How to Get a Rabbit to Calm Down

28 14:20:52

How to Get a Rabbit to Calm Down

How to Get a Rabbit to Calm Down. Rabbits are prey animals that perceive humans and other animals as predators. If you have a new pet rabbit, it can appear scared, skittish, nervous and aggressive. Your new pet can make grunting sounds, lunge at you and bite you, to keep you from picking it up. To calm your rabbit down, make it trust you. Once your rabbit gets used to being around you and understands that you are not out to hurt it, it will calm down and become the cuddly pet you want it to be.

Handling your rabbit calmly keeps aggression at bay.

Things Needed

Rabbit treats
Cage
Hay or pine-wood shavings
Hide box
Rabbit toys
Gloves

Step 1

Have your rabbit spayed or neutered because intact rabbits display hormone-related aggression. Altered rabbits are calm and easier to litterbox train. Have a female rabbit spayed at 6 months of age and get a male rabbit neutered around 4 months of age.

Step 2

Move slowly and talk calmly so your rabbit has no reason to get nervous or anxious. Give it treats and refrain from picking it up because most rabbits don't like this and it may trigger aggression.

Step 3

Prepare a cage with a bed of hay or pine-wood shavings for your rabbit. Get a cage that is twice the size of your rabbit in width, height and length; the bigger the better. Place a hide-box in the cage that your rabbit can use during times of stress. The dark enclosure comforts your rabbit and calms it down.

Step 4

Pair a neutered male rabbit with a spayed female rabbit. An aggressive male rabbit calms down when it shares the same environment and territory with a female rabbit.

Step 5

Provide plenty of rabbit toys. Keep your pet stimulated so it doesn't act up out of boredom.

Step 6

Introduce yourself to your rabbit in a gradual fashion. Place your rabbit's cage in a small room and close the door. Sit on the floor and open the cage. Ignore your bunny and allow it to roam around the room freely. Let it sniff you and climb up your leg. Do this every other day and over time your rabbit start trusting you and its aggressive behavior subsides.

Step 7

Wear thick gloves when petting your rabbit. Approach your rabbit from above. Avoid putting your fingers in front of its mouth because it can bite you. Place one finger on its head and slowly move it down toward its ears. Reprimand your rabbit and tell it "no" if it lunges at you. Yell out "ouch" if it bites you so it understands that it is hurting you. Pet your rabbit daily while gradually using more fingers and eventually your entire hand. Remove the gloves when you feel comfortable.