Rabbit behaviour problem.?

Question

I got a female rabbit last year in april when she was just old enough to leave home. For the first couple of months she was fine, allowed me to handle and pick her up but for the last couple of months she has suddenly become moody and aggressive towards me. She makes a low growl sound when I go to pick her up and scratches at my hand, for this reason I haven't been able to pick her up very much but she does have a run she can enter, she also make a sound as if she is scared when I go to stroke her. As well as this I have found a nest once or twice in the past year.

Has anyone got any ideas on what has happened, I have never been aggresive towards her...

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I think she may just be lonely,if she has nested then this is probably a false pregnancy meaning she is ready to have a baby, so I think you probably need to get her done and find her a male friend who is also done, unless you want hundreds of bunnies!!!!! Thats just my advice, I'm no expert but it sounds like what happened to my rabbit.........

Answer 2

Your female is maturing and her hormone can cause her to trun aggressive. also females are natrualy terriroral thats why when breeding, books say never put the male in the females hutch. The best way to calm her down is to remove the hormones by haveing her spayed.

Some people will tell you to breed her and let her have a litter as it is beleaved by some that this will calm down a female rabbit, BUT from experance with my girl i can tell you it didnt work with her. she had 2 litters and she stayed the same untill she totaly fliped out and attecked my guinea pig (who was just siting in the garden not doing any thing, luckley i was there to stop her of she would of seriously hurt him) the only thing breeding stoped was the fur plucking.

It was after this unprovoked attack on my guinea pig that i had her spayed, and after that she never did it agen and even stoped attacking my nabours cat. (who she use to rip chunks out of)

but she does still get moody and doesnt like it when someone tuches her stuff but with out the aggression, altough she has bitten twice when she got realy mad.

Answer 3

It's hormones.  Around 6-7 months old, female rabbit get very very territorial and cranky if not spayed.  If she was formerly friendly, having her spayed should return her to normal within about 2 months after the surgery.  It will also eliminate the 'false pregnancies' she's been experiencing (the nesting behavior) which make her even moodier and meaner.

Answer 4

This sounds pretty normal - many female rabbits become aggressive as they reach maturity.

Spaying is the best option, as it will settle her hormones and usually reduced or cures aggressive behaviour. Spaying is also vital for good health, by preventing the types of cancer responsible for most early deaths!

This website has some fantastic info on spaying/neutering, as well as aggression issues. Well worth a read!

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources...

Answer 5

maybe you didn't deliberately do something to her, but maybe something you did, she didn't like it.

Answer 6

My daughter had a rabbit that did this, we had her spayed believing that it would cure her problems.  It did but then she started digging holes in her run, so we now have holes all over the garden.  You will be able to pick her up after it though

Answer 7

She might be being territorial. Do you have have other animals that could possibly scare her? Rabbits get very scared when they hear them or see them.If you do she might think you'r attacking her so she scratches you. I dont know, but I hope I helped :)

Answer 8

I noticed this with my first bunny too (he was 5 months old when I bought him). At first, he let me hold him because he wasn't used to the surroundings. Once he got used to the surroundings, he didn't want me to hold him because he was afraid of me. I ended up getting giving him away because all he did was scratch and bite me. I bought my new bunny when he was about 10 months old (a guess). He's perfectly fine. He lets me hold him, brush him. He'll even l**k my hand if I put it up to his mouth! So it all depends on the temperment of the animal.

Answer 9

if you ever find a nest shes made, mess it up because she's waiting for babies!!!  sounds like you need to get her neutered, it costs about £60, and should calm her aggression. also possible that she is in pain, hence why she wont let you near her...  dont try to pick her up as she will continue being scared, just sit near her with some carrot chunks and she's hopefully be curious and hop over to you.... best take her to the vets :)

Answer 10

you should get her spayed, it will calm her down loads and also stop her getting cancer. Most female bunnies dont live past 5 unless they are spayed.

Answer 11

Her hormones have probably kicked in now. So she sounds as if she's acting terratorial, as she's doing the same thing as a couple of my bunnies do. You'll probably find once you've picked her up she's perfectly happy to be handled. If you don't wish to be scratched or bitten when you try to pick her up dont be afraid to scruff her or even better wait for her to come to you by bribing you with food. Good luck