My evil rabbit baby, video

[Secuono]

So took a video of my evil baby SF I bought about 2 weeks ago Sunday.
I had pet him with the stick and same response. Never whacked him w/it, just gentle pets/strokes. Then when I was catching him, first try he spooked me...again, lol. Second try I got him, but no injuring him, he's just fast and bites/kicks, so had to grab him by w/e I could. Then you can see I had a loose hold of him. He screams like that anytime I try to catch him or actually get my hand on him. He freaks and screams when held, on the ground, don't want him biting my legs or anything else. Anytime he thinks I let go or am not paying attention, he tries to bolt and when he realizes he's still caught, he screams and kicks again. :angry:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkgTtxsbRtc[/youtube]

 

[yankee'n'moxie]

Wow... LOL

My Flemish X Mini Lop doe does that, but not with my hand. She just doesn't like sticks! LOL

 

[ladysown]

I would definitely advise you put him into a smaller cage. he's got too much space to work with there and be freaked out by. Rabbits can and do find comfort in being in smaller tighter surroundings. Or failing that... give him some boxes to hide in.

I'd be inclined to not mess with him at all. Just feed, ignore and talk to. NOTHING else for a good couple of weeks. Give him time to adjust to a new location and to just chill out. He's a badly frightened rabbit and is just too freaked out to handle anything right now and therefore is on the total defensive.

What I saw in the video was you letting him practice bad behaviour even though he did settle down eventually. When you grab him out I'd suggest you do so much more quickly do a basic grab and scoop into a quiet environment and let him settle. yes, difficult, but it does work to help them settle and realize you aren't the end of the world.

Me personally.. unless that rabbit doesn't settle down in the couple of weeks would be STRONGLY hesitant to breed from it lest it give me kits with a similar temperament.

 

[siddsaysgimmie]

He's scary! Really scary.

What even makes a rabbit that crazy? Wow.

 

[MaggieJ]

Your rabbit is scared, not evil... and I think what you are doing with the stick is only making him worse. Try wooing him with soft words and treats through the wire for a couple of weeks and you will likely be able to win him over.

Ah, I see Ladysown has already answered with some very good advice!

 

[Southbound_SF]

Man, you got a crazy one! I hope he settles down once he gets used to you and the new environment. I agree that he may feel more secure in a smaller space. Maybe whoever you got him from had him in a very different environment, with walls and such, and now he's out in the big wide open world all alone.

SB

 

[Secuono]

He was with his mom and siblings in a big wire cage. I have left him alone all this time, first 2 days I tried and then today after I got home from work I bothered him again. I am petting him with the stick, first time he was actually much calmer, but then I took him out to pet him and he reverted back to an evil rabbit. I don't care if he's afraid or mean, he is still evil acting. I don't have a smaller cage and I can toss in a box and see what happens. But when I had brought him home, I put him in his temp cage still in his transport box. He walked out on his own and never used it again, so took it out. He is all alone in the chicken pen where the cages hang, all the other rabbits are out on pasture now.
I'm keeping him until breeding and gonna see what becomes of his offspring. Maybe by then he will be somewhat manageable. If all else fails, he will have a small grass pen so breeding will be easy and if I ever do need to catch him, it will be an easier thing.
I did try to catch him, but I had the camera in one hand and an attack rabbit at the other. W/o the camera, I can catch him in one go, since I can distract him with my left hand and snatch him up with the right.
Wooing with grass doesn't seem to work, since he can see and smell me on the other end...

 

[MaggieJ]

The point is if he is acting this way because he is scared then you have a good chance of changing his behaviour by encouraging him to be less scared. It would take time, patience and work but might well be worth it. Try giving him a cardboard box inside his cage. It may help him to feel more secure.

 

[ladysown]

I don't care if he's afraid or mean, he is still evil acting.

but how you perceive him and talk about him may influence you in how you treat him.

So talk to him like you would a scaredy cat baby.

 

[dragonjaze]

Definitely not a happy rabbit. He needs something to hide in, for sure.

And it's male. ANYTHING male can be wooed with food. Try some extra-special treats that he only gets from you.

 

[curlysue]

I would avoid any contact for at least a week.give him a chance too settle in.

 

[fuzzy9]

Whenever I've had an aggressive rabbit, I noticed that putting anything in the cage, like a brush to clean the floor, or when I pick up it's chew stick, it's actually made them more combative.

 

[MaggieJ]

Whenever I've had an aggressive rabbit, I noticed that putting anything in the cage, like a brush to clean the floor, or when I pick up it's chew stick, it's actually made them more combative.

I agree. It seems to antagonize them and/or make them more fearful. I would never try to "tame" a rabbit with a stick or anything similar. It is just adding to the problem.

 

[Secuono]

Can't use your hand to tame it. Using a stick is no different from a hand, other than being safe.
Ignoring him is no good. I ignored him for 2 weeks and it did nothing.

 

[MaggieJ]

You've been given several suggestions: giving him a box so he can feel safe, wooing him through the wire with treats, using a smaller cage... It's up to you whether you want to try the things that other people have found helpful with scared rabbits.

 

[Secuono]

I already said I'll give him a box and leave him alone and just see what happens.
Gotta risk my hand and catch him to redo his food/water setup so I have access from the outside.

 

[fuzzy9]

He is all alone in the chicken pen where the cages hang, all the other rabbits are out on pasture now.

Can I ask, why is he all alone, with no rabbits in sight?

Personally, I don't know about anyone else, but if this were me, a young rabbit only weeks old, pulled from mamma not long ago, in a place all alone, with tons of new sights, smells, not to mention the chickens, and all the new noises, I would be totally freaked out. Then add in a stick poking at me on top of it.

I guess I don't understand why you even post to ask the questions? People on this forum genuinely want to help, and offer suggestions, with years of experience behind them; yet you always seem to have a reason why they are wrong, and then get defensive. I've always found the help I get here to be extremely useful.

 

[Secuono]

I didn't post for answers, just showing how he's acting.
He was 5wks when I got him and he had other rabbits next to him. I am moving all my rabbits into grass pens as I make them. And he is the last one waiting for a pen. I'm hoping to sell a rabbit this Saturday and move him into the pen when I get back home.
He's fine with the chickens and lounges and is calm and happy. I can see him while I do chores, he only freaks out when I come too close and now I won't be near him unless he is low on food/water or I'm bringing him grass.
You guys seem to think that just because I use a stick, I am being cruel or something. Anything can be used to pet something, it depends on how you use it that makes it safe or wrong.
I'm not trying to be rude or defensive, just trying to make sure everyone gets the other side of the story and not just one and make a wrong call. I'll be/have tried what has been suggested.

 

[MaggieJ]

I don't think anyone thinks you are being cruel, CnB, but I think quite a number of people feel that your methods are mistaken and counterproductive. When a rabbit is scared, anything that comes into his cage seems to be a threat. They are prey animals and very skittish... some more so than others... and when feeling trapped and threatened they will, as a last resort, attack.

I hope giving him some more cover (a box for hiding) and leaving him be for a time will help make him less frightened and open to advances of friendship from you down the road.

 

[cmabb]

When I had a fierce rip your face off rabbit, in order to grab her or anything, I would have to wear a sweater/jacket and wear a thick leather glove to provident and scratching and biting. I tell you it works, I grabed her and put her down cause I dont deal with mean rabbits.