<p style=”text-align: left;”>Usually when someone posts or speaks about an “aggressive” rabbit, the reason is unlikely to be something permanent, like “it’s their personality”. That’s rarely the case. Unfortunately, I find many times aggression is due to improper treatment of the rabbit, leading to aggression in fear, pain, or distrust. These things can be remedied with a caring, knowledgable owner. That being said, the majority of rabbits will not enjoy cuddles all the time, but I do not really find a correlation between whether that occurs when you rescue a rabbit versus get them from a breeder young.</p>
My Wick, who I’ve had since he was 8wo, is much more of a pain in my behind than my rescue Fable, who I received after she was 1yo.
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Even if you are not the one to raise the rabbit in its younger months and years, it does not mean that being a caring and vigilant owner will not reap rewards of a lovely rabbit.</p>
Lastly, the idea that rabbits from a breeder are not as aggressive than those from a shelter. It’s a skewed, bias observation I believe. Most breeders sell rabbits when they are young, so before their hormones develop. It is very hard to find a young rabbit who is “aggressive” because they simply dont have the hormones pressuring them to mate and defend territory. When hormones hit, you may see those same rabbits lunge or grunt or chew at things you dont want them to Shelter rabbits can be old, adult, and young, and as a result, you have rabbits along the spectrum of life and personality development. If a rabbit is mistreated, even if you obtain them at a young age, they may become aggressive, and virtually any rabbit is going to surprise an owner with how they react to their hormones developing, whether it’s starting to spray pee up walls or humping. So keep that in mind, and I encourage you to think of shelter rabbits! I absolutely love my Fable and she is a much more mild mannered lady than my Wick, 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.
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