Room mate’s rabbit does /not/ like me!

[ShalP]

Hello! I am not a rabbit owner- my room mate has a dutch rabbit as an ESA. She can be very sweet at times, but she just does not like me very much at all. She tries boxing me, bites, and has even hissed at me. She is supposed to live in an enclosure on my room mate’s side of the room (it covers about 1/4 of the floor, she has plenty of space + toys!) but she jumps out often, and that’s when she really gets in a huff. She will thump, chase my legs, and generally be surprisingly aggressive for a four pound ball of fluff.

How can I discourage her biting/aggression? I don’t want to stress her out simply by being in the same room as her.

[DanaNM]

Oooh those Dutch rabbits can be very opinionated!

Is the bunny spayed? If not, that could explain a lot of the behaviors! Spaying is also important to prevent reproductive cancer. Can you ask your roommate to get a taller pen so the bunny can’t escape? That seems important for safety issues too.

In terms of bonding with the bunny, do you notice a particular trigger that might cause her to attack you?

Hand feeding is always a good way to win over a bunny, but you have to make sure you aren’t rewarding her attacking you. Sometimes the best course is to ignore the bunny to the best of your ability. Maybe when she’s calm and your roommate is there, you could try sitting on the floor with her to start building some positive associations?

If she bites you, squeal loudly (” EEEEK EEEEK EEEEE”) to let the bun know she hurt you. If you need to move her away from you, push down on the top of her shoulders and turn her that way (don’t put a hand near her face).

. . . 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.  

[Author]

Messages