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wellbeing in rabbits

22 10:56:23

Question
hiya, i have got a dutch male rabbit who is very aggressive and territorial. i have booked him in for castration to see if this will calm him down. he is handled at least twice a day and has lots of excercise. i have toys in his cage and he wants for nothing. i approach him very quietly and talk to him all the time. could you tell me if this aggressive behaviour affects his wellbeing in any way as i would hate to think hes unhappy. many thanks. debbie.

Answer
Hi Debbie

A lot of it is going to depend on how he was handled when he was a wee little one.  If he is still young he is workable.  Even if he is older he is workable but he may never want to be handled.  Some rabbits hate to be picked up but they can still be taught that life can be good with a little pet here and there and an occasional nose nuzzle.

After the surgery hopefully he will calm down.  In the meantime you need to let him out to play in a rabbit safe area.  Let him approach you.  If he seems to have no interest in you then try laying on the floor and reading a book.  Eventually he will wonder what on earth that big funny looking rabbit is doing just laying there.  Rabbits can bond with people and if you are able to create a successful bond with him he will still have a happy life.  He is most likely just very hormonal and he may not have been handled as a baby so it is all new to him.

Try to teach him that hands aren't bad things.  Once he gets used to you laying around in his play area and comes up to you try holding your hand out flat with a rabbit safe treat.  He will eventually let you hand feed him and will probably come running for treats. After he knows that your hands aren't going to hurt him he may let you pet him.  

I have the most adorable loving Holland lop that lives in my house.  He hated me and would viciously attack me when I rescued him.  We went through months of the ignoring treatment before he got curious.  Now we have worked up to a daily routine.  I go in and lay on the floor and hold out my hand.  He gets one raisin and in return I get one nose nuzzle.  He won't let me pet him and when I pick him up for his check-ups and nail trims he gets so mad at me that he won't come near me for about 3 or 4 days but he gets over it.  He isn't neutered either because I do occasionally use him in my breeding program.  So I am thinking that if yours is going to be neutered and getting a wellness check-up that he should be a lot easier to train than mine was.

Good luck and I hope he calms down for you.  Just let him know that you love him.

Thanks

Pam