How to Stop a Rabbit's Biting Habit

Last Updated: December 12, 2021 References

Rabbits can be affectionate creatures, but fear or aggressive instincts can cause even the sweetest rabbit to bite. If you're raising a rabbit and have experienced behavioral problems, you might be wondering what you can do differently to bring back the sweet, affectionate pet you once knew. You can break a rabbit's biting habit, but it's going to take patience and some work on your part. With time, however, your rabbit will be back to his old, lovable self.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Stopping Aggressive Biting

1
Determine the triggering situation. There are numerous reasons why a rabbit might bite someone or something, but aggressive biting is usually in response to fearful or threatening situations.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Jamie Freyer, DVM
Licensed Veterinarian
Expert Interview. 7 December 2021.} If you want to break your bunny of his aggressive biting behavior, you'll have to observe him and determine what situations set him off.^{[2]
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- Is your rabbit fearful of being picked up?
- Does your rabbit bite when you reach into his cage?
- Does your rabbit seem to get aggressive when you feed him or take away his food?
- Take note of the most common situation or situations in which your rabbit acts aggressively. Then think about why your rabbit might feel frightened or threatened in those situations.
2
Calm an angry rabbit. If your rabbit is acting aggressively, you may be tempted to keep your distance. However, the best way to cope with this situation is to calm your rabbit and show him affection. This will teach your rabbit over time that you are not a threat, and that he does not have to fear you.^{[3]
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- Watch your own body language. Putting your hand in front of a rabbit's face may seem like a good way to introduce yourself (especially if you're used to dogs), but to a rabbit it could be perceived as a threatening gesture.
- A dominant rabbit will often force his face into a subordinate rabbit's face as an act of aggression. If you shove your hand towards your bunny's nose, he might think you're doing the same thing.
- Keep your hands behind your rabbit's head and far away from his nose.
- Any time your rabbit appears frightened near you, try gently stroking his head from above. Make sure you avoid the face (although the forehead may be okay), and talk to your rabbit in a calm and soothing voice.
- Some people find that holding an angry rabbit against your breastbone, with one hand around his ribs and the other hand supporting his behind, can calm the rabbit down and make him feel secure.
- Lifting and securing an angry rabbit should be done with great caution, and is not recommended for everyone. If you do decide to try it, make sure the rabbit's feet and mouth are away from you so he can't hurt you.
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3
Offer your rabbit treats. Treats can often soothe or at least distract an aggressive rabbit. Over time, a rabbit who acts aggressively - say, for example, when you pick him up - will come to react more calmly when he knows he'll be rewarded with treats.
- Find an edible treat that your rabbit values highly. This should be a special treat, not the usual food pellets or vegetables you feed him every day.
- Put the treat in a small tin, like a metal bowl or a clean mint/candy tin.
- Rattle the treat around in the tin whenever you are about to approach your rabbit. Begin his association with the rattling treat when he's in a good mood so that eventually you can use the treat to calm him.
- Keep associating the rattling with the treat until your rabbit will approach you when you shake the tin.
- Eventually you'll be able to use this trick to calm your rabbit's aggression when you need to pick him up or clean his cage.
4
Expose your rabbit to triggers slowly. If your rabbit acts aggressively when you do certain things (trying to pick him up, for example), you'll need to expose him to that triggering situation slowly and gradually. This is important, as forcing him to cooperate will only make your rabbit more frightened and subsequently aggressive.
- Let your rabbit determine how much contact/exposure he can handle before he needs to be left alone.^{[4]
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- Offer treats using a rattling tin every time you expose your rabbit to his trigger (for example, lifting him up). Over time this can serve as a cue that he will get the treat if he behaves.
- Limit how much and how often you expose your rabbit to the stressful situation. Continuing with the previous example of picking him up, only lift your rabbit for a moment or two at a time, then immediately put him back down and reward him with treats.
5
Avoid disciplining your rabbit. Some people may think that disciplining a rabbit by swatting his nose or whacking him with a newspaper will "break" his bad habit. The reality is that this is very dangerous to do. Hitting or physically disciplining your rabbit in any way can cause serious injuries, and if nothing else will absolutely make your rabbit even more fearful of you.^{[5]
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- If you discipline your rabbit, he will never forget it. From that point on, he will only fear and resent you.
- Your rabbit should only see your hands as a source of affection (through petting/caressing) and food.
- Work on retraining your rabbit while also reassuring him that you are not a threat. Let him know that his environment is safe.
6
Find other ways to stop biting. Though physically disciplining a rabbit is always a bad idea, some rabbit experts recommend finding other painless ways to teach a rabbit that he has hurt you with his biting. Be aware, however, that any unpleasant physical contact may cause your rabbit to become fearful of you in the future. Talk to a veterinarian or a qualified animal care expert before attempting these or other methods of discipline.
- Some people recommend pressing a rabbit's head down to stop him from biting, but this may seriously injure or even kill a rabbit if you use force. It's best to avoid trying this unless you are a skilled rabbit trainer.^{[6]
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- Rabbits typically scream to convey fear or great pain.^{[7]
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  Research source} Consider watching or listening to an online recording of a rabbit screaming and try to imitate that sound to let your rabbit know he's causing you pain.^{[8]
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  Jamie Freyer, DVM
  Licensed Veterinarian
  Expert Interview. 7 December 2021.}
7
Consider desexing your rabbit. Aggressive behavior may be caused by sexual maturity. Some rabbits that are in heat will become hyper aggressive, and may bite or scratch for no apparent reason.
- Desexing (spaying/neutering) a sexually mature rabbit will drastically reduce territorial and aggressive behavior.
- Talk to a vet about desexing your rabbit if you think sexual maturity is the problem. Make sure your vet is experienced at desexing rabbits of both sexes.^{[9]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Identifying the Cause of Your Rabbit's Biting Habit

1
Recognize cage protective behavior. Some rabbits become territorial due to sexual maturity. However, other rabbits simply become aggressive if you reach into the cage or try to remove the rabbit from his environment. Other signs of cage protective behavior include biting you when you try to clean the cage or remove his food or toys.^{[10]
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- Rabbits need to feel like they have a safe space, which is most likely the cage. Reaching into the cage could be seen as a threatening act.
- Instead of reaching into your rabbit's cage to pull him out, try leaving the gate open and letting him come out when he's ready.^{[11]
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2
Learn the signs of a bored rabbit. Some rabbits resort to biting out of boredom. Much like a nagging child who pulls on your arm and cries until you pay attention, your rabbit's biting may simply be caused by boredom and not getting enough attention.^{[12]
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- Spend some time each day petting your rabbit or playing with him (if he'll let you).^{[13]
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  Jamie Freyer, DVM
  Licensed Veterinarian
  Expert Interview. 7 December 2021.}
- Consider getting a second rabbit to keep your bunny company. If you do this, however, you should ensure that both rabbits have been desexed to avoid aggressive competition.
- Make sure your rabbit gets plenty of exercise time outside his cage. Try to play with him, or simply let him romp around and explore a bunny-proof room.^{[14]
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3
Identify the signs of a rabbit in heat. If your rabbit has reached the age of four or five months old and developed aggressive biting habits, it's possible that he's reached sexual maturity. This can mean that the rabbit is in heat, and may continue to act aggressively until he is desexed.
- Spraying urine is a common sign of being in heat, as well as the rabbit plucking its own hair (though this may be more common in females than males).
- Grunting, growling, and biting may be related to sexual behavior, though there could be other explanations. Talk to your vet or a qualified animal specialist if you're unsure of your rabbit's developmental stage.
4
Address nipping behavior. Some rabbits will nip at you when you try to discourage destructive behavior. This usually indicates irritation or a desire to be left alone, especially if it comes as a response to touching or moving your rabbit.^{[15]
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- Nipping may simply be a cry for attention. Try guessing what your rabbit might need (petting, food, water, etc.) and see if that stops his nipping.
- Typically, if your rabbit is nipping, it's to give you a warning. The easiest way to deal with a rabbit that wants his space is to leave him alone or put him back in his cage.
5
Know when to see a vet. Any time your rabbit's aggression or biting becomes a problem, you should talk to your veterinarian for advice on how to proceed. If the rabbit has already been desexed it could be a behavioral problem, perhaps related to previous mishandling, mistreatment, or even abuse. It could also be an underlying health problem that's causing your rabbit to act out. Your vet will be able to give you more concrete advice based on your rabbit's health history, adoption history, and a comprehensive physical examination.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Deterring Problem Chewing/Biting

1
Give your rabbit chew toys. If your rabbit is biting objects but not people, he may be acting out of boredom. However, he may also be biting/chewing to manage his teeth. Unlike human teeth, a rabbit's teeth will keep growing throughout his life, and he'll need objects to chew on to help manage that growth so it does not cause greater health problems.
- If your rabbit experiences decreased appetite, nasal discharge, tooth grinding, or easily visible teeth protruding from his mouth, he may have overgrown teeth. See your vet as soon as possible so that your veterinarian can help your rabbit.^{[16]
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- Wood is the best chew toy for rabbits. You can buy a wooden product at a pet store, or give your rabbit a fresh tree branch/twig to chew on.
- Make sure that the wood is safe for rabbits. A chew toy should be untreated and unpainted, and tree branches should be non-toxic and pesticide-free.
- Safe, nontoxic wood sources include apple, willow, aspen, and pine.
- You can also give your rabbit other chew toys (in addition to wood) to keep him busy. Try giving your bunny the cardboard from a toilet paper or paper towel roll, cereal boxes, paper bags, or commercially-bought animal toys.^{[17]
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2
Make prohibited objects undesirable. One option to keep your rabbit from chewing household items is to use a deterrent spray. These make furniture and other objects undesirable to the rabbit, and will likely deter future efforts at chewing those prohibited objects.
- You can buy a deterrent spray, or put unpleasant-tasting products on prohibited objects.
- Try using bitter apple spray (which can be bought at many pet stores), or try rubbing a little hot sauce on an object (as long as it won't destroy the object).
3
Block access to problem areas/objects. If your rabbit is determined to chew things, you might have to bunny-proof a room and make that his designated play area. Common household objects that rabbits tend to target include:
- baseboards
- wires and electrical cords
- carpets
- furniture (including the legs, which may be hidden by other fabric)
- corners and enclosed spaces around your home^{[18]
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Expert Q&A

Question

Why is my rabbit constantly biting me?

Jamie Freyer, DVM
Licensed Veterinarian
Dr. Jamie Freyer is a Licensed Doctor of Veterinary Medicine based in Washington. With over ten years of experience in clinical practice and industry, she specializes in veterinary medicine and surgery, animal behavior, and animal genetics. Dr. Freyer holds a BS in Life Science from The University of Portland and a DVM from Oregon State University.

Jamie Freyer, DVM

Licensed Veterinarian

Expert Answer

It's usually because they're a little afraid or because they haven't been well socialized. Or it's because you're really tasty. It's one of those things.

Warnings

Never injure or abandon a rabbit. If you're experiencing biting problems and can't seem to break the habit, consider giving him up to a shelter that specializes in animals with behavioral problems. You can search online to find rescue shelters in your area, or ask a vet for a recommendation.

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