Question
Henry
Hello. I am a first time rabbit owner and have a few concerns about my new rabbit. She is a 6 month old, spayed, lop eared rabbit. I adopted her from the Humane Society and was told she was very cuddly and sweet. ...Uh huh. She is crazy! I mean, I love her to death and I will more than likely NOT send her back. I would just like to know what I should do to calm her aggression. She is very territorial over her cage and literally lunges at me when I go to clean up some of her mess. She bites, lunges, scratches, and GROWLS! I couldn't believe it when I heard it but she growls at me. She doesn't let you hold her for more than 15 seconds. Like I said, I will not return her because I do adore her and all her craziness. I just want to know what I can do to make her trust me. I have no idea of her background, as in, where she lived or how she lived. I wonder if maybe she wasn't around people a lot. She even attacks my two male rottweilers! Even they're scared of her. Haha.
Also, she sneezes constantly and as of lately has been a little lethargic. She's still aggressive but just seems to be out of it. I observe the way she eats and acts daily and she doesn't seem to be herself. I'm a zookeeper and have been very well trained in observing behavior. I don't know if I'm just overreacting or if there may be something entirely wrong. I was planning on seeing a vet this week but wanted to send this question out there anyway. Could her sneezing be due to the allergies from possibly dust, smoke, or other pet dander? She has no nasal or eye discharge and her fecal is normal. She eats about the same and is drinking water about the same, if not a little less.
Any information you can give me on her aggression and sneezing would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Ashley
AnswerDear Ashley,
Henry is so lucky to have ended up with someone as kind and understanding as you! She's one of those alpha "wolverine bunnies"--and these seem to be mini-lops quite often!--that sometimes show up. These tend to be the smartest bunnies, and, like you, I love their attitude. But it can be annoying. There are ways to dampen her aggression, and you can learn how to do so here:
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/aggression.html
Here are some tips on winning her trust:
www.bio.miami.edu/hare/shybun.html
Though the article is geared for the shy bunny, an aggressive bunny will respond to the techniques in the article, too. You just need to be patient. She is very young, and she will calm down with age and experience. The aggressive bunnies are often the ones who become the most cuddly once they pass through their "terrible teens"--which could take a year or so from now. :(
But it will be worth the wait.
The sneezing is of greater concern. Please read:
www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sickbun.html
and
www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sneezing.html
and find a good rabbit vet here:
www.rabbit.org/vets
You're not being overly protective or paranoid. Your bunny has an evolutionary history as a prey species, and she's hard-wired to hide signs of illness to avoid being targeted by predators. You're wise to be attuned to any slight sign of odd behavior, because sometimes that's all the warning they give us.
I hope this helps. Good luck with your challenging new pal!
Dana
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