How to manage fear related aggression
So often families are sad when they find their new bunny that they have waited to adopt is aggressive towards them. Most time this aggression takes place in the bunnies designated space eg in playpen or room. This article shows you ways to manage and re-train the aggressive bunny.
Management tips for handling of the fear related aggression:
1. Do not enter nor put hands into his pen
2. Hand feed his pellets from outside the pen (dont leave them in a dish in pen)
Week 1:
How to attend to his pen - cleaning pen, feeding the aggressive bunny:
For the first week:
1. Lift side of pen and pull litter tray out to then clean.
2. Same with water dish
3. Vacuum pen floor with long pip on vacc. OR sweep with broom towards front of fence, lift and move fence inwards over the dirt pile and sweep up. Put fence back in place.
Week 2:
Cleaning the aggressive bunny's pen:
1. Open pen door
2. Put pellets in dish outside pen away from door
3. Wait until bunny is exploring room outside pen
4. Go into pen, derive it & come out
5. Put the pellets into the pen
6. Wait for bunny to go back into the pen. Shut the gate.
Week 3:
Continue with the hand feeding of pellets.
Teach bunny to come to you for the pellets via playpen bars and also when he is outside pen free ranging.
Tips for handling bunny:
When bunny is coming to you for pellets rub the top of his head and between his eyes with one hand while he eats pellets from a little dish in your other hand or on floor. The trick here is to stroke his head without him seeing your hand.
During all the above the bunny will become used to you, the setting, the noises and smells of the new home. He will become less fearful and more receptive.
When it comes to picking up your aggressive bunny you can use the Snuggle Cuddle Coat technique.
We will support you with the slow integration of your adopted rescue bunny into your home. Thank you for adopting him. Our bunnies come with 100% return guarantee. We are happy to swap him for a different bunny, no questions asked. Just say the word.