Unfriendly bunny!

[sugarsmummy]

Two weeks ago I rescued a dwarf lop! I love him but he is already 6 months old and quite unfriendly. He always runs away from me and takes every opportunity to bite! At six months, do you think it's too old for his behaviour to change? Thanks guys!

[hrl20100]

Is he neutered? Neutering can greatly affect a rabbit's behaviour.
Has he seen a vet? If a rabbit's in pain they can show this via biting...
Where is he kept? If the housing is too small, then they are unable to display happy behaviours.
What was his life like before you got him? Some rescues behave 'badly' simply because they are afraid of humans and have had little/no human interaction.
You haven't had him long, give him a chance to settle in, its all got to be very stressful for him.

Good luck!

[BrainGirl]

I agree with everything hrl20100 has said. On top of finding out whether there's a reason for the biting, I can't emphasise enough the need for patience. Some rodents are so traumatized by their previous experiences that it can take ages for them to come around. Hard-won love can be especially sweet

[flowerfairy]

Rabbits need an area of 10 foot by 6 foot, either a hutch and run or an indoor space.

They get hormonal around three months old and benefit from being neutered. This helps them to be easier to litter train as well.

They are prey animals and so quite nervous. Sit near your rabbit and talk quietly to him. Gradually get him used to you being around. You can feed him so that he begins to associate you with yummies!

Sit on the floor and let him come to you (a small plastic stood is good for sitting in sheds or runs). Gradually get him used to your hand being close and eventually build up to being able to touch him. Best of luck. Its a long road but so worth it.

[peasypea]

Originally Posted by flowerfairy

Rabbits need an area of 10 foot by 6 foot, either a hutch and run or an indoor space.

They get hormonal around three months old and benefit from being neutered. This helps them to be easier to litter train as well.

They are prey animals and so quite nervous. Sit near your rabbit and talk quietly to him. Gradually get him used to you being around. You can feed him so that he begins to associate you with yummies!

Sit on the floor and let him come to you (a small plastic stood is good for sitting in sheds or runs). Gradually get him used to your hand being close and eventually build up to being able to touch him. Best of luck. Its a long road but so worth it.

I agree, all of this!

I would definitely start with looking at where he is living - if its too small ande he can't express normal behaviour then that won't help. Also, where is he living? If its a high traffic area like a lounge, or there is a dog around etc it might be really stressul and that would cause this behaviour.

Rabbits are a really complex animal with very specific needs. It is best to consult a website like RWAF or this rescue for information.Rabbit care - THE RABBIT RESIDENCE RESCUE

Also, rabbits really shouldn't be kept alone and often their behaviour will improve greatly once bonded with another rabbit. It is best to put a neutered male and a neutered female together.

Hope you manage to work things through!

[hrl20100]

Its also important to realize that most rabbits hate being picked up, they arn't cuddly animals as they are often portrayed as in photographs. You often see photos of children holding rabbits in petshops which can be very misleading, leading people into thinking that rabbits are cuddly animals that love being handled. Many absolutely hate it!

They are prey animals and much prefer being on the ground. Although most rabbits will just run away and struggle when you pick them up, there are some that do bite because they don't like it.

Just something to keep in mind if your trying to pick him up a lot

[sugarsmummy]

Thanks for the tips guys! I'm going to get him neutered. He sleeps in a hutch that is smaller than what you recommended flowerfairy however during the day he has my entire room. Unfortunatey I cannot get another rabbit right now hopefully he'll be a bit calmer after he is neutered!

[flowerfairy]

Getting him neutered is a great idea.

Perhaps you could get a puppy pen to put round the hutch so that he can still have a bit of running space at night (when rabbits are lively). There are some on amazon and ebay.

Having your entire room sounds great for him. Indoor rabbits with human companionship do better as singles than rabbits who dont get any interaction. We can only do our best.