AGGRESSIVE RABBITS
– HOW TO COPE
[Gonna lick you to death!]
Rabbits are not what they seem. Under that cute, furry exterior lurks a determined, self-motivated little devil that has the potential to be aggressive and sometimes downright horrid!
Unlike dogs, rabbits have never learnt that their well-being depends on their owner providing them with food and shelter, and therefore they give the accurate appearance of being selfish – they don’t care a bit if they attack the hand that feeds, their only aim is to get what they want at that particular time.
Furthermore, a rabbit’s nature is not dependent upon how much it is handled as a baby, nor is it safe to assume that because a rabbit is nasty it must have had a bad experience in the past.
The nature of a rabbit appears to be “set” very early on via hereditary genes, and although external experiences may “bend” a personality somewhat, the basic nature of the rabbit will become apparent at between 4-6 months of age for good or bad, whether we like it or not. Generally speaking, rabbits calm down as they get older, often becoming more placid at about 3-4 years. However, severe aggression in rabbits must not be taken lightly. I have personally seen the wounds on an owner’s face inflicted by a vicious house rabbit that leaped off a chair and attacked her – she needed five stitches in her face and will require cosmetic surgery to hide the scars.
Even basic cleaning and feeding of an aggressive rabbit can be problematic. Such rabbits will often lunge at the brush, dustpan, hand or whatever is used to lift the soiled bedding out of the cage. This can be rather disconcerting! What can be even trickier is trying to retrieve the food dish in order to put fresh food in, and sleight-of-hand is required to replace the filled bowl back in the hutch.
Let’s take a closer look at what keeping a grumpy or aggressive rabbit is really all about, starting with the boys!
Aggression in male rabbits is usually an inherited condition, a predisposition to this type of behaviour being passed on from parent to offspring. By aggression I mean severe biting in and out of the hutch, rearing up in an attempt to bite one’s hand often accompanied by lunging with the fore feet. Growling and grunting is often heard during these episodes.
This pattern of behaviour should not be confused with frustrated sexual “courtship” whereby a male rabbit will circle an object, whether it is your hand, your feet, or whatever, often accompanied by gentle grunting noises, followed by “nipping” (not biting), mounting, and possible spraying of urine. This latter behaviour is usually rectified by castration, normally a very straightforward procedure by vets who regularly carry out anaesthesia in rabbits.
Unfortunately, the first type of behaviour i.e. inherited, is not usually helped by castration, which leaves the owner with a dilemma, although there are various viable options for coping with such a rabbit. Often simply not handling a grumpy rabbit unless absolutely necessary is enough to calm things down and let him gain trust and confidence in the fact that he is not going to be hauled out of the hutch or pen every time someone approaches. This is fairly reasonable when you come to think of it, as most rabbits do not like being handled much anyway and would rather be running around on the floor!
Another alternative is to have him castrated anyway and match him up with a neutered female. This sharing of the territory often improves an aggressive male’s behaviour. However, take advice from someone experienced in the art of bunny match-ups as this process is not as straightforward as one may think. Although a stimulating environment should be provided for all rabbits by giving them toys, cardboard boxes and other suitable items, this in itself rarely improves the temperament of an aggressive rabbit, indicating that the problem is not just down to boredom.
Take precautionary measures such as wearing a thick jumper or coat when having to handle the rabbit, and in severe cases it may be necessary to wear gardening gloves when cleaning out. Using two food bowls can help, placing the bowl with the fresh food into the hutch and whilst the rabbit is distracted by eating, remove the empty one. Additionally, if you have not already done so, place the hutch inside an enclosure or attach a large run to the hutch so that the rabbit does not need to be handled for exercise purposes, also enabling one to clean out the hutch whilst he is out running around.
Female rabbits, by comparison, are more straightforward as most of their aggressive behaviour is hormone driven and as a result usually responds well to spaying. The added advantage of neutering a female rabbit is that it also protects her from uterine cancer and associated problems – responsible for up to 80% of deaths in female rabbits. However, spaying on its own is sometimes insufficient to completely resolve the aggressive tendencies in females, and the same procedures as suggested for males should be attempted.
Sadly, if everything has been tried unsuccessfully, sometimes one has to admit defeat and consider having the rabbit put to sleep. This may seem a very heartless course of action and naturally should not be contemplated without much thought and consultation with the vet, but unfortunately there is sometimes no real choice, as it is not an option to pass on such a rabbit to someone else.
Strangely enough, it can be those rather grumpy individuals that can show the most affection in the right circumstances and environment, especially if allowed to come into the house. However, having a house rabbit does not suit everyone, nor does it solve all problems, but it may well be worth a try.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, rabbits are always going to come up with something to keep us busy!
For further information about rabbit welfare issues, contact CottonTails® on 01373 864222.
