How to Tame A Rabbit?!?

Question

I have 3 rabbits, two live together and one lives alone. The one that lives alone is kind of new( Had for a few months), and she has suddenly started biting, growling and attacking me!
If I put my hand in the hitch to put food in there, it runs to my and attacks me!
I have tried many things, what else can I do to make it be calmer!
All help will be tried
Thanks

Answer 1

As with others, I'd go for hormonal behaviour with this one. It can be a bit of a shock when your cute bunny turns on you like that! Spaying will make a world of difference, just be sure to use a vet that knows that they're doing and removes ovaries as well as uterus. I've heard of rabbits still getting cancer because only the one was removed.

Answer 2

Are you sure it's a female? Usually females are fairly easily tamed, just by easy handling, although to start I'd buy myself a nice pair of leather gloves for the early handling and just go real slow, don't pet until she's calm, just offer the glove and show she can't scare it off. I ask if it's a female because this behavior sounds really male like. A lot of males are very territorial. Spaying a female won't calm her (the behavior isn't due to a sex hormone in females), but neutering a male may make a big improvement. You might try taking the rabbit to a vet for two reasons: 1/ to rule out a physical problem. An animals in pain or with a hormone issue may react this way. 2/ to be sure it is a female. If it's a male neutering may solve a lot of your trouble. Good luck.

Answer 3

is there any way she could be pregnant mine was very aggresive an acted this way the last 2 weeks of her pregnancy now that her babies are her she was this way for about 5-6 days they are now 11 days old an she has mellowed out alot an now lets me clean an feed an water without being attacked an i can now pick up an inspect each of her babies an shes ok with it you may have a pregnant rabbit on your hands try giveing her salt as well thats what i was told to do an it worked wonders i didnt know rabbits were supposed to have an endless supply of salt but it did help alot with her once i did it good luck

Answer 4

It's likely a female in heat. As was already said, you could have her spayed or, if you have a buck(male rabbit)you could put them together and have a litter of bunnies. If the second is your choice put them side by side in separate cages at first so they associate a bit and don't hurt each other. After they've done their thing for a couple of days separate them again. If the doe is non-receptive to the buck then she's not ready yet or even past ready. If she successfully has a litter give her plenty of piece and quiet. Nervous does often kill their young.

Answer 5

Sometimes you get ones with agression problems who cannot be fixed. You cannot see it at young age, but all you can do is get gloves and gently and slowly try to pet her, and see if maybe she's unhappy with the others, and see if she fights with them too, that would mean she has an agression problem. but if she does not, she may just be afraid of humans, or something as changing handsoap, or cologne or clothes soap is setting her off. Very good luck, ^_^ also when they are teenager rabbits, they tend to be extrememly nippy, wait till she is proper age, have her spayed, and if after all that she is still onery, she may need time or independence.

Answer 6

Try to tame your rabbit down, with head rubs or ear rubs. Most rabbits like head rubs. Give it treats too. But only give it when it doesn't misbehave, and if that doesn't help you might want to look into getting her spayed it can help a lot with aggression

Answer 7

check out www.lecoeurrabbitrescue.co.uk this will have all the answers to ur qs. also try goin into the single rabbit 1st as it cud be where it can smell the other rabbits on ur hands.

Answer 8

First things first. If your rabbit has not already been spayed or neutered, then get him or her fixed. Many rabbits have raging hormones that can turn them into little demons. Remove the hormones (through altering your rabbit), give some gentle touches, and you can turn an aggressive or territorial rabbit into a love that seeks out attention. A prime example of this is a foster rabbit named Lucky. She came in as a rather grumpy bun who loved to growl and lunge at you. Lucky was immediately spayed. Every day I would go by her cage, ignore her grunts, and just start petting her. She quickly decided that she enjoyed being petted and would lower her head to receive pets. The funny part is that she learned to grunt in order to get me to pet her.

I am always in favor of petting an aggressive rabbit, ignoring their moods, sounds and lunges. However, there is a right and a wrong way to do this. You want to be safe and minimize any biting. Some people wear thick gloves when they are first approaching a tough bun. This will help protect you if you get bitten. Once your confidence is up, you can probably do without them. Since rabbits lunge and bite forward, the trick to petting an aggressive bun is to approach their head from above. I place my hand directly above their head and then move it straight down onto the ears. I gently press their head down, and will stroke the forehead with my thumb. If this works out well, I will stroke the forehead with several fingers and rub the base of their ears. Remember to always keep your hand behind the mouth. If the bun resists or tries to lunge up at you - don't act timid and back off. Firmly tell them "NO", and gently press their head to the floor. Do this several times each day. While you want to pet them, don't pet them for too long. You want them to start liking it, but leave them wanting more.

Now that you have mastered this, it is important to understand the behaviors that you are seeing. Some rabbits don't trust humans and will react to any action by a person. Others have a "trigger" which activates the behavior. They typically are just being protective. For example, some buns love their humans but they just don't want anyone to touch their food or litterbox. Others are fine outside a cage, but don't want anyone in their cage. If you can determine the "trigger", it is easier to work with the bun. When I have a rabbit that is possessive about their food, rather than fight them over the food dish, I distract them. With my left hand I start petting them, and then with my right hand I put food in their dish. If your rabbit doesn't like you touching the litter box, then clean the cage when he is outside playing. Some rabbits react to the scent of another bunny. If that happens, make sure you wash you hands and possibly change your shirt before approaching your rabbit's cage. Try to minimize acts which will trigger the aggressive behavior.

If your rabbit is just generally aggressive, you should try to get your rabbit used to you. Every time I walk by the cage I talk to the rabbit in a calm, soothing voice. You can even sit next to the cage and read a book out loud. This will enable your rabbit to listen to your voice for a period of time. Give them some treats in a safe manner (such as through the cage wires) so that they associate you with good things.

Sometimes we get phone calls from people complaining that their rabbit is biting. However, in some cases the owner does not understand what is happening. Rabbits have a bite and a nip. A bite is a hard chomp. The teeth are wide apart, and they often break the skin. A nip is really just a small pinch, although sometimes you can get a tiny bruise from it. When rabbits nip, it is often a way to communicate with each other, and rabbits will nip their owners in the same manner. Sometimes they want you to move, to put them down, or even just to pet them. The important thing to realize is that your bunny isn't being mean, they just don't understand that a nip, which doesn't hurt other rabbits with their fur coats, does hurt a human. If you receive a nip, cry out, "Ouch!". Your bunny will learn that it hurts you.

While there are rabbits that are aggressive, others we receive just haven't been socialized well. They won't lunge or growl, but they seem to quiver if you go to touch them. It is clear that they are afraid. With these rabbits I try to talk to them in a soft voice. I will slowly approach with my hand and often I will start out gently stroking with one finger. After several days with one finger, I will progress and stroke with two fingers, gradually increasing the amount of fingers, pressure, and time that I pet them. It is very important with these rabbits to always be gentle and to always use a calm, soothing voice.

Another alternative is to try a holistic approach such as TTouch or reiki. These practices can have a calming effect on your rabbit, allowing you to work with them and develop more of a relationship. You can get more information about these at www.ttouch.com and www.reiki.com.

Most important of all, love your rabbit. Be consistent, be patient, and be willing to work with your bunny. You will not notice improvements over days, but will see them over months and years. I have seen many rabbits transformed over time.



Good luck!

Answer 9

Ok, if he is a one-of-a-kind rabbit, unique up on him and pet him. If he's domesticated....tame way.

Answer 10

Female rabbits can get all snotty like that--get her spayed.