Do young rabbits go through an obnoxious teenage stage as they grow? Hamletta is just so obnoxious she's annoying! :lol: She was born 6/20. She digs at the wire, bites at the wire, pulls on her door, practically falls out of her cage stretching so far to get the hay I'm trying to put in her cage, and multiple other tricks she likes to play. She's gotten so impatient with me she's pawed at me, and then there's moments where she's so calm. I'm curious if this is just her rabbitude, and the way she's going to be, or will she grow out of this behavior? She's pretty special to me, so "cull" is not something that comes up.
Something I'm curious about.
- Thread starter fuzzy9
- Start date
Help Support Rabbit Talk Forum:
At five months old, she may be getting hormonal... wanting to be bred. I expect she will settle down eventually.
currituckbun
Well-known member
:shock: I have sister blue silver fox rabbits. One is sweet and she is a bit shy but likes pets and is okay with being moved about. The other is rather aggressive and surly comes to mind . She threw all of her nesting material out of her cage before she recently kindled (store bought bedding) . I had to wait a day and put different material in (hay) and she accepted that. When I open the door of her cage she charges but that is all. She is not a biter but grunts at me when she is not pleased with something I am doing in her cage or to her. (nails, cleaning etc.) Sour Iris I think will remain sour. She even sulks in the back of her cage when I come in. I think her personality will stay. I hope I am wrong. She was born 5/11.
PS. She loves my friend Karen and comes up to her and wants pets. ....Was it something I said?
PS. She loves my friend Karen and comes up to her and wants pets. ....Was it something I said?
yes, teenage does can be a pain...they can also be really funny. Same thing with teenage boys... though getting sprayed just because you give them hay...not so funny. They do settle down. 
I REALLY like the does who just have ONE day when they are odd and then settle... but I had one that went through a prolonged maturation of 3 months. Then settled nicely.
I REALLY like the does who just have ONE day when they are odd and then settle... but I had one that went through a prolonged maturation of 3 months. Then settled nicely.
Yes, she is definitely in the prolonged maturation category! But, I will say, she definitely is very accepting of my attention. Every time I open the cage, before I even show her the hay, she rests her head for scratchies. Can't wait for her to settle down though. :lol:
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
I have a doe who was 6 months on the 14th of this month, and I call her Evil Blue. She gets all low and lunges with her ears pinned back when she gets her hay in the morning. I must admit, she is rather scary... I've been trying to make friends with her, but am not making any progress. When I pet her, she immediately hops to the back of the cage and spins around so she can glare at me!
When I feed in the morning, I've tried turning my back on her and taking the hay back out when she acts up, hoping NEXT time she'll be polite, but I ultimately give up after 4 or 5 times because I have a lot of other chores that need to get done. <sigh> She hasn't bitten me yet, but I also am very cautious with her.
I think I would prefer Miss Hamletta's tricks! If her behavior doesn't improve after her first litter, it's off to camp for her! She is very pretty and has a beautiful coat so I hope she settles down once she gets bred.
When I feed in the morning, I've tried turning my back on her and taking the hay back out when she acts up, hoping NEXT time she'll be polite, but I ultimately give up after 4 or 5 times because I have a lot of other chores that need to get done. <sigh> She hasn't bitten me yet, but I also am very cautious with her.
I think I would prefer Miss Hamletta's tricks! If her behavior doesn't improve after her first litter, it's off to camp for her! She is very pretty and has a beautiful coat so I hope she settles down once she gets bred.
They don't really get scrawny or bony but some of mine have definitely gotten awkward-looking as they hit the midpoint of their growth. Their ears look too big, heads little, legs too long either in front or back but then the rest catches up and they look fine.
OneAcreFarm
Well-known member
currituckbun":2njbx5ao said:
She may settle down after the second litter...I had one that did that.
MamaSheepdog........I have one similar to yours too, she's a month older than Hammy. She started out where she was the most friendly, easy to handle of the litter, and then a switch just flipped one day. She started lunging at me when I'd put hay in, but whenever she did that I picked her up, and pestered the S**T out of her, petting her. Every time I open her cage, I make a point of petting her, and talking to her. It seems to have worked for the most part, though she had a couple bad days where she lunged at me again at feeding time, while putting hay in her cage. She absolutely LOVES her hay, so I immediately pulled it out, and she went without for that feeding. She has actually been good since then, though she hates being touched on the butt first, if I touch her butt first she grunts, and jumps towards me a bit, but she's not too bad. So as long as I touch her head first, she's perfectly fine, and I can touch her all over then. I'm sure once she's bred, she'll mellow out....but that presents another dilemma..........I'll have to change her name because Witchy Woman may no longer fit her! :lol: :bunnyhop:
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
Hmmm, Fuzzy9... I'll have to try taking her out then and maybe skip a hay feeding or two as well. When I last took her out she was surprisingly good about getting her weight taken and nails trimmed.
She doesn't grunt or growl, just comes at me with silent menace. I talk to her and touch her briefly every day (starting at the dangerous head end like you do!) but she doesn't appreciate my friendly overtures one bit! She raises her nose into the air when I am reaching to pet her head. Do they ever launch themselves at your hand? I'll keep trying- she is the only aggressive one I have- some are a little skittish, but they just hop out of reach. Nothing like my Evil Blue!
Today I'll take a LONG piece of carrot out with me and hand feed her. I've tried to hand feed before, but my buns are new to fruit and vegis so they get small pieces, and when she ignores the offering and comes to sniff (or bite?) my fingers, I retreat with the treat like a coward!
She doesn't grunt or growl, just comes at me with silent menace. I talk to her and touch her briefly every day (starting at the dangerous head end like you do!) but she doesn't appreciate my friendly overtures one bit! She raises her nose into the air when I am reaching to pet her head. Do they ever launch themselves at your hand? I'll keep trying- she is the only aggressive one I have- some are a little skittish, but they just hop out of reach. Nothing like my Evil Blue!
Today I'll take a LONG piece of carrot out with me and hand feed her. I've tried to hand feed before, but my buns are new to fruit and vegis so they get small pieces, and when she ignores the offering and comes to sniff (or bite?) my fingers, I retreat with the treat like a coward!
Frosted Rabbits
Well-known member
MamaSheepdog":3g4yw9cx said:
Actually, that is the start of 'operant conditioning' When she approaches the treat, put the treat down and withdraw your hand, slowly-- You are leaving a reward for the rabbit approaching you. Let her get closer each time, so that eventually, she is taking it from your hand, then have her follow your hand...
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
Frosted Rabbits":97nev59g said:
My concern is that I may inadvertently reinforce a negative behavior (aggressive posture, pinned ears) by giving a treat with her approaching that way. Now, if her ears were up, and she was displaying polite curiosity it would be one thing... but her attitude is "hand it over and get the he** out!" I used the same process when I was care-taking some animals- there was a mare that pinned her ears when she was fed, and I waited for the briefest flick of forward ears before tossing her the hay, and asking for a bit more each feeding. After just a few days she was much better.
Has anyone here tried clicker training with their rabbits? I bet some of the house rabbit people have... hmm.
Frosted Rabbits
Well-known member
Clicker training is just operant conditioning with an extra step in it
Cattle Cait
Well-known member
They do hit an odd teenage stage both physically and mentally. They do get sort of lanky and awkward, a sort of growing-into-their-ears moment. Also they tend to turn bratty. Give them a few months, they should grow out of it.
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
I can think of another adjective beginning with 'B' that would apply to Evil Blue!
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
LOL-OL-OL!!!
Um... no.
Um... no.
