our dwarf lop is becoming a biter!

On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 01:04:43 +0000, tbm wrote:

> and we are loosing our love for him. my girlfriend was changing his papers tonight in his hutch (indoors) when he lunged out at her
> hand and drew blood.can we do anything to avoid this type of behaviour? for if it does not stop she says he'll have to go.any advice
> please?rgds to all from TBM...

Rabbits are very moody. Heidi (our rabbit) only goes into her cage for one
of two reasons

(1) she wants to be alone
or
(2) she wants to fight!

I've posted before that Heidi likes to fight. If Heidi sees me and she
wants to fight she runs into her cage. I take a cardboard tube from a
paper towel roll and shove it at her. Heidi loves to bite into the
cardboard tube, wack at it with her paws, and growl at me the whole time.
When Heidi has had enough enough she runs to me and wants to be cuddled.

If Heidi runs into her cage when nobody is watching then she really wants
to be alone. Heidi's cage has a sheet draped over it so she has privacy.
If I check in on her when she's being aloof I pat her on the head. If
Heidi doesn't want to be bothered she'll give me a nip, but she won't draw
blood. If I try to pull her out after she's nipped me then she'll bite a
lot harder (so I don't do that anymore). Heidi use to be more prone to
bite me when she was in a bad mood, but she has mellowed out. So give your
rabbit a chance to mellow out, too. If you give your rabbit free rein
around the house you'll know if she wants to be in her cage or not and
therefore if in a bad mood or not (works with Heidi).

Heidi also gets set in her ways. We moved her litter tray out of the spot
we had it in for a year. Heidi became moody and wouldn't let us hold her!
After putting her litter tray back to where she likes it she became her
usual lovable self. When your rabit gets ornery try to think if something
has changed in your rabbit's routine.

Lorraine and David