Rabbit advice - exetremely frightened and tries to attack me?!?

Question

I'm looking after my friend's rabbit - here's the story. 
On the first day she was fine. She was lovely to cuddle and enjoyed being out in her run. When we came to put her away, she seemed not as happy as before. She made a small grunt and growl sound. The owners had said she grunts when they put her away and that she may bite, so we felt this normal. 
The next day is when the havoc started. When we tried to pick her up out of her hutch that morning she growled and grunted and tried to bite me. I wore a pair of leather gloves and managed to scoop her up. We were stroking her for a while and put her in the run. That evening when we came to put her away there was even more grunting, growling and trying to attack. She managed to bite me a few times, and I finally had no choice but to call my mum out. She got the towel in her hands and scooped the rabbit.
No matter how many cuddles we keep giving her, and how much time I stroke her and let her run arond with me she still grunts.

catx · Accepted Answer

It's not unusual for rabbits to turn to grunting, growling and biting when they're picked up a lot. Most rabbits hate being picked up, they associate it with being about to be eaten. When she "goes cuddly" when you pick her up, is she REALLY cuddling or is she frozen in fear? Quite often the latter is mistaken for the former!

The only way for you and the actual owners to get this rabbit's trust back is to stop picking it up and learn to respect the bunny's space. Usually they are MUCH happier when they can go from hutch to run and back again on their own terms with their own paws, so tunnels/ramps etc, no manhandling involved. 

Before she started growling with you she probably gave much more subtle, rabbit language, back off signals that you didn't recognise. When she realised that these short-eared furless rabbits didn't understand her language either she resorted to desperate measures to get her point across! 

My rabbits hate being picked up and I'm usually sulked at for a day or two post manhandling. They have ramps/tunnels and doors which mean I never need to pick them up to put them anywhere. They come running when they're called, beg for nose rubs, and are not aggressive at all. The only time I get grunted at is when I move suddenly near my little girl's head, I think she might be getting some slight sight problems so lunges at any quick movements near her nose she didn't expect.

Sight problems are very common in rabbits, especially poorly bred pet shop ones, and they are not always obvious. It might be worth having this rabbit's eyes checked, poor eyesight often also results in aggression as they can't see what's going on properly!

Anonymous · Answer

I think the rabbit misses it's original owner that has gone away or it is quite frightened of fast movement. When it attacks your hand (in gloves) squeal and let the rabbit know it's hurting you to some degree. Other than that keep trying to feed it different foods as it might feel sick. Rabbits like company so if there is no other rabbit living in the cage with it - even though you cuddle it a lot - it could be quite lonely.

Anonymous · Answer

Is she pregnant? or its possible she has some internal problem that hurts so that could be why she tries biting and growling and whimpering. I would suggest the owners take her to the vet.

? · Answer

I think she does not want too go back into her cage and shes warning you she will bite if you try too pick her up;i dont think shes a fear biter.just wear gloves or use a towel.the problem is if she knows you are afraid of her she will act worse.

Rabbit advice - exetremely frightened and tries to attack me?!?

4 Answers