Aggressive? Biting

[CojoCinder]

Hi all! My husband and I recently got a baby Flemish Giant bunny. He’s 11 weeks old and we’ve had him about a week and a half.

We have him in a cage with a play pen “yard” attached and have been letting him out for exercise at least 30 minutes a day and spending time with him.

He seems very friendly, but has a few concerning behaviors. (Total newbie bunny owner here!)

First I am pretty sure he charges if you put your hands in his play pen. We have never stuck our hands in to take him out, have always let him come out and in on his own. However, when I reach in the playpen to put stray poops in his litter box (and he’s in the cage with open door), he comes charging out. This causes me to pull my hand back because I don’t know his intentions. When I left it a little longer, he did bite me on the hand (no mark or blood, but I was definitely startled). Here is a video I took tonight of what he will do now… Follow you around the edge of the play pen.
http://youtu.be/LNq_WYnbLbQ

The more concerning behavior, since I understand rabbits can be territorial of their areas, is the biting. We will take him out and sit on the floor with him, and he seems very happy to come over and climb into our laps and be pet. But then he will nibble our fingers. And if I squeal, he might pause for a second, but then keep going. I hadn’t touched food or anything recently. I do not think he thought I was food because then he did it to my feet! (Which definitely hadn’t touched food!) when I squealed, he kept doing it, and so I pulled my foot away and he actually chased after it. He did the same to my husband… First with the fingers, then feet. No real reaction to squealing or yelling.

Help??

Appreciate all advice!

He is not yet neutered, but at only 11 weeks, I read that their balls (ahem) don’t drop until 3.5 months.

Thanks!

[manic_muncher]

Yes, that looks like he’s being territorial to me. I think avoiding any housecleaning in there while he is inside, just wait for him to be running about (but still stay aware of where he is!), he’ll probably still come running over to see what you are messing up. Even after his neuter, he may still display territorial motions, but shouldn’t be as aggressive looking.

With the charging, I’ve found that Bumpy will do this a) in low lighting, or b) if I reach in or am walking toward him in his blind spot (directly in front of their face), or c) if I move too fast. The first couple times he did that to me was pre-neuter and he did bite. He bit me once when I surprised him placing a plate of veggies (post-neuter). After that incident, I always make sure he understands my hand is coming down into his space. I don’t trust him 100% though, so I usually hold the plate right above where I’d put it down, which then makes him spin in anticipation. I utilize the spin time by placing the plate down as his head begins the turn, and by the time his face is back around to where my hand is, the plate it down and he’s all eyes for the prize! I always talk to him when I’m about to invade his space, so I don’t surprise him.

As far as the biting… I had the same thing with Bumpy, as he constantly was testing me, I’d squeal, he’d pause, then he’d go right back at it. Turning my back did no good, he didn’t mind biting that either. Eventually I quit with the squeals and fell back on old faithful “No” and would use my hand to push him away a few inches. That worked fairly quickly, and it ended up being great because he actually responds to “No” if I see him doing something I don’t want him to do, even from across the room.

Oh one more thing… Bumpy does “charge” us sometimes when we just walk into the room. At first I thought it was aggressive, but now we know it’s his way of saying “HI!!!!” sometimes. He’ll fly out of his pen (it’s open all the time, except when the other 2 are getting floortime), and at full speed run right into our legs. BUMP! then he hops around all happy hoping he’s gonna get a treat.

[manic_muncher]

OHHH 1 more thing!! My flemish baby is 3 1/2 months old now and not too long ago (a week maybe?) she hopped out of her enclosure. 42″ tall. You might want to make sure you cover his pen whenever you aren’t there to supervise!

[CojoCinder]

Thanks so much for the response, manic muncher! I will try the “No!” And push him away.

It’s so odd, because earlier tonight he was biting my husband, and then we just let him out and he was just sweet. Came over to both of us, sniffed, climbed on us, no problems. He also seemed happy that I put more hay in his litter.

That’s nice to know another person with a Flemish baby! I’m hoping he will become more docile… A big bunny that bites sounds like no fun. Also thanks for the tip about jumping out of the enclosure! I was surprised when I first set it up and Boris jumped onto the top of his cage (now I have something there to block that). I don’t know what we will end up with when he’s big as far as cage…. :-/

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