Introducing ourselves & asking for help

[genie86333]

Hi, everyone!

I just joined & wanted to say "Hi" first of all. I've been a rabbit-lover my whole life. My dad raised rabbits (for food & fur, although I didn't know that at the time, grrrrr!) when I was a kid, so I had lots of bunny-friends.

I've had 3 rabbits of my own since I've been an adult - Star, who I lost almost 3 years ago, was very sweet & hyper.

Earlier this year, I got Oreo. He's a sweetheart too, but a bit skittish. He will take food from my hand & crawl all over me if I am lying down, but doesn't want me to pay attention to him! Once in a while, he'll let me pet him a bit.I can deal with that.

I was recently given another rabbit. This new rabbit, Gingersnaps, is just simply mean & getting meaner by the day. Apparently her old owner was able to handle her, pick her up, etc. but lost interest in her when she graduated high school & didn't pay any attention to her all summer before going away to college, so her father gave her to me this fall. The first few days she was here, she was very quiet & subdued, probably because it was a new place. After that, she started growling if I went near her cage, even to feed her or let her out, but once she was out of the cage she was fine. Now she'll lunge & try to bite if she's approached, whether she's in or out of the cage. She also frantically tries to attack Oreo through the bars if he dares to come near her cage. Strangely, the only one in the house who can come near her cage without her growling or attacking is my dog, who mostly ignores her - she just sniffs him if he happens to get near the cage. The only reason I can even clean her cage is because I've got her in a cage with a wire bottom & a pan underneath. (I put her in that one because she wouldn't let me clean her other one.) The *only* time I can get near her without her acting crazy is when I give her veggies. I take long strips of veggies & feed them to her through the bars of the cage. She *usually* doesn't even growl when I do that.

I'm just unsure where to go from here. I haven't been able to find any rabbit rescues nearby & I wouldn't just let her free to fend for herself, of course! But I don't know of anyone who would willingly want to take in a rabbit that acts like this (except of course someone who wanted them for food, which of course, I don't want to happen either!)

 

[genie86333]

Thought I'd post pictures so you have furry faces to go with the names:

Top left is Gingersnaps, top right is my non-bunny 4-legged baby Mister, and the bottom is my sweet Oreo.

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Hello and Welcom to the Forum!!:wave:

First question, is she fixed? That could answer quite a few questions.

Let us know! Then we can add more responses for you.

Again, Welcome to RO!:bunnydance:

 

[Fancy77]

:wave: welcome to RO!! Wondering if she is fixed as well.

Is her cage on floor level?? if so how about not reaching in to get her but letting her come out of the cage on her own so she doesnt feel so threatened. It sounds like she has no trust and u will have to build that trust back up. that might be a slow process but well worth it for such a cute bunny.

Your other fur babies r adorable also

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Sounds like trust and territory issues rather than anything hormonal. In the past, if we had any rescues that bit, I would let them know I was the alpha in that situation. Read up on how rabbits interact, so, if I had a bunny that was too aggressive I would pin it, roll it over and pick it up and hold it while I explained who was boss in a soft tone. Not sure if they understood what I was saying, but the physical dominance usually put the message across--really hated getting bit while I was feeding and cleaning and like to keep my blood on the inside. The biggest single factor is time and trust--they need time to develop trust with you, especially if they were ignored and not handled much previously. All our bunnies eventually came around, although, not every one likes to be picked up and handled. Even our most skittish little one will come to me when she is out and loves to be rubbed.

 

[Wabbitdad12]

Let me welcome you to Rabbits Online, my name is Dave and I am a moderator on the forum. So if I can be of any help please let me know. This is a terrific website for rabbits and their slaves, not only is it very active but also friendly. I am so glad you’re here and I know you will enjoy it.

I’ve listed some links I thought you might find interesting:

*For reference the Library section

*To brag or tell everyone about the antics of your bunny or just to talk about your day here is where to start a Bunny Blog, you can also look back at it later and remember when you had a life before your bunny.

*Now all the bunny’s like talk to each other when we mere slaves aren’t around in the Bunny Chat is the spot to be.

*Rabbits Online also has regional forums , this a good way to find a vet in your area that has experience with rabbits and to find out from other nearby of good sources of rabbit supplies.

The Let Your Hare Down section is for anything non-bunny related.

Now every forum has rules and ours can be found with this link Rabbits Online Forum Rules. This gives guidelines on what is acceptable, what is not and how we hope everyone will treat each other.

In your profile there is a place for location. There is no rule requiring you to list the city you live in, but if you can give a general region, country, state, what part of a state or country you live in is helpful. This will give others an idea and can offer more specific help if needed.

Everyone on this forum loves to see pictures of each other’s bunnies. So if you would like to post a picture this link will help you do that, How to put photo's in your posts.

This the best site on the web for bunnies and I look forward to hearing stories and looking at pictures of your rabbits.

I agree with it just sounds like lack of trust and if you can let her come out on her terms and ignore her, rabbits hate to ignored, she will come around in time. Its just going to take some time. Your animals are very cute.

 

[genie86333]

No, she's not fixed as far as we can tell. I did plan on having it done, but I don't know how to get the cage into the car & into the vet without getting bitten! When I took her to the vet to get her sexed when I first got her it wasn't a problem as she hadn't gotten aggressive yet.

Her cage is on floor level & I never take her out of the cage - she's free to get inor out as long as the door is open. Although I have had to trap her in a corner between two cages in order to get her back into the cage this most recent time I let her out when she was trying to attack me, which I'm sure did nothing to endear myself to her. (anyone have any ideas on getting her to go back into the cage when she's out? Oreo goes when gently shooed that way with a few claps of the hand & a "time for bed, Oreo!" I've tried luring her with treats, just laying by the cage & waiting for her to go back in...sometimes for hours at a time, and that's not an option now with attack mode ON!

I am thinking it's territory/trust issues, as Nancy said, since it started with cage-aggression. Thanks for the advice. I really hope I can get this to quit as I'd like to be able to spend time loving her & not afraid of getting bitten.

Although I'd like a cuddly bunny, I totally understand not all rabbits like being handled a lot - my other one doesn't - and don't mind that. I'm content to interactand lovehim on his terms. He gives me joy anyways, just seeing him run& jump. I especially love when he thinks I'm ignoring him & he jumps on the bed to peer over my shoulder to see what I'm doing. I don't mind if that's how she turns out too - I just don't want to get bit.

 

[AmyBunny]

Smelling another bunny might also be contributing to her stress. Try what the others have suggested... will her cage fit in your backseat?

If not... I advise oven mitts. I think if you get her fixed it will help a bit, but mostly it sounds like trust. She can come around. I had a very aggressive rabbit. What I did was let her out and then lie on the ground - ON my hands. She was terrified of my hands

She would come and explore. I would put raisins on my belly and around me. After a week I had my hands beside me instead. I wouldn't try to touch her. After 2 weeks, I put treats near my hands. Slowly I started laying with my arms spread out, palms up. Then I put treats in my palms. Etc etc. It took ages. Even then she didn't like other much. Now it's been 2.5 years and she is fine. She is still bossy and doesn't like if you move your hands too fast, but no more biting.

If it's a trust issue though right now I would refrain from submitting her (pushing her head down gently) when she bites. Let out a loud "Eeep!" when she does bite, and walk away, but I wouldn't submit her right now.

 

[genie86333]

Her cage will fit in my backseat, the issue was getting it there - but oven mitts would work!

Thanks for the idea!