My rabbit is starting to get aggressive

Question
QUESTION: Hello Pam, We recently rescued a rabbit from a home who had been left behind. I call him Mac, however I'm not sure if Mac is a female. I can feel little skin flaps, one on each side of his or her belly.We built him a new cage and made him very comfortable, he loves to be held and scratched. I put a little stuffed animal toy in his cage and he imediatley started to mount the toy, he loves to flip it around the cage and play and mount. Just yesterday we came home from a hike and I went to do our usual routine of scratches and rubs,when I put my hand in the cage he lunged at me and nipped my hand, while he was making many loud seaking noises.He ran into the back of his cage (which is enclosed) and would not come out for quite some time. This has happened several times since. I'm not sure if a predator tried to get him and he was very spooked or could his toy be making him "alpha" or protective of it? I removed it last night and he again tried today to lunge at my husband. We know nothing of his or her history and I'm trying to keep an eye on body language. He is eating & drinking. I could use any information you may have. i can't wait to hear from you. Thank you, Linda
ANSWER: Hi Linda

This is a tough one since we don't know Mac's history or even sex.  I will give you a few ideas though.  The only way to tell if Mac is male of female is to flip him over and look.  As long as Mac is not with another rabbit it really doesn't matter to much.  Both males and females will exhibit mounting behavior.  He very well may be protecting his cage, which is "his home".  Rabbits are usually very cage protective.  You said you just recently rescued him so it may have taken him a bit of time to realize that is his home.  The best way to break him of this is to get him out of the cage.  Play with him in a safe area but one that he doesn't directly live in.  It may take a long time but you can teach him that hands aren't bad things, that way when you reach into his cage he isn't going to fear you.

It may take time and it probably wont be easy but you can do it.  Mac was saved by you and will eventually realize that his living conditions are so much brighter and happier.  The best thing to do is let him come to you.

I am going to tell you quickly how I got one of my rescue bunnies to stop being so cage protective.  I put his cage on my bathroom floor and left the door open.  I would sit on the bathroom floor for hours and he would come over to investigate me.  At first he would nip at my feet and I would tell him a stern NO and I would screik when it hurt.  He no longer bites.  After several months I was able to feed him right out of my hand.  I would give him one or two natural raisins held flat out in my hand.  It took a lot of patience but we would continuously play games.  I would get on my hands and knees and wiggle my nose.  I would notice that he was watching me perhaps thinking I was a step away from the psych center but eventually he would start wiggling his nose to match mine.  If I wiggled fast he would wiggle fast, if I stopped he stopped.  After I realized that he was paying attention to me I started pushing his toy ball around with my nose.  He would then come and push it back at me.  You can try all of this stuff if you have a play area.  Once he gets used to you feeding him treats from your hand then when you reach your hand in his cage he will associate hands with yummy things.  My rabbit will actually run up and give me nose kisses now and in return he gets 1 raisin.  I never give him more than 2 a day though because they aren't really very good treats because of the sugar.  A few a day won't hurt though.

In the meantime while you are working with him when you reach into his cage try to distract him with one hand while you feed him with the other.  I would give him his friend back also.  He obviously loved the little toy and may feel like you have taken away his friend.  Mac's previous living conditions could have been horrible.  He will need time to adjust.  In time he will show you how much he appreciates you.  Rabbits that are rescued seem to have a different attitude than those who have never lived in a bad situation.  He is very lucky to have you and with some help you will learn what he is trying to tell you.

I am attaching my favorite website.  It will help you to learn his body language a little better.  I hope that you have an enjoyable long and happy life with Mac.  He is very lucky to have found you.

Sincerely,

Pam
http://www.muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Pam, Thanks so much for getting back to me. I forgot to tell you that Mac's behavior seemed to change suddenly within a few hours. When he came home to live with us, we could pick him up, he would flip over for rubs and he even got many licks from our labrador. We purchased a small fence play area for him and we could sit in there with him and would just climb all over us. He was fine one day and when we went for a hike that afternoon and came home to have some socialization time, that's when he freaked out. Just last night when I went to give him some pets, he just ran around his cage like crazy and would hide under the hay and lunge out at my hands, making loud rabbit squeeky noises. His cage is out back on our deck, I even have him right next to our slider so he can see us all the time. This has been going on for about 5 days now and I'm afraid that if I cannot get me hands in his cage I'm not sure how I can care for him. His stools are fine and he eats and drinks well. He literally changed within a few hours. I do know someone who said they would take him if he got to be to much for us, he raises and shows rabbits, so Mac would live inside with other bunnies, however I believe once you get an animal they are yours always. Thank you for the website info, could he be stressed out??? I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely, Linda

Answer
Hi Linda

He could be stressed out.  Now that I know he was fine before it does make me curious if a cat or squirrel or any other animal tried to hurt him while you were away.  Since you love him so much you should try to keep him.  He might have also felt that since you were gone he might have felt that you deserted him also.  If you want to spend the money on him/her you can have him fixed.  If you get him spayed/neutered it should calm his nature down.  If he is fixed you could get another rabbit to bond him with.  This should help him to feel loved even when you aren't around.  

There is nothing wrong with giving him to your friend but even though he would be around other bunnies he wouldn't be in the same pen with him where they can groom each other and love each other.  Breeder's don't generally have their rabbits fixed so it would be impossible to bond him.  If he turns out to be a girl you could get a neutered male to bond with him.  Male/female mixes work very well if the male is neutered.  2 males can't be put together unless they are both neutered.  You also might have a rescue in your area that might have a rabbit that is already fixed.  

I think that Mac is in the home he belongs in.  Like I said before rescued rabbits are soooooo difficult.  You don't know how he was treated before.  Even if someone who smokes or even walks funny was on your property while you were gone he could have seen that as a threat if the people he was with before smoked or did just about anything.  

There are so many rabbits out there that need rescued and not enough people to take them.  If you really want to keep Mac then I would seriously consider adopting him a friend that he can love.  I think it will really help him to calm down.  Now I don't deal much with rescue's but they can help you find him the perfect mate.  You can either go to the HRS main website or do a search on the Internet for rabbit rescue and your town name.  You will be surprised with what you come up with.

I am so sorry he is giving you a hard time but with hard work and patience he can be a good pet.  I would hate to see him back in a barn where he has no playmates and end up in the same living condition as before.

I don't give out the address much but I have a friend named Connie who has had great success with troubled rabbits.  Her e-mail address is on her site and as long as you put RABBIT somewhere in the title of the e-mail she will answer you.  Her address is

http://www.hopperhome.com//

Sorry I can't help you  more but without working with him myself it is hard for me to tell you what to do.  I just hope that you have the time to make him a happy bunny again.  It is stories like these that make me want to cry.

Please let me know how you make out

Pam