food aggressive (which is new since the spay).

Yesterday, she lost the rag altogether. She was the same with me, charging my feet and growling very loudly when I was feeding her (that was new) and then later on, I was petting her and she thumped very loudly and angrily and moved away from me. Then, and this was the very worrying bit.. She was up on the couch with us, and started chewing the remote controls. So my boyfriend took then off her and folded his arms with the controls under his elbows, if you understand? So she could see what he had done. (Now, he had been in with Toni shortly before that but had changed his clothes completely and sprayed aftershave prior to coming back to Phil.) She sniffed his arms for a minute before lunging at him, like jumping up at him trying to bite. He jumped up and she jumped down on the floor. So he brushed himself off, sat back down, and she took a running jump up onto the couch and at him again to bite him. We both stood up, shouted at her, and then she lunged at his leg and bit his tracksuit and then Co tinued to aggressively circle his feet and follow him. I had to shield him with a towel and eventually throw the towel on her so we could get out of the room. It was extremely frightening to see her so aggressive, particularly toward him because normally she’s perfect with him.

Now, I have to say I don’t know how much Toni’s smell was impacting here. Maybe I wasn’t careful enough this week and maybe she could smell her off his bare skin on his arms, but it seemed more like aggression because he took the remotes to be honest. Also, yesterday, even with freshly washed socks on, I just stood near her food bowl, she came over and nipped me totally unprovoked. Small incident next to what happened with my boyfriend but just another example of unprovoked territorial behaviour.

FYI, she is 6 weeks post spay. Also. Between the thumping and lunging last night, she flopped down and took rubs off us both. She’s like Jekyl and Hyde. I accept that it might be Toni’s smell so we have agreed to be SUPER careful this week, and give her back access to our bedroom.

Also, in fairness, since her spay, her routine has totally changed. I’ve gone back to work so she is alone all day (thus the reason for getting Toni). She had me all the time before, food at the drop of a hat, and constant play and stimulation.

We had to talk last night about next steps. If this level of aggression is to continue, it’s genuinely unsafe for us to be around her. I’m already unhappy in my own apartment because I’m so nervous of her. And yet, we absolutely do not want to rehome her. We adore her and I think few people would put up with her quirks as they present right now.

Oh, she was also a bit aggressive with a guest recently, which was unusual.

So I’m asking the following:

(a) is this level of aggression normal?

(b) if this is just typical teenage rabbit aggression, when can we expect it to subside?

(c) how should we manage this, other than being more careful about the smell. I accept that this may be a factor but her aggression is becoming learned, as I can see it in her behaviour toward me on a regular basis when I have been nowhere near Toni, so that’s a worry

(d) is this indicative of poor chance of success in Phil ever accepting Toni in her space?

Thanks for any feedback and I just want to reiterate that we do really love her and she is a good girl at heart. I’m just really worried that this will become a constant and that’s just not viable..

 

Thanks,

Lisa

[DanaNM]

Oh wow, that’s a lot to be dealing with. That must be so stressful. 🙁

I’ve alerted the mods as I know several have had to deal with some aggressive rabbits in the past, including one who had a bunny become aggressive when another was brought into the house.

I think there is still a strong possibility that this is linked to Toni being around and still unspayed, and even though it’s been 6 weeks since her spay Phil’s hormones could still be fluctuating.

Is Phil 100% free-roam? I ask because she almost sounds as though she has gotten “cage aggressive”, even though she isn’t caged. It might help (and would at least help your safety) to pen her or build her a cube condo, and then give her free-roam as her exercise a several hours a day. Then she can reestablish “her” area. Try not to clean her area while she’s in it as well.  Sticking to a strict routine for feedings could also help (and wear a thick glove while delivering the food). My newest foster is a total love bug but he can get a bit overly excited and nippy if he thinks you have a treat, so I’m trying to establish his feeding times and not give too many extra treats.

Penning both bunnies will also help with bonding and pre-bonding, as they will think less of the whole area as their home turf. Most bunnies do appreciate having an area that’s “theirs” and is their safe zone. “Change the environment, change the behavior”, as they say.

. . . 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.  

[Lisa-P&T]

Hi again DanaNM,

Thanks for your reply. It is very stressful to be honest. It’s kicked off again just now. We were having a quiet enough evening. Phil was being alright, moody and withdrawn but not aggressive. We wore all new/fresh clothes and shoes, nothing Toni has been on.

We were watching TV and eating dessert and Phil was lying on the ground quietly. I was just starting to relax when she jumped up on my boyfriend. She seemed ok-ish but we were both very anxious after how vicious she was toward him last night. So he nudged her off and stood up. Then she seemed to binky and run a few times forward and back on the couch, and sat on his cushion with a fixed expression. Then she jumped down and started charging him again 😔 then she turned on me. It was totally, 100% unprovoked. We’ve put her in a pen now and she’s absolutely raging. Shaking the bars trying to get out. You might be right Dana, she seems to have gotten territorial about everything and as she is 100% free roam, that’s our whole apartment at this point.

Have we caused this? 😭 I feel like this could be irreversible, I’m so upset and my boyfriend is mad as hell. But I know he’s also upset because we both feel this is potential unsalvageable.

[Lisa-P&T]

OK, things have calmed down considerably. Phil has settled into a semi-nap on her bed in the pen and we have decided to leave her in overnight. We will let her out while we are at work and then at the first sign of bad behaviour, she will be back in the pen tomorrow evening. And will even be in regardless for part of the evening, as you said DanaNM. Maybe we need to re-establish what’s hers and what’s not.. I am also on your advice going to get thick gloves this weekend so that I am less scared of feeding her. We are really hoping that your advice RE the pen will help..

[DanaNM]

Don’t get too discouraged! I’m sure things will get straightened out. I would actually leave her in the pen for a full day at least. Also try to keep in mind that aggression in rabbits is due to fear. It can be hard to tell what they are afraid of, but it is not out of spite or hatred or any human emotion like that. Just take things one step at a time.  Once she feels safe in her own space, I have a strong suspicion things will get better.

A lot of bunnies will shake the bars to get out, hanging a towel over them can help a lot if she’s keeping you up at night with her rattling.

With my bunnies that weren’t full free-roam, I would always feed them their pellets inside their condos when I’m ready to lock them in for the evening (or their salad if it’s morning). Even when they’ve been free roam I try to do pellet feeding inside their condo so they see it as their safe space with food.

The other element of this is that even though she is spayed, she’s still a teenager! Teenage bunnies can be a bit of a menace sometimes.

. . . 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.  

[Wick & Fable]

I agree with Dana on many fronts, especially in that the aggressive behavior is very normative and functional for her– it’s not meant as an act to spite you, but rather a belief that she is protecting herself and doing what she needs to to survive.

Is she still eating and pooping as normal? Just under the idea that her behavior might be reactive because she is feeling pain or something.

That aside, I do think the idea of giving her a more restricted space to re-establish a routine and security may be good. Also, at this time, I know it can be difficult not to approach her with some amount of stress and fear, but rabbits can be particularly in tune with the “vibes” humans give off, and that insecurity may impact. One of my rabbits, Fable, came from a not-so-good home environment, and while she is much more comfortable now, she adamantly runs away when I approach to pick her up. I swear I am approaching her like I usually do for a regular pet, but she somehow just always knows when the approach is to pick her up. Rabbit have good senses, and if protective clothing is something that might make you feel more at ease, it could be worth it in the short term.

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.

[Lisa-P&T]

Hi guys.

Thanks so much for both of your replies.

We have been very careful to wear NOTHING around Toni that we wear around Phil and she has been a little better. We didn’t pen her yesterday as she was OK, but sulky and withdrawn. This evening, she also seemed fine but then she got dominant again toward my boyfriend on the couch, trying to claim it I think, so she is back in her pen now. It’s quite worrying how enraged she gets, she persisted in a full scale tantrum, trying to break out of the pen and tore her pillow open, before she settled down and had a snack. She’s much calmer now.

We are feeling a little more confident now that we have all of your advice and she seems a little better. Still quite worried about how long this will take to resolve but we will try our best..

Should we swap them over do you think? Toni into the main living area and keep Phil in the spare room, to break the association of her being dominant over the main living area? Or would that be very stressful? Even with the pen you see, she has her own chair at the table she sleeps on, her dig box behind the TV, her litter tray on the couch, her spot on the rug, she really does own the whole area. So I’m wondering if we took her right out of it would that be any use?

[DanaNM]

I would prob wait to swap things until Toni get’s spayed. I imagine even with that, it might get worse at first, then better eventually.

. . . 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.  

[DanaNM]

I also just noticed you said she has her litter tray on the couch? That could certainly contribute to her being possessive over the couch! Rabbits can be very particular about their potty spots.

I might be visualizing the set up incorrectly, but when I suggested to pen her, I meant pen her in an area that is just her’s, that you don’t enter except for necessary care. And then when you need to clean etc, remove her (could even put her in a carrier) so as not to distress 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.  

[Lisa-P&T]

Oh sorry, no you’re right. She’s not just free roam, she has spots all over the house that are hers; her stuff isn’t in one area. So we are penning her where her main bed and food/water are but she has multiple sleeping spots and sources of hay outside of that. So maybe we need to condense that?

Yes, unfortunately her litter tray is on the couch. She wee’d up there a few times when we got her first so we started putting it up there to get her to use it but then she got fixated on the couch as a pee point. That’s probably is why she is trying to claim it now as a teenager I suppose.. And actually, that was the site of the recent most severe attacks. She has bitten me a few times on my bed too, as she thinks she owns that as well. We could move her tray off the couch and block access to the couch for a while maybe to force her to use it on the ground..? We haven’t had any reason for that to date so we have just been letting her continue as we don’t mind her hopping up and down. We’ve probably given her too much free reign in an attempt to give her the best possible life but as new rabbit parents, maybe our naivete has been unhelpful. We’re definitely doing a bit better with Toni I think..

Thanks again for all the tips, you are a real gem. If you think moving the tray and condensing all of her bits into one area in the living room and having that as a pennable area then we will do that for sure?

Feeling hopeful/looking forward to Toni’s spay and the bond. I think the bond will hopefully settle her somewhat 🤞

[DanaNM]

I think for now condensing her stuff to a main area would be a good idea (and will also make bonding easier in the future). There will likely be an adjustment period for her, so maybe try spoiling her a bit with some new boredom buster toys and a new hide. Think of that area as her burrow, it will be her safe space that no one messes with.  Then even when she starts free-roaming a again, you might want to block access to the couch if it’s a troublesome area.

I’ve had good luck with the nature’s miracle carpet shampoo for removing smells from areas that are continually marked. So maybe eventually if you want to allow her back on the couch you can use that to remove the smells. I’ve also seen these thick couch blankets that I think are designed to protect the couch from dogs? But maybe something like that would work well for her too.

. . . 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.  

[Lisa-P&T]

Hi Dana,

We changed things around today: we have penned her off in her own area with all of her stuff. She’s intermittently trying to get out but overall, surprisingly OK with it. We will keep her in there for a couple of days in a row and then allow periods of free roam, if that sounds OK? We can block access to the couch then undee supervised free roam.

Speaking of the couch, that’s where she previously used her litter tray as I said, and now she isn’t using her tray on the ground in her pen, which is a bit worrying. She may be going in her dig box and I can’t see.. We took the base of her original cage up off the floor, which she used when we penned her the last few days but would never toilet there when the couch tray was available. I wonder should we give that back or will she begin to use the litter tray on the ground? Would she hold it?? She has dropped a few poos but only maybe 5 (again, maybe more in dig box) since about 1pm today. Should we give back the cage base? Or do you think she will adjust to her original litter tray on the floor?

Thanks so much for those suggestions RE removing scent. Will definitely look that up 👍

[DanaNM]

That sounds like a good set up and plan! Happy to hear she seems to be adjusting well. 🙂

Some bunnies do kind of hold it when they don’t have their usual box, but I imagine she will adjust soon? I would check the dig box though…

I would give her whatever box she has used the most and add lots of fluffy hay to it, she is probably just going to need a minute to get “organized” in the new set up. Some bunnies are really associated with the place that a litter box is, and others are more connected to the box itself. Sounds like she might be the first one, but she should adjust!

. . . 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.  

[Lisa-P&T]

Glad you think it sounds OK! 😊

Yes she definitely sounds like the former. This morning, she got up and toileted on the couch even without her litter tray there. She’s quite neurotic in general 😅

I’ll give her the night and if she still isn’t using her tray, I’ll give her back the base of the cage as she seems to prefer that on the ground. Silly Phil ❤️

I’ll report back via my original thread when they are (hopefully!!!) bonded! I do think this penning will work 🤞 I’m broken in two with guilt but sure it’s all for the best in the long run.

Thanks again for being so helpful, we don’t know anyone who has/had rabbits so it’s a hard one to negotiate!

All the best 😊

[DanaNM]

You’re very welcome, keep us posted!

. . . 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.  

[Lisa-P&T]

Hi,

I know I said I would update on bonding but just coming on again to say thanks again as things continue to go well 🎉

Phil is well settled into the pen. Occasional bar rattling but nothing major.

I let her out this evening for the first time since early Sunday afternoon (it’s Tuesday evening here) for 15/20 minutes and blocked off the couch with the pen. It was the first thing she tried to investigate, of course 😅 but she gave up quick enough and was running about and sniffing everything and checking the new room layout. She jumped up on the armchair 4 times (same suite as the couch but she has never toileted on it) and I pushed her off gently each time and said “No!”. By the 4th time, she seemed mildly annoyed so I put her back in the pen as I needed to cook dinner and I couldn’t keep a proper eye on her – I felt she might try to wee on the armchair..?

Surprisingly, she didn’t protest being back in the pen! She just had a snack and a groom, used her litter tray and rearranged bits before rattling the bars once and then pottering around quietly to herself. I was so pleased with that transition, I just had to come on and say thanks again! Now since my boyfriend came home, there’s a lot more rattling to get out to him but we are just ignoring that, despite guilt!!

Just checking in that we should continue in this vein..? Extend time out of the pen day by day, ensuring that she is using her litter tray on the ground and block access to climbing on the couch/armchair? Should we allow her into our bedroom again (she also thinks this is her space) or never again to maintain that she is not the boss? If we can, then when?

Finally, she’s in a soace roughly 4ft x 7ft. Is that very small?? We can’t allow any more room as we had to change around the room layout as it is to accommodate that pen size. It’s probably plenty – in it, she has a bed, a dig box, a tunnel, food, water, a toilet roll with fresh grass stuffed in it, a Kong-type toy she has to roll around to get pellets and hay out of, a hanging treat, and her favourite fleece hanging down which she likes to continually rearrange into a little tent type bed). Just next to all the space she used to have, it feels quite limited so just making sure it’s not cruel at all..?

Thanks again, I won’t have any more questions after this until bonding time 😊 sorry that this thank you ended up being more questions though 😅

[Wick & Fable]

It sounds like things are going well– you’ve been very patient! If she’s bar pulling a lot and really aggressively, it might be good to put some toys are something against those walls or she may hurt herself/her teeth. Dental damage due to bar pulling is possible if done chronically and intensely enough.

A 4’x7′ space is a fine space– it’s probably larger than what many folks have for their rabbit’s enclosed X-pen space honestly.

Re: the bedroom, there is no harm in taking it slow. I wouldn’t add in more variables to complicate matters if you feel it might. None of my rabbits are allowed in my bedroom simply as a rule. It’s just easier that way, haha.

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.

[DanaNM]

Sounds like it’s going very well! I agree with Wick on everything. The space sounds plenty large enough (esp since she does get some run-around time), and it sounds like she is feeling happy and safe with the arrangement.

I wouldn’t add in the bedroom for the time being. Perhaps once they are bonded you might want to (or it might be a nice “semi-neutral” space to work in).

One other tip I would add is to feed her something when you want to get her back in her pen. I will always either use pellets or salad (or a treat) to get a bun to go back to their pen on their own. That helps strengthen their sense that their pen is their happy safe space (full of yummy snacks).

. . . 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.  

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