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Forum BEHAVIOR Hecuba keeps nipping

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    • poopy
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        He keeps nipping me when I bend down because he hopes I have food. I scream OW! and thump and turn my back. It’s not deterring his behavior. Help!


      • dmh426
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          how long has the nipping been going on? Is it only when you bend down because he thinkgs you have food, or is it a consistent problem…Sophie started nipping after the whole “almost dying” debacle and me force feeding her medicine for weeks. I did a high pitch “eek” when she nipped. She would look at me pretty funny, then, bend down and nip again and I would do the high pitch “eek” again and then she looked at the same spot where she had just nipped and went for it again, but licked my arm there. I think she knew that it kinda hurt! Haven’t been nipped since that incident….


        • poopy
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            he does it all the time. i’ve had him for a week and a half now. but everytime i walk by he’ll run out of the pen (when its open) and start following me around and nipping. he gets sooo excited he thinks i have food. its worse when i go in the pen because then he REALLY gets excited. he’ll jump on anything i bring in (like hay bag to refill) and he’ll try and get at whatever it is i’m holding because he’s so eager about food. his previous owner never fed him veggies and didn’t have enough fresh hay available so he really gets excited. or if i stop petting him he will nip also. he just really wants to get my attention to say “over here, over here! veggies over here!” i don’t think he realizes how hard he is doing it because he is just to so excited. my loud screams don’t seem to do anything to him because i’m sure he is thinking FOOD FOOD FOOD the whole time


          • dmh426
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              oooohhh…. that is so sad! He is deprived every way a bunny can be. Food, love, petting…. it’s still early in yuor relationship. Maybe things will change as he realizes that this is his new home, it’s safe and that he’s always going to have enough food and attention. I’ve never ben through any of this so I’m hoping someone else can help you!!!! My loud, high pitched shrieks of “eek” worked at my house.


            • osprey
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                Some of this behavior sounds a bit like courting or dominance behavior (following you, the little nips, demanding grooming).  Perhaps he is trying to establish the dominance order with you as well as with Medusa?  Is he the dominant bunny in the relationship with Medusa?  If this is the case, he should stop doing this once he is comfortable with his new home.


              • poopy
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                  well he doesn’t do any of that dominant behavior with medusa thankfully and i have never seen him hump her. haha that would be sad if he singled me out to dominate. god i hate being nipped in the BUTT!!!!!


                • Theresa Moan
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                    Can you move out of the way when you notice him getting ready to nip?
                    I don’t know if its the same thing but when I first got Bungee, she’d always want to go behind my back when I was sitting against the wall…like a kind of tunnel. So she would nip at me or my shirt to tell me to move. She stopped eventually though once I kept anticipating her


                  • poopy
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                      I try to, but its usually when I’m busy doing somethign else, like cleaning up their litter box area or trying to pick up Medusa that he’ll stealthly come up behind and nip my butt. He’s been obeying my NO commands more now though which is pretty good considering its only been a week. He just thumps afterwards to show he’s not happy about being disciplined.


                    • poopy
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                        Posted By dmh426 on 01/26/2007 1:49 PM
                        oooohhh…. that is so sad! He is deprived every way a bunny can be. Food, love, petting…. it’s still early in yuor relationship. Maybe things will change as he realizes that this is his new home, it’s safe and that he’s always going to have enough food and attention. I’ve never ben through any of this so I’m hoping someone else can help you!!!! My loud, high pitched shrieks of "eek" worked at my house.

                        Get this, Hecuba’s previous owner (dad & son)  insisted on visiting…this guy is nots and there was no arguing with him so I let him come. Right when they walked in the room Hecuba loudly thumped and ran to farthest corner of the pen to hide behind Medusa. Every time the father or son petted him he thumped afterwards too….I can’t imagine what his life was like for a year and a half. Poor thing….I feel so happy for him now, its like he is made it to the Promised Landed escaped from being a bunny slave in Egypt!


                      • Gravehearted
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                          I think Hecuba’s reaction to his previous owners speaks volumes. I wouldn’t let them come back to visit him, it likely stressed him out. His nipping / aggression likely stems out of fear or possibly mistreatment by his former family. It’s going to take some time to earn his trust, and I am betting over time the nipping will stop or at least greatly decrease.

                          Also – when he nips you make sure to make a loud “OW” so he really gets that he’s hurting you. It may encourage him to stop . But mostly – the little guy needs to see that you’re gentle and want him to be happy. It will happen with patience and time.


                        • poopy
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                            Good news, I think he has stopped. He hasn’t done it the past few days when I’ve been in his pen.


                          • osprey
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                              Excellent! He is getting more used to his new home perhaps, or trusting you more. This is great.


                            • poopy
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                                ACK! HE IS NIPPING AGAIN! OUCHY!


                              • minilop111
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                                  if u give him treats stop giving them by hand. And don’t give him a place to bite, offer the back of your hand. If your still having trouble put gloves with vinegar on and he’ll soon stop biting, i didn’t do the gloves with my bunny Lenny but i did it with my hamster i had and my gerbils of 5 years they weren’t affected badly by the vinegar and they stopped bitting


                                • poopy
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                                    thanks for the suggestion, but i don’t think he is going specifically for my hands. he will nip anything thats level to him, like my ankles, or when i am bending down, my butt.


                                  • minilop111
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                                      o i just figure hands, that seems to be the most attractive bitting spot for rodents if not all animals, i feel bad for u, i hope ur bunny stops bitting/nipping

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                                  Forum BEHAVIOR Hecuba keeps nipping