sudden hostility/territorial

[hiskatey93]

Okay so Chom has this spot he LOVES to lay in. Right under the hay rack I made. So I was cleaning today, and he yanked a bunch of hay onto the floor, so I went to pick it up, because I just cleaned and didn’t want hay all over the floor again so suddenly.

He made a terrifying snarling sound (Really I had no idea rabbits could make that sound!) lunged and bit my pinky badly enough that I needed stitches.

He has lunged and thumped and grunted whenever I approach that particular spot, or clean up his hay mess. But he has never made that sound or bit me until today.

I am mad. I don’t know what caused this sudden hostility, and I am not liking it! Once you get him into any other part of the apartment he is once again super sweet, snuggly, and lovable, but beneath that hay rack… He is nasty. He has never gotten like this before and I am at a loss at what to do. How do I handle and break this sudden behavior?

[BB & Tiny]

If it were me, I’d leave that spot alone until he is not in it. If it was something like a couch cushion or something like that maybe it would need correcting but under the hay rack ? I have hay all over the room. I have rabbits, nothing new.

[hiskatey93]

I try to keep hay off of the floor since we are working on potty training, and he is getting much better about it, unless there is hay on the floor. Then he goes on the hay instead of in the litterbox.

Also I still had to vacuum and hay clogs my vacuum badly.

[LBJ10]

Could it be because of the neighbor’s rabbit you re-homed?

[hiskatey93]

LBJ10 it started a little bit before that rabbit came to us. Happened about two months ago, but he didn’t bite. Only lunged and thumped loudly, showing he was mad and we backed off. He did the same thing a few times whenever we went near that spot.

This though… I’m not sure. I’ve never seen him hostile like this. And after talking to my boyfriend he has not done it to him ever, and only to me. =/
I’m a bit confused by this.

[hiskatey93]

Ugh he bit me again pretty bad again. This time I was adding an addition to Speckles dig box. He drew blood and got me right on the knuckle. >.<

I dunno what to do with Chom right now.

[LBJ10]

Has he been to the vet recently? Perhaps something else is going on with him.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I wouldn’t be mad-that’s his safe spot obviously and he’s protecting it. If he’s acting fine otherwise, doesn’t bite or aggress when he’s elsewhere -then just make sure you respect that spot and don’t bother him when he’s there-and I mean don’t bother him at all when he’s there, don’t approach, feed or talk to him when he’s there.

(now of course, if he’s not acting fine otherwise or is acting aggressively elsewhere, then get thee to a vet)

[hiskatey93]

He is fine everywhere else actually. This morning I was napping on the couch, and he jumped up and snuggled with me. I got some small nips, urging me to pet him, but other than that… He is only territorial in that spot.

I took him to the vet about a month ago, and she proclaimed him fine. He isn’t acting odd in any other way. Just there.

I guess I shall just have to avoid that spot when he is in the room.

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