I have 2 dwarf rabbits and before the boy was desexed he used to nibble the girl and then hump her now he doesn't hump her but just nibbles at her. It's not really a bite- he just burrows into her skin and nibbles at it but it's hurting her and she doesn't defend herself even though she's actually bigger than the boy and now she has bits of visible skin where he's continuously nibbled at her.
I don't think it's grooming because she grooms him but she licks him when she does it. And he is very insistent on nibbling her.
She's recently started to make a whining noise when he does it to her.
I've tried firmly telling him no and pushing him away but he just comes back and does it again.
At the moment I'm removing him from the cage each time he does it and putting him in his carrier but no such luck yet- I'll try it for a couple more days.
I'm also thinking about squirting him with water each time he does it.
Any other ideas?
2007-12-13 13:50:35 · 5 answers · asked by Sara F 1 in Pets ➔ Rodents
The rabbits should be kept in separate cages. It is common for rabbits to do that even if they have been desexed. If you leave babies in with a mother too long they will often chew all of the fur off of her face and many people mistakingly think that it is due to fur mites.
Water spraying is used to help stop certain habits in rabbits such as pooping in the wrong place when the rabbit is kept as an indoor rabbit. However water spraying may not work. If water spraying does not stop the behavior very soon, then remove the male and keep him in a separate cage. For the female to start whining, it is definitely hurting her so I wouldn't wait long separating them if water spraying does not work.
It's not really a matter of the male rabbit being bored, it's just part of their nature. I've seen many rabbits just totally disregard any and all toys and go to town chewing on the other rabbit.
2007-12-14 04:04:39 · answer #1 · answered by devilishblueyes 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chewing on neighbors/bunk mates can be a problem for rabbits. Usually its just fur or wool but a persistent bunny can harm it's friends. The cause can be boredom or a nervous habit. Make sure your rabbit always has a supply of hay around to chew and provide interesting toys to stimulate his mind and rotate the toys to, again, prevent boredom.
I like your idea of squirting with a water bottle but try the hay and new toys first to see if they make any difference. Great toys for bunnies include an empty toilet paper roll tube either stuffed with hay or cut into rings, a pine cone, popsicle sticks soaked in apple juice and then left out to dry, knotched craft sticks (popsicle sticks) stuck together Lincoln Logs style, baby key rings and other hard plastic baby toys from the 99 cent store, a straw hand broom with the plastic/nylon stitching removed, a 12"x12" sea grass mat from Cost Plus World Market ($1.10), hard plastic Slinkies, a roll of register tape hung from the cage top so he can unroll it and tear it to shreds, or a "gift bag" of a brown paper lunch bag with some of these toys and a few treats inside with the top tied in a bow of raffia or hemp rope. Just about any store bought parrot chew toys or shredding toys work well, too.
Hopefully your male rabbit will turn his attentions to the new and varying toys and stop chewing his girl friend. I doubt this has anything to do with his sexual instincts. If all else fails, keep them in separate cages and keep supervising their play time.
Good luck.
2007-12-13 14:17:53 · answer #2 · answered by Amber 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if your rabbit is fairly youthful it fairly is common to get this incorrect. A male rabbit's testicles do not drop till they are around 12 weeks - they are able to't be castrated till they have dropped. they are able to additionally withdraw them back into their abdomen in the event that they opt to and you will see 2 'bag' like issues. in case you turn the rabbit the different way up, you will see 2 holes. gently press around the indoors of the two and if that is going to become V formed - and not something pops out - it fairly is a woman. If it maintains to be around or something pops out it fairly is extra advantageous than possibly a male. Rabbit breeders and vets have been often happening to flow incorrect in a rabbit decrease than 6 weeks previous - and the final public till now the testicles drop. the two male and ladies spray and could 'hump' yet another rabbit.
2016-11-03 05:07:16 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ok, well usually when boy rabbits do it , its a love bite...but if its coming to the point where its so frequent its just starting to hurt her than i'd get him his own cage, it might be sign he dosent like having her around to, he can become for vicious towards her, and hurt her in a more permanent way... i have a boy rabbit and when he did stuff wrong i used a spray bottle and he stopped try to spray bottle but keep an eye on the female
2007-12-13 13:59:56 · answer #4 · answered by ¿Curious? 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not a huge expert on bunny bonding, but try yelling loudly and squirting him with water from a water bottle until this behavior stops. It's NOT good for the female and the wounded spot could become infected. If you keep at it, he'll stop and just groom normally. Good luck and try the HRS site for help. http://www.rabbit.org/
2007-12-13 13:59:50 · answer #5 · answered by Just_A_Gal 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋