My lionhead rabbit has become very agressive all of a sudden, and i dont know why

Question
Hi, I have a 4 month old female lionhead rabbit, and recently during feeding, removing her from her cage and grooming her she has become very aggressive and scratches at my hands, she never did this before during these things, can you give me information as to why she would act this way, i just want to be able to take care of her properly without getting scratched up by her claws.
thanks so much!

Answer
Hi,

Your rabbit has reached her teenage years.  You need to have her spayed before she gets any worse.  Female rabbits generally do not make the best pets but if they are spayed they generally calm down.  Her cage is her nesting area.  She is doing what all animals do and that is protecting her nest to ensure the survival of her species.  If you let her come out of the cage naturally rather than reaching in to grab her this should help.  Learning how to handle her when grooming takes practice.  Try to hold her head under your arm while you are grooming her.  Sometimes if their eyes are covered it helps them to remain calm.

If you do not already have a rabbit savvy vet you can try here:

http://www.rabbit.org/vets

Any of the vets listed here are capable of spaying rabbits.

Good luck

Pam