# Pippi - The giant rabbit biting machine



## kat84jones (Sep 6, 2011)

Hi

I'm in need of a little advice for my Flemish Blue steel rabbit....Shes coming up to 9 months old and has become very aggressive. 

She was a house rabbit but the mess and smell infuriated my husband so he decided to move her into the garage and she would have free roam there in the nights and hop about in the house and garden in the day.....brilliant i thought!!! But her behaviour has got progressively worse over the past couple of months.

She grunts and lunges at my o/h if he walks past her and has caught his toes causing it to bleed. But she was always fine with me until lastnight when i went to the garage to put her to bed........she normally is tolerent of me picking her up to put her in the crate but lastnight she grunted at me and hissed and bit my arm quite badly.

I dont know what to do for the best does she need neutering?, is it attention? 

Im just worried that she will go for our 3 yr old next.....and the o/h wants his garage back with is another bone of contention because to say he hates her is an understatement.

Any help / advice would be great.

Thanks  :frown5:


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Sounds like she needs spaying and bonding with a neutered male.
My current doe was a right cow before she was spayed, and the effects were almost instant after she was done.

Hormones.

Do make sure you go to a specialist vet, especially with a giant.


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## kat84jones (Sep 6, 2011)

She's just been booked in for next wednesday to be spayed so fingers crossed. Are they happier then being in a pair?


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

kat84jones said:


> She's just been booked in for next wednesday to be spayed so fingers crossed. Are they happier then being in a pair?


Oh very much so.

Rabbits are highly social creatures, and no amount of human contact can replace the company of another bun.

There are thousands sat in rescue, so you'd have plenty of already castrated bucks to choose from, and most places will help you with the bonding process.


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## Guest (Jun 8, 2012)

What Nonnie said, no point in repeating stuff


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

Yep, what Nonnie and Bernie said


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## kat84jones (Sep 6, 2011)

Well i have now ordered her a large chicken coop so she can be out in the garden full time with a large "nesting box" so she can locked up snug as a bug at night in her own space away from the o/h, shes being spayed wednesday am and i have contacted a animal sanctuary nearby to she if they have any neutered males so she can have a bf to play with. Fingers crossed this will work.


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## Natzzhixon (Jun 8, 2012)

I had a simular problem with my doe. 
We got what we believed was a female rabbit and as a baby she was lovelu but as she got older would growl and thump at us. I spoke to my vet as i thought she had a uti and they suggested she was lonely.
One day i went into pets at home and saw a beautiful female up for adoption so i bought her.
A few months later i noticed my 1st female had a bald patch on top of her head and went into the cage and was shocked to discover 5 babies. Turns out my 1st rabbit was a boy.
So we seperates them but was too late and 4 weeks later another 5 babies.
A few months after my female turned the same so we had her spayed and returned her mate now she is the best rabbit ne one could want 
But i will never get a pet from pets at home again.


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## kat84jones (Sep 6, 2011)

Well pippi came from a reputable breeder who only specializes in flemish giants so i know shes well bred in that respect but it hasn't occured to me she maybe a he....good job shes going to the vets wedenesday then .


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## Natzzhixon (Jun 8, 2012)

Lol as its a reptable breeder i would worrie as much.
Im now currently expecting 2 litters of rabbits.


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## Guest (Jun 9, 2012)

kat84jones said:


> Well pippi came from a reputable breeder who only specializes in flemish giants so i know shes well bred in that respect but it hasn't occured to me she maybe a he....good job shes going to the vets wedenesday then .


At her age you would KNOW if she was a buck, giants furry teabags are not hard to miss 

Do you breed Natzzhixon?


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

kat84jones said:


> Well i have now ordered her a large chicken coop so she can be out in the garden full time with a large "nesting box" so she can locked up snug as a bug at night in her own space away from the o/h, shes being spayed wednesday am and i have contacted a animal sanctuary nearby to she if they have any neutered males so she can have a bf to play with. Fingers crossed this will work.


I hate to tell you, but those chicken coop's are not suitable on their own for rabbits. They look huge because of the height but only give as much floor space as a 6 x 2 hutch in most cases. The nesting box will have to be left open 24/7 as when you would shut her in is when she is at her most active and she will need a run attached aswell.
Its a shame because they look lovely but they really are only suitable(on their own) for chickens.
Just bear in mind, the more you confine her, the more terratorial she will get and being a Flemish, and with a friend, they are really going to need the space. 
For the price of the coop, you proberly could have got a shed 

*Heidi*


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

B3rnie said:


> At her age you would KNOW if she was a buck, giants furry teabags are not hard to miss
> 
> Do you breed Natzzhixon?


Ah, well, Darwin was 8 months before he was declared a boy! And he's a giant  Mind you he only had one teabag down and it was tiny for his size apparently! Poor boy  Still can't believe the vet opened him up to spay him before they noticed!

OP, girls are stroppier than boys so she is proberly a girl!

*Heidi*


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## kat84jones (Sep 6, 2011)

hazyreality said:


> Just bear in mind, the more you confine her, the more terratorial she will get and being a Flemish, and with a friend, they are really going to need the space.
> For the price of the coop, you proberly could have got a shed
> 
> *Heidi*


I had thought of this and ordered a large one meant for 8 chickens and my o/h who is quite handy is building an add on for it too.


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

kat84jones said:


> I had thought of this and ordered a large one meant for 8 chickens and my o/h who is quite handy is building an add on for it too.


Ah. Thats good then


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## kat84jones (Sep 6, 2011)

Well just thought id give an update....pippi went in for her spay this morning....everything went well and shes now home in her new rabbit house looking a little sore but stuffing her giant rabbit face with some lovely hay i got from the stables this morning. Vet very pleased with her so hopefully she will make a speedy recovery. x :thumbup: x


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## we love bsh's (Mar 28, 2011)

We had a flemish giant an albino one,sadly she died around a year ago.She was a great girl she was like a dog.


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## Guest (Jun 13, 2012)

kat84jones said:


> Well just thought id give an update....pippi went in for her spay this morning....everything went well and shes now home in her new rabbit house looking a little sore but stuffing her giant rabbit face with some lovely hay i got from the stables this morning. Vet very pleased with her so hopefully she will make a speedy recovery. x :thumbup: x


That's great news


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

Great news that she is munching hay already 

*Heidi*


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