My bunny bit me!!

[PinkBump2022]

My bunny is around 6 months old we’ve had her since she was 7 weeks. Never had any issues but today I went to get her out of her hutch and she bit my hand! She has broken the skin. After this I picked her up no issues and carrier her in for her run around the house before bed. Why she bite me all of a sudden?

Is she neutered? Unspayed female rabbits can be pretty hormonal (& 80% will develop uterine cancers if not spayed). Does she have a friend?
Rabbits are prey animals so don't really like being picked up. I tend to sit with mine and let them hop onto my lap if they choose to (treats help!).

My rabbit is a bite, growly sod! He has a hutch in the house, I find that if I reach I'm and surprise him, he will jump one and bite. If I talk to him and tap the side he comes up to me and I can strike his head. he's not very cuddly though, apart withy daughter and he will literally sit on her shoulder like a parrot.

FFS! Bloody predictive text! Clearly I don't strike him I stroke him.

Theres a lot of reasons why she might be unhappy here, firstly you mentioned getting her out of her hutch - what sort of space does she have? Rabbits need a min 60sqft of space at all times, so if she's being put in a hutch for any length of time that's a problem. Is she spayed? Un neutered females can be very hormonal and sometimes aggressive. Also, does she have a neutered friend? Companionship is a very important welfare requirement for bunnies and will make them much happier. I recommend contacting a local rescue for advice and a possible friend for her.

If she is living on her own in a hutch without constant access to a run, she’s stressed and anxious. Rabbits need to live in pairs with a huge run they can go in all day to be happy. And she needs to be spayed as she will be very hormonal. Even then, a lot of rabbits don’t like being handled much.

Her hutch is a double story with a large run on the outside. She’s out there from 8am until 6pm when she has the run of the house until 11pm when she goes into her indoor hutch for the night. We have foxes and cats around here so I’m too scared to leave her out over night. She’s to be neutered in 2 weeks. Doesn’t have a friend to play with but she does play with my chihuahua in the evenings when she has the run of the house. She will also come and sit on our knees and just jump on his and sit there she is not worried by us at all. She has toys in her cages, tunnels, chew toys.

Toys and a bit of company in the evenings are no substitute for bunny companionship - she’s on her own for 19 hours a day. They are highly social animals and a single bunny is a lonely one. Two buns groom each other and snuggle up together. Please go to a rescue and get her a friend. They will give you advice about introducing them, which does need to be done carefully, but after that they will be next friends and it is honestly the kindest thing you can do for her. Solitary confinement isn’t right for rabbits.

How rude of her

When a hand reaches into a hutch at a bun, fight or flight is triggered - they feel cornered so fight it is! This is called cage aggression and very common in rabbits, one of the many reasons that standard hutches and cages are really quite rubbish for them :(

Hormones will not be helping, my girl was found as a stray and extremely hormonal and VERY bitey when she came into rescue. After she was spayed she calmed right down but is still very opinionated. If she's cornered she will tell you of her displeasure. They live in a fox-proofed shed and aviary so she always has an escape route.

Does are extremely hormonal and grouchy creatures! She needs to be spayed, and given a few weeks for her hormones to die down. Then you can introduce her to a friend (on neutral ground, and he has to be neutered). Some rescue centres will take a doe in for a few days and do a sort of 'speed dating' session where she can choose her own friend. She should feel a lot calmer going forward from that.

Also, give her as big an enclosure as you can. The smaller it is the more protective she'll be of her space. I used to have a shed for my buns, with an attached enclosed run. It was brilliant! Predator proof, lots of space for them to hop free, and so much cosier for me mucking out in the winter evenings. We had a light and heater in there to make it super snug.