Baby bunny nipping - what does he want?

[franzipantz]

I'm a first time bunny owner, hopefully you guys can help me figure out some odd behaviour of my 6 week old buck. I've had him for 3 days and last night he seemed to really like chilling with me on the couch. He flumped onto his side and his little eyes were all half closed, he seemed totally content. Tonight, however, when I brought him onto the couch, he was really restless. He kept trying to burrow, biting cushions and wouldn't settle at all. Then he started nipping me and headbutting me. I thought maybe he wanted strokes so I tried to stroke his head/face but he wasn't into it at all. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[audrinasmommy88]

Sounds to me like he was trying to groom you. If he is doing it too hard just let out an "eeepppp" and it will teach him to stop

 

[agnesthelion]

Head butting can be a way to say pet me BUT it can be a way to show displeasure too. Rabbits can be very opinionated little creatures maybe he wasn't in the mood to cuddle on the couch.

Nipping is usually sign of grooming. Rabbits nip each other but they need to learn that their human slaves don't have fur so nipping can hurt! Letting out an eeeek like Rachel said OR gently push their head down can help too. That is what mommas do to baby kits.

 

[ldoerr]

He might have not wanted to cuddle. He might have wanted to go runnng around and was trying to tell you that. It could also be the grooming thing like others have mentioned.

 

[franzipantz]

Ok, so I put him in his cage for a time out and went back and got him an hour or so later. He did it even more! I then put him on my housemate's couch with him, to see if he bit him at all. In ten minutes he didn't bite him once. When I got him back, surprise surprise, he started again! I tried eeping, at different volumes and pitches etc, but he didn't seem to react to that at all! I'm so confused!!

From my own ideas and what you guys have said, these are the possible reasons he was nipping me:

- he was hungry
- he wanted to go on the floor and explore
- he thought I was edible
- he was grooming me

I had a bath earlier and put on moisturiser after - could the smell/taste of this be a factor?

 

[Imbrium]

hard to say why exactly he's nipping you... but I recall my lionhead having a fascination with nomming my pants (and sometimes, inadvertently, me) when she was a baby.

what worked for me is that as *soon* as she nibbled/nipped, I gently pressed her head all the way to the ground and held it there for a few seconds, the way a momma bunny would discipline a kit. I had to keep it up for a few days, but she learned soon enough.