stef
Olympic Poster
Posts: 824
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Post by stef on Sept 7, 2005 9:02:36 GMT 1
Sounds like you have a rabbit just like ours, ours is a male though (and a TYPICAL male at that!) He grunts and growls when he is in his usual bad mood, but he has always been like this and we have never been able to pick him up, he loves to be fussed and stroked and comes in the living room for his 'tea' every night and then goes into his hutch ( a very large one that my dad had to make for him specially for him to fit in! He plays out with our 6 chickens all day and rarely leaves their side, they have never hurt him (well... apart from the occasional peck on the head when he gets in their way! lol!) He is also a HUGE rabbit, french lop x flemish giant so they will be of a similar size, I put his behaviour down to not being neutered as he has always been like this, and also down to the fact that before we got him at 8 weeks old he had never been handled as hee came from a farm. He is now 2 years old and hasnt changed a bit. I think that your rabbits behaviour is probably down to her hormones, I dont think that it would be because of you accidentally kicking her. If i were you I would get her neutered when she's old enough and hpe that this will stop the biting. I think it's good that you have ignored her when she does bite so she realises that this sort of behaviour doesnt get her anywhere. Good luck.
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Post by Bossy Boots on Sept 7, 2005 9:17:58 GMT 1
I'm having the same problem with my daughters rabbit. She about six months old now, and is getting more and more aggressive, to the point where its not safe for my daughter to put her hand in her hutch.
This morning when I went to feed her she had made a nest over night and pulled her fur out to line the nest. These no chance she could be pregnant as we have had her since she was 12 week old. So she must be having a phantom pregnancy.
One job on my list of things to do today is to give the vets a ring and try and sort her out.
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stef
Olympic Poster
Posts: 824
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Post by stef on Sept 7, 2005 9:20:27 GMT 1
Hi bossy boots, my old rabbit did this a couple of times, its not a phantom pregnancy, our vet said that it just means that either she thinks shes preggers or she feels that she's ready for mating.
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Lucymj
Olympic Poster
Posts: 771
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Post by Lucymj on Sept 7, 2005 13:21:25 GMT 1
Bossy boots - i breed my nethies and i have one particualr doe whop is very very tame and cuddly. However, when she is pregnant i will not put my hands in her hutch! She becomes very aggressive! The day the babies are born she goes back to licking me and wanting cuddles all the time! If you have no intention of breeding from your doe, i would get her neutered and it should stop. Apparentlly this pregnancy aggression is down to a rabbit being so comfortable with you that they treat you as they would another doe intruding on their space.
Thanks everyone for all the advice - the idea that she could be over exited rings true for some reason. I have been thinking about how much she 'yaps' at my heels at night - just like my dog does when i get home!
I hadnt intended to get her neutered, as i had considered breeding a few litters from her. Ob. this wont be an option if she continues to nip and growl though! Until she is old enough it is something i will have to umm and ah over then! LOL!
Tonight, to see if it is an over exitement issue, i am going to go out and give her her hard feed a few hours before bedtime. She wont be expecting this, so it may shed some light on whether she is over exited about getting her dinner. If she is full of tea when i put her to bed and doesnt growl and nip that might suggest that she is over exited about feeding?! Will wait and see and let you all know later!
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Post by Bossy Boots on Sept 7, 2005 13:49:41 GMT 1
Just to let you all know I've spoken to the vet and she goes in on Friday for her little operation (well not that little). Fingers crossed in a few weeks we should see a change in her. My daughter is so sad at the moment as she has not been able to touch and handle her for about 3 months. Thats been left up to me.
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Post by Stella on Sept 7, 2005 14:39:02 GMT 1
I had a doe once who lived in the house. She was better than any guard dog - very territorial once she grew up !
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jonib
Elementary Poster
Posts: 51
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Post by jonib on Sept 7, 2005 17:16:08 GMT 1
I am not sure if this will help,but years ago I had 2 sister rabbits.They were both very sweet to start with,but then one of them started to get nasty when I went to shut her in for the night.I gave up after a few more months and a friend took them.She bred rabbits as a hobby,and she allowed the vicious one to have alitter.I went to see her and she was sweetness personified,just like her sister. So it could well be hormones.
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Lucymj
Olympic Poster
Posts: 771
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Post by Lucymj on Sept 7, 2005 20:10:54 GMT 1
Many thanks to everyone for all your suggestions! I have just put fly in for the night. I wentto see her a few hours ago and gave her half of her feed which she wolfed down. Just went out again and although she was still hopping all over my feet as i was trying to walk she seemed a lot less frantic about it. No nips or growling! yey! She was perfectly lovely so i am thinking that it was over exitement at attention + food coming at the same time! (despite the fact she has more grass etc than she could ever ever eat!) I will be monitoring her carefully until she is fully mature, when i will make the decision on whether to have her spayed or whether to breed from her. She really is lovely and VERY nicely bred so it is what i had hoped for her, but obviously if there are more signs of uncalled for aggression i wont take the chance.
Have my fingers crossed for the next few days but it would certainly seem that we have got to the bottom it for now! xxx
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Post by marywelsh on Sept 7, 2005 20:16:35 GMT 1
that,s great lucy , like is i say minr gets really excited when i go to put him away because he gets his veg and feed oh and another thing it has been quite hot the last couple of days maybe she was cantankerous with the weather i know mine has dug a huge hole in the garden to lay in but he hasn,t dug as much today good luck
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rosie
Grand Prix Poster
stroppy mare
Posts: 1,153
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Post by rosie on Sept 8, 2005 21:52:32 GMT 1
I've got a female dwarf rabbit who can be quite aggressive and territorial. She is about 1 year old now. She is out all day in the garden and just shut in her hutch at night. She will growl and lunge at you if you try to put your hand in the hutch. Some days she is fine in the garden, other days she will run at me, growling and going for my feet. She only does it with me (I look after her, feed her, clean her out daily!)
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