Always grunting?

[senatcha93]

So I feel like my little boy(free range) has a lot of passive aggressive behavior and I don’t know where that comes from. He is actually really sweet, tame and stuff. But he would never let me pick him up or even pet him sometimes. In these moments he grunts at me and lunges forward. He also bites. I have found this on the internet: Grunts are often angry reactions to a human behavior or towards another rabbit and may be followed by scratching or biting. Rabbits grunt when they feel threatened, or to show their disapproval if they do not want to be handled – means “leave me alone” -or- “back off!” Some rabbits show their disapproval by grunting to protect what is theirs (cage, food, etc.) from a human hand or another rabbit and often, that is the extent of their anger.

My question is if you think this behavior will diminish when he is spayed? This is so annoying…When I hold him he can’t stay still for a second until biting and trying to get away while my friend’s rabbit lets me hold him for 10 minutes and doesn’t make a noise…Is this gonna change?

[Muchelle]

You shouldn’t pick up a rabbit unless it’s necessary (nail trimming, medicines, to go in the carrier), they are prey animals and do not enjoy being taken off the ground. He grunts because he’s afraid of you, so you should stop picking him up and re-start the bonding process by being with him on the ground, giving him time to sniff you out and check you out safely until he’ll learn you’re not dangerous. Neutering him won’t change this, rabbits like to be on the ground at all times

On a side note, holding a wiggly bunny is very dangerous because he might slip out and fall or he could even hurt himself by twisting and kicking while panicking – in addition to the dangers of stressing a rabbit. 

Some buns can tolerate picking up, but it’s either because they have a mellow personality and don’t bite easily (so they stress out in silence, like mine does) or because they have been properly socialized by the breeder since their earliest days (or just cause they like it, but it’s veeeery rare)

[senatcha93]

I just found out that his sister who my other friend has doesn’t squeal or grunt nor bite when handled. She doesn’t get stressed or anything. Plus when you watch youtubers like lennon the bunny or others their bunnies don’t do that either. So please do not tell me I shouldn’t pick him up when this is not true. His brothers all have this aggression in them while his sisters don’t. Do you think when I get him neutered this will pass?

[ThorBunny]

Unfortunately you can get a really skewed view of how rabbits like to be handled by looking online

I think of it like human supermodels, they make you envious and think that is how all humans should look, but the vast majority of us are just normal and sometimes dumpy (lol pretty sure its not just me).

With buns, most really don’t like being picked up. The ones in photos and on videos tend to be the exception because these are the “photogenic supermodel” bunnies that everyone wants to see. Also many are young rabbits who are “cuter” and also much more easy to handle, amenable to being picked up, than adults. My rabbit is very cuddly with humans, will come up for pets and climb in your lap, but as soon as you go to pick her up she will freak out! No training that prey instinct out of them.

As for neutering, this will almost certainly help with behavioral problems such as litter training and biting! It will make the bun calmer and is generally reccomended for these health and behavioral reasons. However, it is unlikely to make him love to be picked up. When you build up trust with him, it is totally possible to have a cuddly, happy relationship with a rabbit even if you don’t pick him up

[vanessa]

I’m going to repeat what Muchelle said.

Also… every bunny is different. As a rule – BUNNIES HATE BEING PICKED UP. Period. They are rabbits, not puppies. Prey, not hunters. That being said- 2 of my bunnies are wriggly, and the fight, scratch, and try to bite when I pick them up. I’v had them for 3-4 years, and they are spayed/neutered. I only pick them up when I have to. NOT just to pet or cuddle them. That should be done on the floor – on their level. My 3rd bunny tolerates it better – but I still have to be quick. Anything past a few minutes and she’ll start to kick her feet and scratch me. Lancelot is the opposite. I can pick him up all day. He likes to snuggle and sleep on my lap. I can hold him on his side and back – groom him for hours, tend to his eyes, clean his scent glands – you name it. He doesn’t fight. BUT… I still know that he doesn’t like the act of being picked up or put down. It’s when his feet leave the ground that he returns to his INSTINCTUAL prey mode. You can’t “pet” that out of a bunny. Neutering/spaying won’t fix that. I’m sorry that it is annoying – but this is the way rabbits are. If his sister is different – it is only her reaction that is different; But she still doesn’t like it. Muchelle is right about them stressing out in silence. My Bunny Guinevere does this. The first 2 minutes are silent stress which could appear to be tolerance or even contentment. But 2 minutes later her silent stress turns to kicking/scratching stress.
This is something you will need to learn to believe if you are going to be able to build any trust with your bunny. Just because someone posts a youtube video of a “calm” bunny – doesn’t mean it is not silently stressing, and doesn’t mean all rabbits are like that.

“So please do not tell me I shouldn’t pick him up when this is not true.”

Sorry – it’s true. the only time we should be picking up our rabbits is to get them less afraid of it, so that when we need to – for emergencies and vet visits and health checks and nail trimmings etc, they aren’t as panicky. We should NOT be picking them up to cuddle them. It causes them unnecessary stress.

[vanessa]

A sidenote about youtube videos. Thorbunny mentioned supermodel bunnies. Supermodels are always supposed to be the most attractive etc. In the same light – youtube videos are of the best possible situations – not the ordinary everyday ones. We don’t have naturally air-brushed skin and Barbie doll figures – that takes a computer and a graphics artist. Not all bunnies are what they seem on youtube. I watched a video by a renowned bunny expert on clipping bunny nails. Made it look like the way to hold bunnies in that video to clip their nails – and especially since it was not that person’s own bunny – was how all bunnies would react. No such luck. I watched another youtube video about a guy cleaning his bunny’s ears. Looks simple – rabbit looks totally fine with it. Not really the case. It is itchy and tickly. People wouldn’t post videos of themselves picking up their bunnies with them fighting and scratching, or videos of cleaning a bunny’s ear that is doing everything it can to escape the cotton-tip.

[sarahthegemini]

Adding on to what Vanessa has said – some rabbits don’t move when picked up because they are literally frozen in fear.

[senatcha93]

Ok got it! Thank you for your help

[vanessa]

True – Morgana does that. Once I have her cornered she freezes in fear. Then I scoop her up in a pet carrier. Before using the pet carrier, I would try picking her up in a towel to protect my skin. She will go from frozen in fear – to bunny bruce-lee. And some just stay frozen. Avalon does that. He’ll fight up till I have him in a towel – then he is frozen and appears content. But he is secretly wishing I would go to bunny-hell.

[vanessa]

People like to train their rabbits to get into carriers by using their favorite veggies. That is something you could try. You could move from that – to picking up briefly, putting down, then giving a treat. Just to get them used to it. The treat-in-the-carrier works for most people. It hasn’t worked for me – but it’s worth a try.

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