There could be any number of reasons why your rabbit is aggressive. The first thing to consider is age, and whether or not your bunny has been spayed or neutered. If your bun has not been altered, and is showing signs of aggression, you can safely assume that the two are going hand in hand. Please read the article on spaying and neutering for more info.
The second thing to consider is your bunny’s surroundings. If you have a loud household, children who are not slow and gentle with your bun, a barking dog, etc., you can assume that your bunny is feeling constantly threatened, and therefore acting out of fear.
Most rabbits can be relieved of their aggression with patient and careful attention to their needs. I’ve taken bunnies that people have been afraid to feed because the rabbit will attack when their cage door is opened, and seen immediate changes as soon as they are put into an environment that makes them feel safer.
The job of bringing an aggressive bunny around should be given to one person. That person should be patient, and unafraid to be bitten, understanding that the rabbit is not intentionally being mean, but simply doesn’t feel comfortable with his surroundings. Put the rabbit in a cage with plenty of room to move around. put a box in the cage that he or she can hide in. Make sure there is plenty of hay and food at all times so your bunny doesn’t feel the need to defend his or her food. Put the cage into a room that is generally quiet. If you have two bathrooms, choose one that you won’t be using a hair dryer in, and be sure to clean it only with natural cleaners. A bathroom works well because it offers a good amount of privacy, but gets visited enough so that you can talk to your bunny and give treats when you visit. Don’t try to hold the rabbit at first. When you visit, try offering fresh veggies by opening the door and leaving them on the floor of the cage directly in front of the door. Talk quietly to your bun. It shouldn’t be long before your rabbit becomes comfortable with your presence. You can have other family members do this too, but be sure that it’s done by only one person at a time. When you feel comfortable, try offering the treats by hand. Remember, this is going to take patience, so no matter how comfortable the rabbit seems to be, do not try to pick it up yet. Still, keep your hand by the edge of the door and avoid reaching into the rabbits space. When the rabbit is comfortably taking food from your hand, you can attempt to pet his or her head. Do this by using the backs of your fingertips and petting from the nost to the ears. This is the motion that they use when grooming each other, and if you use the back of your fingertips rather than the front, you have a better chance of not getting bitten because you’ll be coming in at an angle that shows a smaller portion of your hand and bunny will be slightly less threatened. Chances are, your rabbit will at this point back off because he or she doesn’t yet want to be touched. That’s fine, just try again next time you bring a treat. The next step is to co-mingle with your rabbit in his or her environment. Get a bunny playpen or build something that will encase the rabbit, the cage, and yourself. Get in there and sit quietly for a while. Talk quietly, offer treats, and sneak in a petting or two if it’s possible. Allow other members of your family to do the same. Eventually you should be able to bring your pet around if you stick with it and remember that your bunny is probably acting out of fear. Sympathize with the bun and give him what he needs to feel that he can trust you, and chances are good that he will come around and become a very nice pet.
The key always is to be patient. All the patience in the world may not help if you don’t have your rabbit altered, so make that your first priority. Keep in mind that it takes about 6 months for the testosterone levels in a boy to taper off, so this may not be a project that will take only a few weeks.
The biggest issue that you’ll have to get around is cleaning your rabbits cage while trying not to upset it. The best way to do it is to get the rabbit out of the cage first.
I would love to have videos and chronicles of bunnies that have been tamed away from aggressive behavior to post on this site. If you have an aggressive rabbit and would like to keep a diary of your taming procedures including videos, please write to me.
