Huge Change in Behavior: Grouchy Lionhead

Question
I have a lion head rabbit. It's only about a year old now. We bought it last year for our nature center at summer camp. She was very docile and gentle, never causing problems. After the camp season, I took her home until next year. She became progressively became more aggressive throughout the year, growling and biting when I went to pet her. She got a yellowed-color around her nose, but I'm not sure if that has anything to do with her change in attitude. I kept her fed and watered with a clean cage, so I'm not sure what the problem is. I let her go outside in a cage in the grass every now and again. What's  wrong with my bunny?

Answer
Dear Sierra,

If she is not spayed, that is definitely part of the problem. Please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/spay.html

and

www.rabbit.org/health/spay.html

Rabbits who are very sweet as babies can become aggressive as adults, especially if they have a very confident personality.  It's just who they are, and we have to love them no matter.  But many people have noted that this seems to be particularly common in purebred Lionheads, who seem to be a grouchy lot.  (Ours is just a grouch all the time, but we love him anyway.)

But to help you solve the aggression problem, there's no better source than these articles:

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/aggression.html

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/4-1/HRJ4.1_Letters.html

Spaying is the first step, and you'll need a good, experienced rabbit vet for that:

www.rabbit.org/vets

and then the rest will follow, once she's recovered.

Hope this helps.

Dana