What's With The Growling?

[Bad Habit]

So, every day, I check Lily's litter box and if it doesn't need cleaning, I fluff the hay in it, and add some more. Well, when I was fluffing the hay today, she growled and struck at me! She lets me handle her fine, I petted her for a while after the incident, and she was completely relaxed. Gave her some carrot, she took it like a champ, ate it in front of me. Tried to fluff her bedding again, and BAM, super aggressive evil bunny was back trying to eat my fingers. I left her alone for a bit, then let her free for a run around, and she was completely fine other than growling a couple times at the dog(I don't blame her, he's an idiot). Decided to try fluffing her hay when she was across the room, and she came charging back over to try and attack again. I'm not sure if she's trying to attack my hand, or the hay, but I don't like this at all. Any ideas or suggestions?

On another note, I've never heard a bunny growl before, and if I wasn't worried about losing pieces of my fingers, I'd find the whole thing hilarious.

 

[MaggieJ]

Any chance she is pregnant? To me it sounds rather as though she is defending her nest site.

 

[Bad Habit]

Nope. She's only 4mths, and I've had her since the beginning of Dec with no interaction from another rabbit... Unless the neutered dog managed to do the deed, I know he's been interested in trying...

 

[Bramble Hedge]

Sounds typically hormonal Doe behavior lol, yes they sound so serious when they growl lol, She is letting you know that is her box and she has decorated it herself and is just the way she likes it thank you very much but get your own box to play in! lol

 

[MaggieJ]

Maybe something about the fluffing upsets her. I'd avoid doing it for the time being... maybe she'll forget about it. It might be best to remove the litter box to tend to it.

 

[ladysown]

she's gonna want to be bred... hormonal does are silly... Leave her nestbox alone...let her fluff it herself it is hers afterall.

 

[Bad Habit]

Does this mean she's going to lose her mind when I clean the litter box? It's due to be changed in a day or two, and there's absolutely no way to save the "nest" but get it clean. I use a biodegradable litter(Carefresh Freshsorb) with a couple handfuls of hay on one end. Eventually she spreads the hay all over the top of the litter, but the litter still works to absorb the pee.

 

[MaggieJ]

Not necessarily. Just remove the whole box, clean it and return it. You might be well advised to wear protective gloves to get the box in and out of the cage. Be matter-of-fact and don't reward the bad behaviour with attention of any kind.

 

[akane]

Just pop the box out, I would think you can reach in over her head since they are usually tall in the back otherwise feed scoops always make good barriers to hormonal does, and dump it like normal. She'll rearrange things after you are done when she feels like it. It's not going to cause her any undo stress but it is one reason it's a good idea to neuter (neuter is actually the neutral word for both genders) any pet/house rabbits you don't plan on breeding. Hormonal does and even bucks can get very territorial and pushy, sometimes even violent, when kept around humans as pets. Not all of course. I've had a few of the most laid back bucks ever and Amako my pet mini rex doe doesn't do anything but thump and grunt a little which I just tell her isn't going to work and continue with what I was doing.

 

[Bad Habit]

I use a regular cat pan for the bunny litter, and changing the litter was an insane ordeal today. As soon as I opened the cage, I realized I was going to be in for a treat, she went into alert and gave me a look. I reached in to grab the litter and she growled and lunged at me, and foolishly I yanked my hand out right away, proving to her that a growl and a lunge works to get me to back off. I reach in again, and hook my fingers under the edge of the box, and start pulling, she goes after me again, only this time when I pull my hand out, she follows. I shut the cage in her face, left her a bit to calm down, went back to try again, this time with a towel in hand to try and protect myself. I got the pan out with little trouble, cleaned and refilled it, and when I opened the cage to put it back in, she went berserk. Charged the front of the cage, got far enough out that I couldn't shut the cage. I threw my towel over her and scooped her up, and she calmed right down. Now I'm scared to let her out of her cage for exercise, because I don't want her to have another tantrum when I'm unable to contain her. I don't know if this is normal teenage bunny drama, or what, but I'm not in the least bit impressed at the moment.

Would it be mean/cruel to use a squirt bottle to discourage this psycho behaviour, or is it more likely to encourage her to spazz out?

 

[ladysown]

i'd use it. But mostly I tell them to chill out. I get a hand on them and hold them down. Holding them down is actually bunny discipline but you need to jump on it. (can't let them practice that type of behaviour). Give her three weeks to chill out, and if she doesn't I would sell her to a breeder or neuter her.

 

[akane]

Personally I think she's being beyond standard aggression and in to the insane rabbit category now. I would not keep her for a pet without spaying but your choice to try. I haven't found any bunny discipline or bribery tactics to work when they will go after you to that extent repeatedly over something so simple as reaching in their cage and rearranging an object. We've spent 6-8months repeatedly trying various tricks on rabbits who acted like that out of demon rabbit's line. I've not seen it from any others to that level except the odd occasion where rabbit communication was ignored by humans and there was a one time incident. This is no longer one time and it is no longer a basic attempt to protect an object or space. As we would say with dogs an attack continued when no longer provoked and beyond necessary force.

Towels do not make good rabbit barriers. Good rabbit capturing and wrapping tools. Good colony shooing tools to round them up. Bad for stopping bites and lunges from violent rabbits. "Oh look some nice soft cloth to tear up and bite through". I've had them go through denim blankets and leather gloves so towel is not much obstacle unless we are talking netherland dwarf cause those were mini rex. I'll take my metal feed scoop when I have a questionable rabbit or the few who are protective of their litter which I like in my colony rabbits to an extent.

 

[Bad Habit]

I'm wondering now if it's the dog that's freaking her out, or if he's accidentally sat on her and hurt her or something. Today, when I checked her box/food/water she sat in the back corner of her cage, let me pull the box to the front, check, add more hay(no fluffing though), do some general tidying, etc. She came to the front of the cage and let me pet her and scratch her, then went back into her box to rearrange her new hay. Normally while this happens the dog is milling about, investigating, stealing whatever pellets he can get in his mouth, but today when I did it he was out for a walk with his "grampa"(my dad takes the dog out for an hour a couple times a week, he started doing it when I was working and they both enjoy it greatly). The dog loves the bunny, and since he's very gentle with her, more inquisitive than anything, I saw no harm in allowing them to interact.

As far as the towel goes, it was intended to be used as a distraction, to redirect her from trying to get me. I didn't figure it would work to protect me, but it would have helped to stop the bleeding, lol!

In regards to spaying/rehoming - I doubt a breeder would want her, as she's a mix. If she doesn't settle down, I will have to spay her, though I really don't want to. I won't have her done before she's 6mths, so she's got time to get over whatever's caused this before the big snip. I'm just going to have to suck it up for the time being and stop reacting to her threats. So long as she doesn't bite me, I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.