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BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum BEHAVIOR Rabbit Bit Me

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    • WildRabbitsRock
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        I have a New Zealand rabbit (female) and she’s about 3 months old (not spayed) and like 20 minutes ago I got a alfalfa cube and put it in her cage. Then I went to grab her (I didn’t go fast) and she *lunged* at me and bit me She’s never done that before. I’ve had her about a month and a half or so. She bit me on my pinky and it started bleeding. Not bleeding SUPER bad but the blood was coming out fast. I’m afraid to get her now….so what should I do? What could have made her bite me? And we won’t be able to get her spayed, I asked my parents and they said we can’t. Thanks for all the answers.


      • JackRabbit
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          First, make sure your parents understand the health risks to your bunny if she’s not spayed — 80% chance of uterine cancer. Finding a low cost spay through a shelter or rescue is, a possibility, and will cost a whole lot less in the long run than potentially dealing with vet bills from uterine cancer (which would result in a spay anyway, just much more expensive).

          When bunny hormones kick in, females can become very territorial and she probably bit you because you reached into her cage (her “space”). Those hormones can make her a bit moody as well, so best to lure her out of her cage with a treat and not reach in there. Also, save all cleaning, etc., of her cage for when she’s out running around. If you can convince your parents to have her spayed, you’ll have a much happier bunny.


        • Standard_Procedure
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            Where is your rabbit cage? Mine is in my bedroom right next to my bed and my rabbit, although unspayed, is never territorial with me. Doesn’t mind me sticking my hand in the cage because my rabbit sees me whenever I’m sleeping. Only reach in to hand feed a treat. Don’t ‘grab’ your rabbit unless you already developed a strong bond.


          • WildRabbitsRock
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              My rabbit is in a hutch outside. I always play with her everyday. I did put a alfalfa cuby in front of her nose and then tried to reach back in and get her out. Did she bite me because she might have thought I have trying to take a alfalfa cube away from her?


            • Sarita
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                It’s impossible to know but rabbits don’t have the greatest eye sight so it’s possible she didn’t know it was your hand. Also is there any way you can bring her inside – rabbits do much better indoors for their health and for their social life.


              • WildRabbitsRock
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                  We have a small cage for indoors but it’s to small for her. She’s a New Zealand rabbit, so she’s gonna get really big. And I can’t bring the hutch inside obviously lol. She’s never done anything like this before. That’s why I try to play with her everyday so she’s used to being handled.


                • kirstyol
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                    I had an outdoor hutch inside for years when I was a teenager, it is possible if you have the space. Rabbits bite for different reasons, but it could be that she thought you were going to take the cube away, or that she didn’t realise that the thing she bit was even your hand in the first place. Maybe she thought your hand was something else for her to eat? There honestly could be lots of reasons, I wouldn’t be too worried about being bitten once to be honest, I would only worry if it became a regular thing. If your rabbit isn’t spayed it could be a territorial thing, I had a terrible time with my last female rabbit being very territorial before I finally found a vet to spay her, we lived in a really rural place and the nearest rabbit vet would only do boys for some strange reason. With her she went for me every time I went near the hutch, even if I was bringing food! She was the sweetest thing on the earth when out of her hutch and even tolerated being picked up, just not from the hutch, I used to open the door then let her walk out herself then lift her, I had to lock her in a different room to clean the hutch and everything. It is definitely worth talking again to your parents about a spay for health and behaviour reasons, it really is the best thing for her and you.


                  • LBJ10
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                      Most bunnies simply do not like to be picked up or held. You can practice holding your bunny and rewarding her with a treat to get her to tolerate being held, but she will never enjoy it. The general recommendation is to let bunny come out on their own. Don’t pick them up to remove them from their cage or hutch. Since your bunny is outside, that probably isn’t a good idea unless the hutch is inside an enclosed shed or run. Do you have somewhere for her to have run time? When a bunny is inside, you can easily bunny-proof things around the house and let them get their run time in a bedroom or living area.

                      I agree with the others. Her biting could be territorial in nature. Bunnies tend to be more territorial when their body is filled with hormones.


                    • WildRabbitsRock
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                        LBJ10, the hutch is 2 levels so she has more room to move. And I take her outside on a leash everyday to let me run around some. And I don’t think my parents would let me keep the hutch in the house lol. And just a FYI, I put a tarp over the hutch at night

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                    Forum BEHAVIOR Rabbit Bit Me