my rabbit has issues

Question
well my mom got me a rabbit for my 10th birthday i just wanted a white rabbit and we found one,but we thought he was nice and he was but only for the first week or so and we got a book about dwarf rabbitas and its said"they are loveable scrachers"and its seems he has anger manigment and iv only hAD him for 2 months please email me what to do!

Answer
Hi Allie,

first, a lot of what we see as 'bad' behavior happens because the rabbit is not spayed or neutered.  Having your rabbit spayed (if female) or neutered (if male) can greatly reduce or eliminate much negative behavior, such as cage aggression, excessive spraying/marking, etc.

Beyond this, you kind of have to 'read' your rabbit and learn what he does and doesn't like.  Most rabbits are not cuddlers.  Most rabbits are not lap bunnies, and most do not like being held.   Many people have unrealistic ideas as to how a rabbit will be, only to be disappointed and confused when they do not live up to their expectations, but instead behave.....like a rabbit.

If he doesn't like being picked up, limit picking him up to only necessary things.  If he doesn't like sitting on your lap, then don't force him.  He may just enjoy sitting near you.

He may also not be enjoying certain elements of your house.  Is he in an area where there is lots of noise or lots of walk-by traffic?  This puts stress on him and can make him anxious.  Are there sources of noise that appear to bother him?  Loud music or loud birds or TV can bother them.  They are quiet creatures and do best in a quiet environment.  Are there other 'predator' type animals like cats and dogs in the house?  Their scents could be bothering him as well.  He also may be reacting to scents on you or your folks, especially things like cigarette smoke or perfume.

I would recommend both you and your parents to visit the House Rabbit Society web site (www.rabbit.org) and spend a good deal of time researching all aspects of rabbit care.  They have a wonderful array of articles on all rabbit topics that you can save to your computer/print out for reference.

Also I would recommend you finding a good rabbit vet at the same place:

www.rabbit.org\vets

and find a good rabbit vet in your area so your rabbit can get the best overall care possible.

Lee