The Bunny Basics

dishrodger · Joined: 25 Feb 2008 Posts: 3 Location: Oshkosh, WI.

Just got a 2 year old mini lop.
Her owner did not want her, kepted in cage almost all the time, only feed pellets with a carrot once in a great while.
Had her now about 2 weeks.
She is a great bunny, out most of day. Has a varied diet of veggies, timithy hay, some treats & seeds, and pellets once a day.
Her problem is that she nips or bites when she wants to be pet. She is out of her condo most of the day with us(door open) & gets alot of attention.
How do we get her to stop the bitting.
rodger
dishrodger@yaoo.com

TheBunnyBasics · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 8:39 am Post subject:

Hi Rodger,

It may take some time for your bunny to get used to be her home. It sounds like she wasn't treated very well in her previous home so it sometimes takes a little time and patience for a bunny to adjust to her new situation and realize she can trust you. Some bunnies do nip if they either don't like what you are doing or to get your attention. There is a difference between a nip and a bite though. Positive reinforcement is the best way to gain trust and stop bad behavior. You can also tell her no gently when she bites to teach her that biting is bad but don't ever yell. Bunnies are very sensitive to loud noises and this will make her trusting you more difficult.

We have had many people who rescued bunnies from bad situation who bit a lot in the beginning but once they started trusting that their new families weren't going to hurt them the biting went away.

If she is not spayed, having her spayed will also her with behavioral issues. Female rabbits also have an 80% chance of getting uterian cancer if not spayed so paying is very important.

One thing on her diet, everything sounds good but the seeds. Seeds actually aren't good for bunnies so try to eliminate those.

Hope this helps and thanks again for giving your bunny a safe and happy new home!

Bun&Dogmom · Joined: 29 Jan 2008 Posts: 72

Hi Rodger,

I too rescued a bunny who did nothing but bite. Belle was in a terrible situation before I found her and she was almost impossible to get out of her cage and would bite...and bite hard! She was terrified of everything and everyone. Today she never bites and is the happiest, most loving and relaxed bunny I've ever seen.

What I did with her was give her space and time...and I was patient. I've had her for almost a year and a half and it was fairly slow going. With bunnies, it's all about trust, like TBB said, and I needed to earn her trust by not betraying her. Bunnies will NOT hesitate to let you know what they want...or don't want. They grunt, growl, nip, bite and charge at you if they are not interested in whatever it is you are offering. With Belle I reinforced our interactions with positives (like treats) and other things that she likes...like getting her head rubbed. She hated to be held in the beginning but it is a necessary evil to have to pick up your bunny. I insisted on picking her up at least a few times a day so what I did was make it a game. I called it the pancake game and when Belle was ready to be picked up she would spread out on the floor and go flat as a pancake. The trick was to get her to that point so I would play with her first. We'd throw toys and play with her rattle and stuff. In addition, she LOVES it when I hold a piece of timothy hay and feed her and this I would do for long periods of time. It just helped the bonding between us and gave her a positive interaction with me that she welcomed...and grew to love. After we played, snacked and just spent some quality time together (on the floor...literally) I would reach my hand to her and tickle her tummy which made her jump, flip and then want to play. We'd do this for a good five or ten minutes every night and at the end I would say, "Bellie Button...mommy's going to get you. Be the pancake!" And she would run to me then turn and take off to get me to chase her. So we'd repeat this quite a few times and eventually I'd say "be the pancake" and she'd flatten out and then just melt when I picked her up. She'd cuddle into my neck and my hair because she had started to actually like it.

My recommendation to you is make it a game or at least reinforce everything you do with a positive...either a toy, a treat or some affection that you know the bun actually likes. Most of all, be patient and just know that if you are calm, kind and loving, then that is exactly what you will get in return...it just takes a little time...but in the end your life will be better for having a bunny in it. I've learned that you haven't been loved until you've been loved by a bunny!

Good luck and I hope this helps!

Belle, Zeus and mom (Thea)

TheBunnyBasics · Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 7:42 pm Post subject:

Great advice Thea, Belle and Zeus. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

dishrodger · Joined: 25 Feb 2008 Posts: 3 Location: Oshkosh, WI.

removed the seeds, increased her veggies......... will work wil her on the bite & nips.
got her some new toys today, she seems to like. a stuffed animal & a new rattle.
thx again

TheBunnyBasics · Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 10:22 pm Post subject:

Hi Rodger,

Sounds like she is definitely a lucky bunny. I am sure she will learn to trust you and your family soon. Thank you for your willingness to work with her. She will reward you with lots of love once she knows she is safe.