# Advice needed to why my new rabbit has started biting



## K1nS (Feb 8, 2010)

Hiya everyone, sorry I know I have only just joined and i'm already asking for your advice  I just can't seem to find any answers to why this is happening from anyone else..

Soo... I got my bunny, Smudge last Wednesday (3rd Feb) from a friend at work who breeds them, she is an Old English cross with a Lion head (just incase it makes any difference to her behaviour) She seemed fine at first, she loved being picked up and cuddled because my friend has been doing that since she was born. Then the other day, when my Fiance was holding her, she started to dig him and then biting him too. Its not bites that would cause harm but they do hurt a little (I have to make sure I have a jumper on incase she gets my skin) Now I thought that maybe she was doing it to try and get comfy on him. I know thats what my dog does at night, she digs her bed and bites it to get it right for her, so I thought maybe it was the same thing?

She never bit me, until last night. I was cuddling and stroking her and she decided to have a nibble... She wasn't stressed out or anything like that so I just don't know why she has started doing this. I thought it might have been from her being in a new home etc. but at first she didn't bite, it was only the past 2 days when she has started.

Does anyone have any ideas why she has started doing this? And does anyone know how I can stop her from doing this? Its not something I want her to get into the habit of doing 

Thanks in advance 

EDIT: I have also asked the girl I got her from if this happened while she had her and she said she has never bitten anyone before...


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## umber (Feb 15, 2009)

How old is your little bunny? It could be her hormones kicking in, in which case you need to get her spayed at the vets this will sort out the biting and any other aggressive behaviour rabbits develop before they are spayed/neutered. Plus its so important to get female rabbits spayed as 80% of them who are not spayed develop uterian cancer 

Lastly we need to see some piccies of your new furry friend!


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## daisyboo (May 19, 2009)

Boo does this all the time and he has been neutered. He digs and bits at you when you are sat onthe sofa, he also does the same thing to the sofa cushions.

hence why all of my clothes have holes in and my sofa is ruined. 

id also be interested to find out why he does this.


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## Nicky10 (Jan 11, 2010)

It could be hormones or it could be trying to get comfy but not realising that she's hurting you. When she does it set her on the floor and ignore her


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## K1nS (Feb 8, 2010)

Thanks for everyones reply. She us about 2 months old now, roughly. 

Can I just ask, how old are bunnies when they start going into season? (sorry if thats not the right word for bunnies) I do want to get her spayed as I don't have any plans to breed with her


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

You can have them spayed at about 5-6months, depends on your vets really.

I would also say to try just putting her on the floor when she does it, so she realises she doesnt get fuss if she bites!

*Heidi*


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## sullivan (Aug 29, 2008)

Ahh bless my sisters was very agro when she was young before her being done she is also a lion head. But after her op after a few weeks settled down and stopped biting. She was worse when you entered her hutch as it was her nest. She even started to pull her own fur out to line her nest.


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## umber (Feb 15, 2009)

Yeah one of my rabbits who I got from a rescue they said when they first had her she was very vicious she would bite everyone she would grunt and it was so bad that they had to literally wuickly chuck her food in her pen every day as she would lunge forward to bite anyone who tried to enter! They had her spayed and you they saw an improvment in her after a few weeks although it took time for her to settle down properly you should see her now its as if she has no teeth or doesnt know how to use them when it comes to people she is so soft and gentle and is just my baby girl!


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## K1nS (Feb 8, 2010)

Hmm well I have abit of an update...

I have her with me at the moment and she is exploring the sofa.... she has been nibbling the sofa like she does with us so i'm thinking maybe its a baby thing? 

She is deffinatly quite settled with me though, its my fiance she has a problem with. She climbs all over me and when shes just running around, she will quite happily come over to me for strokes but she won't go anywhere near Dean (fiance)


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

Miffy is also more conscious of my boyfriend I guess like dogs the deeper voices and the size of them can be very intimidating. get him to sit on the floor covered in veg and she will soon love him


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## frags (Feb 5, 2009)

She is at an age where she will be trying boundries and seeing what buttons she can push.
Rabbits dont really go into season they just become fertile, the norm for what i know is that within 12 hours of mating the doe will ovulate.

Just try a firm no when she does it or squeak high pitched to show she is hurting you as this is what her litter mates would have done.


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## K1nS (Feb 8, 2010)

frags said:


> She is at an age where she will be trying boundries and seeing what buttons she can push.
> Rabbits dont really go into season they just become fertile, the norm for what i know is that within 12 hours of mating the doe will ovulate.
> 
> Just try a firm no when she does it or squeak high pitched to show she is hurting you as this is what her litter mates would have done.


Thanks frags that last statement really does make sense so i'll try that and see if it works  I really do hope she gets out of this though, I don't want her to be like this forever and us having to be nervous about her doing it.

I was wondering, how old can I get her spayed? Shes 2 months old now, i'm guessing thats wayyy to early so could someone help me out?


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## K1nS (Feb 8, 2010)

Ok so this morning I had her on my lap, she started nibbling me once again. I used the squeeking technique to see what she did and at first her ears came up, listening to me. She did it again and I squeeked and once again, her ears flew up. She soon stopped and just let me stoke her again, so maybe this is what I should keep doing... I'll keep you updated


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## frags (Feb 5, 2009)

ahhh thats brill news i hpe it works.

Nuetering is normally around 6 months but it differs for different sizes and breeds x


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## daisyboo (May 19, 2009)

so how come boo still does this when he's neutered and nearly 1 year old. he dug at me and bit me quite hard last night and drew blood 

its not in a vicious way and he only does it to me or my boyfriend. if i put him on the floor after he has done it he just jumps straight back up. he thinks its funny.

any ideas anyone???


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## K1nS (Feb 8, 2010)

frags said:


> ahhh thats brill news i hpe it works.
> 
> Nuetering is normally around 6 months but it differs for different sizes and breeds x


Ok thanks, I will be taking her to the vets my next payday to get her jabs done so i'll ask them then


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## AmyCruick (Jul 20, 2009)

daisyboo said:


> so how come boo still does this when he's neutered and nearly 1 year old. he dug at me and bit me quite hard last night and drew blood
> 
> its not in a vicious way and he only does it to me or my boyfriend. if i put him on the floor after he has done it he just jumps straight back up. he thinks its funny.
> 
> any ideas anyone???


It could be down to Boo being lonely? If he had anoher rabbit to play with he'd probably leave you alone more and be less destructive.

Alan is a destructive bunny but I've found if he's kept in constant supply of cardboard boxes he rips these up rather than my furniture. When he's not doing that he's often cureld up with Lottie, he's much calmer now he has a girlfriend than when he was on his own I never used to be able to hold him cos he'd be so squiggly but he loves cuddles now


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## daisyboo (May 19, 2009)

AmyCruick said:


> It could be down to Boo being lonely? If he had anoher rabbit to play with he'd probably leave you alone more and be less destructive.
> 
> Alan is a destructive bunny but I've found if he's kept in constant supply of cardboard boxes he rips these up rather than my furniture. When he's not doing that he's often cureld up with Lottie, he's much calmer now he has a girlfriend than when he was on his own I never used to be able to hold him cos he'd be so squiggly but he loves cuddles now


he does like cuddles he comes and sits on you and everything. he is really sociable and follows me everywhere. he has loads of toys and boxes to chew but prefers my sofa/me.

id love to get him a girlfriend but my boyfriend is sooooooo against it cos of all the things boo has done to ruin my flat. he thinks he will teach the new bunny these things as well and i will have no flat left. also cos i live in a rented flat it would be impossible to move out to another rented flat with 2 bunnies.

i dont know what to do  im just sick of not being able to sit on the sofa without getting bitten and dug at. nearly all of my clothes have holes in from him biting them.


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