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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 Exposing teeth in warning

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    • Boymom4
      Participant
      80 posts Send Private Message

        Does anyone else have experience with their bun opening its mouth in a super wide yawnlike pose and exposing its teeth as a sign of feeling threatened?
        Our rabbits exhibit totally friendly, snuggly and attention hog behavior of their own free will, often coming over to us and bumping for pets without having to be caught. In our house we have several young children so no one is allowed to pick up the rabbits besides myself. Ever. Because of this the bunnies are only picked up maybe once a month. When I check their nails or if I think there is some kind of issue that needs inspecting.

        Our female thrashes a bit at first but then becomes very docile and when released will not instantly run away. (Oddly enough, she is the shyest and least friendly of the two)
        Our neutered male on the other hand is super outgoing and my best buddy all over the house until I scoop him up. Then it is ears pinned, thrashing every chance he gets and opening his mouth in my face like he is going to bite my head off. Even if it’s only being held for less than a minute. It looks very scary but he has never actually bitten me.
        Since I am super calm and gentle and do my best to make him feel safe when I need to hold him, I am a little confused as to why he gets so defensive? If I wrap him to ensure that he doesn’t rip me up with his claws he opens his mouth twice as often and I fear that he is going to have a stress induced heart attack because it looks a lot like gasping.
        What is going on in his head? He isn’t afraid of me afterward. After kicking his feet a bit and running off he will flop down and let me love him up just like every other day.
        Is this just a sign that I should pick him up more often for shorter bits of time when I don’t actually need to? I have avoided trying to condition him to being picked up because I don’t want him to start avoiding me or becoming less friendly over time for fear of being held.
        Any thoughts?


      • Wick & Fable
        Moderator
        5770 posts Send Private Message

          Thinking in terms of a rabbit, these are some sensory information being gathered and thoughts that may occur while being picked up:

          1) I am off the ground/my feet are not on solid ground
          2) I am not in control of where I am going (I am moving but I’m not moving my legs)
          3) I only have half a visual field, hence not fully aware of my surroundings (One eye is blocked by your chest and partially by your arms)
          4) I have no way of escaping safely when something dangerous comes (remember rabbits are prey animals; always partially on guard to be attacked)

          *Additionally, remember he has no idea of your intentions. He has no idea whether you’re getting ready to drop him free-fall or put him down somewhere for his safety. He’s going to default to the most dangerous at this stage.

          When survival instincts kick in, rabbits will think in the moment. It doesn’t matter that he loves you, you always set him down gently, he never bites you, etc.. At that moment, one or all those factors kick his stress into high gear and he’s solely thinking about getting out and back in control of his safety measures. Once the threat (being picked up and put down) is over, then he returns back to normal.

          You can help habituate a rabbit to being picked up, but some rabbits will only be able to assimilate so much. Making it seem more familiar, in small steps, is fine, but if you hit a plateau, it may be the limit for him/

          The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.


        • Deb
          Participant
          1 posts Send Private Message

            Some rabbits are just much more emotional (both positive and negative) than others. My Flemish Giant female is super loving, and also very formidable when angry, but forgives quickly. In contrast, my 5 lb boy is reserved, conservative with showing affection, and also reserved about his anger. I chalk it up to personality differences with my two.

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        Forum BEHAVIOR Exposing teeth in warning