New Bunny biting

[Jaime]

I have a 4yr old Holland lop neutered male. He is really the sweetest bunny. When I got him he use to nip my collar bone but that was the only time he ever did anything close to biting. I just got a 8 week old Holland yesterday. he was really sweet the whole way home. He was very active and playful at home. he was fine being handled and he was taking to my bunny (through cages) very well. Today when I came home from work, I picked him up and he nipped my palm. When I shifted my grip because I though maybe he felt unsafe, he bit my finger. I set him down and he stomped at me and ran off. This is new for me, has anyone had anything like this and can you offer some help please?

[LBJ10]

Haha! Sounds like Leopold. He’s had enough being held… chomp! It certainly isn’t unusual for a bunny to nip to when trying to say they don’t like something. Thumping and foot flicking too. I should point out that Leopold is a deaf Holland lop. So when he bites, he bites hard. Most rabbits will lightly nip to say they don’t like something, but they won’t necessarily bite down hard. They generally learn not to do that and if they haven’t yet, a sharp squeal when they do it usually gets the message across. If Wooly, for example, nips me it is very light. He literally just puts his teeth on me. And if I say “ow”, he will stop and look at me.

[Mikey]

Its likely because you brought a new rabbit home and he didnt like it.

Is he neutered? FYI know you should not bond them until they are both neutered.

[Jaime]

Mikey, it is the new bunny biting, not the bunny I have had for years. My bunny is neutered, the new bunny is only 8 weeks so he is to young to be neutered.

[Jaime]

Huh, LBJ10 how do you know your Holland is deaf? Colby is 4 and I swear he is deaf. I know the new bunny (Bleu) is not, because sounds do startle him. With Colby, I can run the vacuum right up to him and he will not budge.

[LBJ10]

It was trial and error. We did some experiments and it became pretty clear he is deaf. The vet did take a look at him and she said he was likely born that way.

As for the vacuum, even Wooly will sit there until I physically push him out of the way when I’m vacuuming. He can hear perfectly fine, I think he’s just been desensitized.

[sarahthegemini]

He’s a teeny tiny baby that is likely very frightened and confused at the moment. Hence the bite.

[Deleted User]

Baby bunnies bite until they realize that it’s not something they should be doing. Ophelia used to bite me SO HARD. She would be sniffing around me and then bite my back and I would yell, out of reflex. She eventually got the point. Lately she has been getting a little nippy. I think it’s because I’ve been spoiling her with extra snacks, so she expects food and when I don’t have any she gives me a little nip on the hand. But it’s a very light nip. I think bun will get the message eventually. Bunnies don’t like to be held though so he may just be letting you know to put him back down.

[Jaime]

He hasn’t bit since that day. I pick him up to move him when needed and he has been fine. I don’t force holding him. I need to stop expecting Bleu to act like Colby did when he was a baby.

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