# Biting Rabbit troubles



## ZEROPILOT (Apr 15, 2016)

My wife has a new rabbit. (Jack)
He is a small short haired young adult, but not a dwarf.
He has a cage with the best of foods snacks and bedding and the cage is very large. About 22"x12"x12".
He also spends some time outdoors every day in an even larger old enclosed tortoise pen. He seems happy and is healthy, but every now and again, he will lunge forward and bite whomever is nearby. usually my wife and usually her shirt only. The other 99.9% of the time, he seems content.
Any ideas what is going on?


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## Anyfoot (Apr 15, 2016)

ZEROPILOT said:


> My wife has a new rabbit. (Jack)
> He is a small short haired young adult, but not a dwarf.
> He has a cage with the best of foods snacks and bedding and the cage is very large. About 22"x12"x12".
> He also spends some time outdoors every day in an even larger old enclosed tortoise pen. He seems happy and is healthy, but every now and again, he will lunge forward and bite whomever is nearby. usually my wife and usually her shirt only. The other 99.9% of the time, he seems content.
> Any ideas what is going on?


Huh. Same problem with ours, and ours is also a male. He as only ever bit me though. 
We will see what is said. .


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## ZEROPILOT (Apr 15, 2016)

Her rabbit has never bitten me.


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## Anyfoot (Apr 15, 2016)

ZEROPILOT said:


> Her rabbit has never bitten me.


Personally (and I may be way off) I think mine needs a play mate. He tries to play with the cats but they don't want to know, he's constantly humping his ball and lately he's kicking the floor a lot. I always thought rabbits are not solitary animals.


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## ZEROPILOT (Apr 15, 2016)

He does play with Suki. The dog. But Suki always gets carried away and wants to play too rough.
The rabbit does do some strange, sudden movements that are lunges and flips. It's all very, very fast.
He and Suki fly through the house like little bolts of lightning.


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## JoesMum (Apr 15, 2016)

My friend runs a rabbit & guinea pig rescue. She is very clear that both should not be kept singly. They're social and need a friend. (Rabbits need a rabbit and GPs need a GP - don't mix species)

She frequently rehomes animals to people whose rabbit or GP has been bereaved. Is there a rescue near you that could help out?


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## ZEROPILOT (Apr 15, 2016)

JoesMum said:


> My friend runs a rabbit & guinea pig rescue. She is very clear that both should not be kept singly. They're social and need a friend. (Rabbits need a rabbit and GPs need a GP - don't mix species)
> 
> She frequently rehomes animals to people whose rabbit or GP has been bereaved. Is there a rescue near you that could help out?


No kidding?


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## JoesMum (Apr 15, 2016)

ZEROPILOT said:


> No kidding?


No kidding.


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## JoesMum (Apr 15, 2016)

There's a national network of rescues in the UK
Piggy Bank UK - Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues
https://goo.gl/maps/rTpXRo5Qc3D2


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## JoesMum (Apr 15, 2016)

@ZEROPILOT I have consulted my friend. 

On biting:
_Lunging and biting suggest an un- neutered buck. Boys can be done as soon as their plums drop usually around 12 weeks. Post neuter he needs 6 weeks before being introduced to a spayed female or they will have babies! _

On bonding
_80% of does die from uterine cancer if they are not spayed and it's almost impossible to bond an unspayed doe - he thinks he's got issues with his boy, try an entire girl!!_

On accommodation:
_Outdoor hutch space minimum size is 6ft x 2ft x 2ft high ideally with a permanently attached run at least 6ft x 4ft.

Indoors cage at least 5ft long ideally with permanent access to some space indoors - could pop puppy pen panels around the cage or some people, if they are lucky enough to have something like a conservatory or spare bedroom, make that the bunny room with the cage only really visited to be used as a litter tray. Buns are most active at dawn and dusk._


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## JoesMum (Apr 15, 2016)

I lost half the accommodation post

_Indoors cage at least 5ft long with permanent access to some space indoors - could pop puppy pen panels around the cage or some people, if they are lucky enough to have something like a conservatory or spare bedroom, make that the bunny room with the cage only really visited to be used as a litter tray. Buns are most active at dawn and dusk._


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## ColleenT (Apr 15, 2016)

i think he might need neutering.


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## ZEROPILOT (Apr 15, 2016)

Oh. My.
He needs to get snipped.
Maybe that's why he doesn't bite ME. For sympathy.


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## Loohan (Apr 15, 2016)

I have never had a rabbit but i contemplate it sometimes, and have read up on it. The most credible info i have found says that rabbits should be kept in "bonded pairs" of 1 male and 1 female, both neutered. And the choice of partner can be experimented with until compatibility manifests.
And they should be about the same age because often the survivor will be forever depressed if one dies, as they form a tight bond.
Also i read that many rabbit rescue places know all about this and are likely to have bonded pairs all ready to go.


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## Linhdan Nguyen (Apr 15, 2016)

Could it be because hes still new? I petsat for my neighbor who had a rabbit and he would jump out and bite me occasionally -_- while i would come in to refill his food.


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## Anyfoot (Apr 16, 2016)

JoesMum said:


> My friend runs a rabbit & guinea pig rescue. She is very clear that both should not be kept singly. They're social and need a friend. (Rabbits need a rabbit and GPs need a GP - don't mix species)
> 
> She frequently rehomes animals to people whose rabbit or GP has been bereaved. Is there a rescue near you that could help out?


Do they have to be the same breed of rabbit.


ZEROPILOT said:


> Oh. My.
> He needs to get snipped.
> Maybe that's why he doesn't bite ME. For sympathy.


 You can rule that theory out.


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## JoesMum (Apr 16, 2016)

Anyfoot said:


> Do they have to be the same breed of rabbit.


Not as far as I am aware, but I'll double check.


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## spud's_mum (Apr 16, 2016)

My friends old rabbit didn't bite humans but nibbled through all your clothes if you were holding it. I have no idea why


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## JoesMum (Apr 16, 2016)

More info on finding a friend for your rabbit

_Best pairing is a neutered male and neutered female, size/breed doesn't matter in the bunny world just two that love each other! 

They would be best to find a reputable rescue /humane society who will help with bonding - if you don't know what you're doing it can be tricky and frightening if it goes wrong. 

If they bring a doe into their home, first thing they'll need to do is get her spayed if she's not already done (usually around 6 months of age) and,if unspayed, kept well away from current bun. 

They will also need a neutral bonding space which neither bun has been in before. 

There are lots of youtube clips on bonding but you really do need to do your homework which is why going down the rescue route is best - if it goes wrong you'll end up at best with 2 separate set ups and at worse a very large vet bill! _


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## JoesMum (Apr 16, 2016)

What is it with this app? Here's the other half of my most recent post. 

_They will also need a neutral bonding space which neither bun has been in before. There are lots of youtube clips on bonding, but you really do need to do your homework which is why going down the rescue route is best - if it goes wrong you'll end up at best with 2 separate set ups and at worse a very large vet bill!_


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## WithLisa (Apr 16, 2016)

I agree, he definitely needs a partner (and of course has to be neutered before). I had a few rabbits that were kept alone before, their owners gave them away because they were extremely aggressive, but most of them changed after introduction. 



ZEROPILOT said:


> the cage is very large. About 22"x12"x12".


This is _large_? The animal shelters here would never give a rabbit to someone with a cage smaller than 40 square feet. They need lots of space to run and jump and get out of each others way, because they can be quite rough but nevertheless need (at least one) partner. 
I would recommend to let them stay outside in that tortoise pen (it looks predatorproof?) or build another big enclosure, but please don't try to put two rabbits in a small cage, they could hurt each other.


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## dmmj (Apr 16, 2016)

seems like the way a woman wants 2 solve all the world's problems is 2 start cutting things off.  I'm going into hiding


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## WithLisa (Apr 16, 2016)

dmmj said:


> seems like the way a woman wants 2 solve all the world's problems is 2 start cutting things off.


Not at all, we just suggest to get this poor sexually frustrated guy a female.  It's up to Zeropilot's wife if she wants to take care of two rabbits or rather two hundred.


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## Roddytort121 (Apr 16, 2016)

A few of mine were naturally irritable. Sometimes it meant leave me alone or get out of my way. Sometimes you're lucky and get one like my Dutch who would just come over to lick your ankles lol!


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## ZEROPILOT (Apr 16, 2016)

Here's a photo of Jack in his cage. I didn't actually measure. But as you can see, he has ample room.


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## JoesMum (Apr 16, 2016)

Rabbit experts are no different to tortoise experts. They both have opinions on what minimum enclosure size should be and whether or not company is best for the animal. It's up to the advised whether they take the advice. 

Sounds like your bun will be less likely to challenge you if he visits the vet for an op though.


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## dmmj (Apr 16, 2016)

I guess I'd better be nice or you guys might want to take me to the vet


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## WithLisa (Apr 16, 2016)

ZEROPILOT said:


> Here's a photo of Jack in his cage. I didn't actually measure. But as you can see, he has ample room.


It's not even big enough to take three hops, let alone one jump, so he can't really move in there. Rabbits need at least as much space as tortoises, would you recommend to keep an adult tortoise in this cage?


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## ZEROPILOT (Apr 16, 2016)

WithLisa said:


> It's not even big enough to take three hops, let alone one jump, so he can't really move in there. Rabbits need at least as much space as tortoises, would you recommend to keep an adult tortoise in this cage?


No I would not.
I'm asking questions because rabbits are new to us.
It seems as if most rabbits are kept in little more than tiny bird cages and this was the largest cage I could locate.


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## meech008 (Apr 16, 2016)

ZEROPILOT said:


> No I would not.
> I'm asking questions because rabbits are new to us.
> It seems as if most rabbits are kept in little more than tiny bird cages and this was the largest cage I could locate.


My mom lets her big meat rabbit daisy sleep in her cage which is like the one that you have. During the day she found a couple big play pen type gates that can be hooked together to partition off a room for daisy to roam around in. Of course with my sister and I both gone she was able to rabbit proof a room for her highness and not everyone has that option. But if you do, or have a large space maybe that would be an option


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## WithLisa (Apr 16, 2016)

ZEROPILOT said:


> It seems as if most rabbits are kept in little more than tiny bird cages and this was the largest cage I could locate.


So true, just like most (or at least many) tortoises are kept in tiny glass tanks. 

Most people don't have enough space for an inside enclosure, unless they have a spare room. If you leave the cage open and just let them roam freely in the house, like a dog or cat, you have to remove all dangerous things and accept that they cause devastation. Lots of it. Really. I would never again try to keep rabbits inside... 

Besides, they were much more healthy after I moved them to their outside enclosure! I don't know the climate in Florida, but rabbits are known to be quite adaptable and you already have that old tortoise pen, so why not leave him there?


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## ZEROPILOT (Apr 17, 2016)

He now spends a lot more time in his outdoor run and now also in this portable pen when I'm outside working.
He really does run around like a friggin nut.
(If you look closely, Suki is in there modeling the pen)


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## ZEROPILOT (Apr 17, 2016)

meech008 said:


> My mom lets her big meat rabbit daisy sleep in her cage which is like the one that you have. During the day she found a couple big play pen type gates that can be hooked together to partition off a room for daisy to roam around in. Of course with my sister and I both gone she was able to rabbit proof a room for her highness and not everyone has that option. But if you do, or have a large space maybe that would be an option


That cage is in our "spare" bedroom. I could modify the whole room.


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## gg888 (Apr 17, 2016)

ZEROPILOT said:


> My wife has a new rabbit. (Jack)
> He is a small short haired young adult, but not a dwarf.
> He has a cage with the best of foods snacks and bedding and the cage is very large. About 22"x12"x12".
> He also spends some time outdoors every day in an even larger old enclosed tortoise pen. He seems happy and is healthy, but every now and again, he will lunge forward and bite whomever is nearby. usually my wife and usually her shirt only. The other 99.9% of the time, he seems content.
> Any ideas what is going on?


I keep four bunnies at the moment (I'd have more but my partner doesn't approve). I have three females (Rosie, Poppy and Lady) and a male (Bear). Most behavioural issues are solved with neutering. It also helps with the smell of their urine and makes their lives happier in the long run! It may be a physical issue, bunnies are brilliant at hiding any problems they have which can be a bit of a pain. 
In relation to keeping rabbits in pairs, I don't really think it makes a difference to their behaviour. I've had bunnies that have lived alone with the best temperaments ever. At the minute I have two females living together and I'm currently trying to bond the male and the youngest female. Best partnerships come with male and female or two females. But bonding bunnies is so difficult and takes time. Patience and constant monitoring is the best way, but they usually come around eventually!


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## ZEROPILOT (Apr 18, 2016)

He WILL get snipped.
But he won't be getting a roommate.
At least that's what the wife says today.....


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## JoesMum (Apr 25, 2016)

@ZEROPILOT and anyone else with a rabbit 

My friend recommends these rabbitvet webinar videos 
http://therabbitvet.com/webinar/archive/all

Topics include 
"More than a hutch: enriching the rabbit life"
"Rabbit bonding, why, when and how"
"Introduction to rabbit nutrition and husbandry"
Diet, health and more


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## ZEROPILOT (Apr 25, 2016)

Thanks JoesMum.
Kelly now thinks she knows it all. Meanwhile the rabbit is now humping everything too.


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