My rabbit is acting strange!!?

Question

I have this rabbit that was so sweet when we brought it home and then we put her in this big fancy cage adn now she is trying to bite adn everything. we have a removable lid so i can take her out but she tries to bite when i go to grab her why???

i also have a little round pen i sit in the middle and she runs around

she came from an auction and i think her previous owner spoiled her. and yes i am the one who takes care of her except when im not around then my mom does it

Answer 1

Is she biting aggressively or just "tasting"? If they are being aggressive, they'll lunge at you & sometimes snort & box with their front paws. Some does are just extremely territorial and are Tasmanian devils in their cages, but behave normally when removed from their cages. Does are very territorial, I'm not sure how much spaying would help with this. I don't recommend that, especially in a single-rabbit household. Rabbits don't have heat cycles and do NOT actually have a high rate of cancer of the reproductive tract. They are very different from dogs and cats, who should be spayed as they do ovulate and have heat cycles. Spaying may avoid you a false pregnancy or two, but I personally think it's pretty selfish to send an animal in for major abdominal surgery to avoid being inconvenienced by a bit of loose fur. I am not in favor of debarking or declawing operations for this same reason, but I digress. And if she's already developed this behavior, it's unlikely that spaying will stop it.

If she's just nibbling at you but not really trying to bite down, she's just being curious & exploring her new environment & new owner. Some do this more than others. Just tell her no and move her mouth from whatever it is she's chewing. This behavior usually gets better with time.

My advice is to get her out of the cage, calmly and gently. I had to wear ski gloves to get one out once, but it worked. Make sure you properly support her hindquarters so she feels secure. She'll probably behave better outside the cage. When I am getting acquainted with a new one, I usually sit on the couch with them and put them on my lap and ignore them. I let them hop around the couch and off and on my lap without trying to pick them up, hold them, pet them or anything else. This really seems to help them become secure and trusting.

Answer 2

it has nothing to do with being spoiled... associate your hand with good things such as a nice juicy peice of apple... the problem is territorial... when you stick your hand in her cage, despite it being in her best interest, she feels threatened because you are in her territory... also, it could be a hormonal thing and will pass in a few days, she may be at the age where she is wanting to breed and may be trying to tell you so... that doesn't mean you should just up and buy a buck, but you may have to understand where she's coming from... being a prey animal rabbits will breed all their lives to keep the species from going extict... from the time they are three months old, they have an inborn instinct that says they should be pregnant or nursing at all times... this is hard on the rabbits system though and is not recommended... also, being a prey animal, when you stand over the rabbit, and open the cage and put your hand in, you ACT like a predator, even though you don't realize it... try going in from the side and only associate your hands with positive things... she'll learn that if she comes out of the cage when you want her to, she gets a treat and she'll be more likely to want to come to you... it will take some time though so be patient...

Answer 3

I agree with both of the above comments.
Questions:...are you the person who cleans the rabbit's cage and feeds her? Normally they are very kind to the person who does all these things.
...was the rabbit free roaming before? If yes,...then it could be that she is not liking the cage at all- no matter how big and fancy.
Pat your bunny with the back of your pointer finger on the forehead, stroking gently to the back, instead of picking him up every time. When you do pick him up,....do it the right way. I'm sure you know all that.
I have a free- roaming rabbit in our front yard. I never pick him up, but I pet him a lot and give him treats at some point of the day. He always comes near us whenever we step out of the house, unless it's hot. I always know where he is, because he has a favorite place, when the heat is unbearable.
Enjoy your rabbit!

Answer 4

Maybe she's afraid of you. How long have you had her? She might just not be adjusted to being around you. Also, are you grabbing her from above when you pick her up? This is how predators grab rabbits in the wild, so you need to let her know that you are going to touch her and always pick her up from the front. Many rabbits are very territorial about their cages and will bite if someone comes into their space. Maybe let her come out of the cage on her own. If she really hates being picked up, this is probably how she's telling you. Try not to pick her up unless you must. I have a very sweet bunny, but he can't stand being picked up and will scratch me to pieces if I try to hold him against his will. If she doesn't want you to hold her, don't. It will just make her hate and fear you. You need to realize that in the wild rabbits are often eaten by larger animals, your rabbit still has that instinct and you need to respect her desire not to be held unless she want. Another reason, depending on how long you've had her, is baby bunnies are very sweet, but they become more obnoxious when they get a little older, its usually just a stage, but don't forget that she will never trust you unless you do as much as you can to keep her from being uncomfortable or afraid.

Answer 5

There could be a lot of reasons for this. She could be bored. Do you have toys for her to play with? Paper towel tubes, hard plastic baby keys, plastic slinkies, hard plastic jingle balls, paper bags, phone books, and untreated wicker baskets are great. Is she spayed? She might be hitting puberty right now and is being aggressive. Did you know that unspayed females have a very high cancer rate? Or this could just be her true personality. Just give her some time and try the toys.

Also rabbits don't like to be picked up. They equate being picked up to being in danger. If all you do when you get close is pick her up she is associating you with unpleasentness. If you pick her up incorrectly she could squirm and then break her back. You need to get a different cage.

Answer 6

What snapzen said.

But it isn't uncommon for rabbits to be aggressive. I have an unspaid female (really gotta get her spaid) that even chases after people sometimes, other than that she's a sweet bunny. Just give up trying to pick her up, and pet her more often and let her bond with you. Let her out of her cage too, they need exercise, I let mine out everyday. You jsut have to watch them when their out.