Rabbits aren't always the cute cuddly angels most people think them to be. Just like dogs (and people!), there are countless reasons why a rabbit could be acting aggressive. If your rabbit is displaying aggressive behavior, have a local rabbit expert help you in person. I am not responsible for the behavior of your rabbit.
Here are some common reasons why your rabbit might be aggressive:
1. Teenage angst
Some does (and occasionally bucks) go through a teenage phase sometime around 5-8 months of age. This stage can last anywhere from a couple weeks to several months and can start at any time within that sort of time frame. Usually, the rabbit will display territorial behavior in its cage or pen, including growling, pouncing, running away, and biting. Usually they are perfectly sweet and cuddly when they are being held, but are little demons in their cages. This is basically a rebellious teenage phase in which the rabbit thinks they are the boss of everyone. Their hormones are going crazy and they get frustrated because they want to breed. If your rabbit is displaying territorial behavior, the key is to not be afraid of them, otherwise they think they have won. Don't avoid handling them, but don't overhandle them either. One or two times per day, pick up the rabbit out of the cage, and try not to get nervous and jumpy as it will feed the behavior. Have an expert help you if you aren't sure what to do. If you handle the situation correctly and don't get afraid of the rabbit, the aggressive/hormonal behavior will go away given time.
2. Lack of attention
Lack of attention and handling is a very common cause of aggression. Usually this presents in nipping, avoidance, and, most often, scratching and trying to escape being held. This is usually coupled with general bad manners, such as the rabbit jumping out of your arms to go back into its cage. Don't blame the rabbit for this, it isn't their fault you weren't around for them. Rabbits need frequent handling to become tame. Make sure you handle your rabbit several times a day (though not so much that they get sick of it) to avoid this.
3. Lack of socialization at a young age
Rabbits are very similar to puppies in that respect. If the original breeder did not handle the kits frequently, they are likely to become wild and distrustful of people. These rabbits can be constantly tense and nervous, and may bite and charge if cornered. To prevent this, give your rabbits lots of goodies (like dried papaya) whenever you come by, so that they learn that humans always bring nice things. You can gradually start petting the rabbit, and get to the point where the rabbit is ok with you picking it up.
4. Pain
Any animal on the planet, dog, cat, human, horse, or rabbit, will display poor behavior if in pain. In humans, we may get a bad temper and be rude to others. In rabbits, they may bite. If your rabbit is biting due to pain, forgive this and do everything you can to alleviate the animal's pain. Always take your rabbit to a vet if you suspect it is in pain.
5. Pregnancy
Many does will get very moody when pregnant. This happens with many species. Usually this form of aggression is caused by you putting your hand in her cage, and is characterized by loud growling, nervousness, crashing around the cage, and biting. Don't handle the doe much when she is pregnant unless it is necessary. Don't worry about pregnancy changing her behavior permanently; all the does I have ever owned have gone back to their normal personalities after they have settled back down after their litter. Don't think your doe doesn't love you, she actually does, but she's just very very hormonal and moody from the babies! Pregnant does can be mean as snakes, so always handle them with caution.
6. Protective of new kits
If your doe recently had a litter, she is likely to be very protective of them. Your doe may exhibit the same signs as if she were pregnant (see #5 above). This is normal and a sign she wants to be a good mother! Don't worry too much about this. They usually settle down within a week or two of kindling.
7. Extreme stress
If a rabbit has just been under a great deal of stress, say, a surgery, or being chased by a dog, they are much more likely to show fearful behavior, which can present as aggression. Don't get afraid of the rabbit, and don't take it to heart. Give the rabbit plenty of time to de-stress, then deal with the issue later. Even the best of us snap under extreme stress, so don't be too hard on the rabbit, it's not their fault.
8. Incorrect handling
Incorrect handling is the most common cause of aggression and poor behavior in rabbits. Every rabbit owner wants to think they are instant experts, but the truth is, incorrect handling is very very common. Any poor behavior or aggression could be caused by bad handling. Some examples of this are trapping the rabbit, spooking it, grabbing it from behind, handling roughly, not holding the rabbit firmly enough, and letting the rabbit jump out of your arms when putting it back in its cage. Another common scenario is when a rabbit is already showing bad behavior from one of the other problems listed in this article, and the situation isn't handled correctly. One common circumstance is when a hormonal 'teenage' doe is handled incorrectly. Problems caused by incorrect handling can be hard to fix, so always have an expert help you.
9. Multiple traumatic experiences
Rabbits aren't stupid, they remember unpleasant experiences. If the rabbit has been dropped several times in recent history, it will be afraid of being held. If a rabbit has been chased to be caught multiple times, it will fearfully run away or attack the pursuer. To overcome these issues (which are usually caused by improper handling), you must be willing to put in a lot of time and commit to regaining your rabbit's trust slowly but surely. As always, have an expert help you.
10. Indulgence
Just like children, rabbits can be indulged. And just like indulged children, indulged rabbits can become super-brats. It's usually caused by coddling them at a young age and having no boundaries set by the owners. Basically, the rabbit learns that humans can be totally ignored and that they can behave exactly how they want. Indulged rabbits often exhibit behaviors such as refusing to be caught, scratching, biting to get food quicker, attacking the food scoop or pouncing on hay, running off when being held or being put on a table, scrabbling while being held, nipping, obsessively chewing on fabric, climbing up the owner's shoulders, jumping into their cage out of the owner's arms, and other general poor behavior. Rabbits, like children, dogs, horses, and any other animal, need, as Cesar Millan says, "rules, boundaries, and limitations". Does that mean you need to spank your rabbit if it acts like a brat? NO! Always be gentle, but firm, with your animal. By insisting on rules, you create a sweet, docile rabbit that is a pleasure to be around.
11. Not understanding their behavior
Many newbies like to think they are instant experts in all things rabbit. The fact is, they aren't. Even people who have had animals before often have difficulty telling what their pet's body language means. For example, did you know certain tail wags in dogs can mean aggression or dominance? It's the same concept with rabbits. Many people think their rabbit's curious behavior of putting their ears forward is aggression, or that their rabbit is frightened because its heart rate is so fast (even though rabbits at rest have an average heart rate of 120-150 beats per minute), or that their lop rabbit is sad because it has a slipped crown! In contrast, many people think that their rabbit's raised tail is cute, or that it needs to pee, when in reality the rabbit is frightened. This means that oftentimes, situations are handled wrongly by owners who simply do not understand what their rabbit is trying to tell them. So...unless you really, really know what you are doing from many years of experience handling/training animals, do not expect to understand all your rabbit's behavior. When in doubt, ask an expert breeder. A lot of rescue volunteers and vets also have no idea what they're doing when it comes to rabbit behavior. An experienced breeder is your safest bet.
12. Baby nibbling
A lot of the time, people think their very young rabbit is aggressive, when in reality it is just a young baby exploring the world with its mouth. Although rabbits do not go through a 'teething' phase like many species, they do have an extreme affinity for nibbling on everything they can find, especially around weaning age when they are figuring out what they can eat and what they can't. Oftentimes they will become obsessed with nibbling on fabric, such as clothes, rugs, and blankets. Young kits also enjoy eating human hair whenever given an opportunity to do so (obviously, don't let them do this). They may also try and nip at you, which in its initial stages is usually just curious nibbling as they don't know any better. But as the rabbit matures and gets away with this sort of thing, it can become an entitled, indulgent form of aggression. These behaviors should be gently but firmly discouraged in kits. When a kit is nipping or nibbling, instead of taking away whatever it is they are biting at, gently bop them on the nose or push their nose away, telling them "No" in a kind but firm tone. It will take quite a few attempts, especially with stubborn rabbits, but as long as you are humane and kind, but carry on insisting firmly, they will get the message.
13. Need the bathroom
Oftentimes, perfectly sweet rabbits with no behavioral issues will start squirming and nipping at their owners out of the blue. This is often when the rabbit is very tidy and well litter-trained, and has been held for a long period of time. The rabbit doesn't want to be badly behaved, it just desperately needs the bathroom and doesn't want to have to pee on you! Don't correct this sort of behavior, it isn't the rabbit's fault. Instead, just let your rabbit have a potty break before it gets to this point.
14. Rescue rabbit
Rescue rabbits are notorious for aggressive behavior. Yes, many rabbits from rescues and shelters are perfectly sweet, gentle rabbits. But the fact is, rescues have no idea what sort of past most of their rabbits have had. As most rescue rabbits come from unfortunate circumstances where they have been raised without a mother, or raised without human contact, or have been abused or traumatized. Unfortunately, this means many rescue rabbits exhibit very poor behavior as they never learned how to properly interact with humans. Many of these behaviors are fixable given expert handling and patience, but sadly, many of these issues can never be completely solved. This is why we don't recommend rescue rabbits to beginners without rabbit experience.
15. Babying
So many times I hear the excuse "but it's just a baby!" The fact that a rabbit is young does not excuse poor behavior, such as biting, struggling, chewing things they oughtn't (like clothes), and being difficult to catch. Puppy owners teach their pups to not bite. Like puppies, young rabbits should be expected to not bite. It doesn't mean you have to be cruel to your rabbit. Just don't excuse its bad behaviors when it is young. Those cute sweet nibbles on your finger, or the amusing way your baby rabbit nips at your pants is going to be a hell of a lot less cute when it grows to adult size.
16. Over-handling
Another common reason of bad behavior, and, in extreme cases, aggression, is over-handling. Yes, you want to handle your rabbit often, but they also need time of their own to do their own thing. Being constantly grabbed and poked and prodded is stressful and annoying to the rabbit, so odds are they're going to act out, and can you blame them? The best way to prevent bad behaviors caused by over-handling is, obviously, to handle the rabbit less often.
17. Fear
This is a very, very common cause of aggression in rabbits, like in any other species. When an animal is scared enough, they feel a need to defend themselves. This is usually just avoidance, but if the rabbit is scared badly enough, they will resort to growling, pouncing, biting, and attacking what they perceive as a threat. To stop fear-based aggression, always be slow, calm, and gentle with your rabbit, whether it is acting aggressive or not. Once the rabbit stops being afraid, it will usually resort to normal behavior. If it gets bad enough though, it can be extraordinarily hard to fix and the rabbit may never get over it and exhibit PTSD sort of symptoms.
18. Boredom
Oftentimes, bored rabbits will exhibit mildly aggressive behaviors, such as nipping, nibbling, and chewing on you or your clothes. They will often pace around their cage and thump constantly as well. To prevent boredom, give lots of hay or toys, and interact with your rabbit on a regular basis. Some people also clicker-train their rabbits, which I did once or twice in the past, and the rabbits loved! :)
19. Breed-specific behaviors
Some rabbit breeds tend to be more high-strung than others. Many of the dwarf breeds and full-arch breeds are notoriously feisty. These spunky little boogers can become obnoxious at best and highly aggressive at worst if not given the proper handling. The running breeds (Rhinelander, Checkered Giant, Tan, and English Spot) tend to like frequent playtime, so make sure you give them opportunities to run and play so that they don't take out their frustration on you! With high-strung breeds, such as Netherland Dwarfs and Britannia Petites, make sure that they are given frequent handling, and never own one of these breeds unless you really know what you're doing, otherwise you could very easily end up with a crazy, aggressive animal.
20. Bad genes
This should be the very last thing to consider if your rabbit is being aggressive. Most instances of rabbit aggression I have ever seen have been caused by the other 19 reasons. But yes, it's possible that through a random lineup of genes, you end up with a genetically unfriendly rabbit. It does happen, even from parents with wonderful temperaments. Talk to the breeder or rescue that you got the rabbit from, and see what they say. If working with a genetically aggressive animal isn't feasible for you, that's totally understandable. It's possible they may take the rabbit back, or offer another solution.
Here are some common reasons why your rabbit might be aggressive:
1. Teenage angst
Some does (and occasionally bucks) go through a teenage phase sometime around 5-8 months of age. This stage can last anywhere from a couple weeks to several months and can start at any time within that sort of time frame. Usually, the rabbit will display territorial behavior in its cage or pen, including growling, pouncing, running away, and biting. Usually they are perfectly sweet and cuddly when they are being held, but are little demons in their cages. This is basically a rebellious teenage phase in which the rabbit thinks they are the boss of everyone. Their hormones are going crazy and they get frustrated because they want to breed. If your rabbit is displaying territorial behavior, the key is to not be afraid of them, otherwise they think they have won. Don't avoid handling them, but don't overhandle them either. One or two times per day, pick up the rabbit out of the cage, and try not to get nervous and jumpy as it will feed the behavior. Have an expert help you if you aren't sure what to do. If you handle the situation correctly and don't get afraid of the rabbit, the aggressive/hormonal behavior will go away given time.
2. Lack of attention
Lack of attention and handling is a very common cause of aggression. Usually this presents in nipping, avoidance, and, most often, scratching and trying to escape being held. This is usually coupled with general bad manners, such as the rabbit jumping out of your arms to go back into its cage. Don't blame the rabbit for this, it isn't their fault you weren't around for them. Rabbits need frequent handling to become tame. Make sure you handle your rabbit several times a day (though not so much that they get sick of it) to avoid this.
3. Lack of socialization at a young age
Rabbits are very similar to puppies in that respect. If the original breeder did not handle the kits frequently, they are likely to become wild and distrustful of people. These rabbits can be constantly tense and nervous, and may bite and charge if cornered. To prevent this, give your rabbits lots of goodies (like dried papaya) whenever you come by, so that they learn that humans always bring nice things. You can gradually start petting the rabbit, and get to the point where the rabbit is ok with you picking it up.
4. Pain
Any animal on the planet, dog, cat, human, horse, or rabbit, will display poor behavior if in pain. In humans, we may get a bad temper and be rude to others. In rabbits, they may bite. If your rabbit is biting due to pain, forgive this and do everything you can to alleviate the animal's pain. Always take your rabbit to a vet if you suspect it is in pain.
5. Pregnancy
Many does will get very moody when pregnant. This happens with many species. Usually this form of aggression is caused by you putting your hand in her cage, and is characterized by loud growling, nervousness, crashing around the cage, and biting. Don't handle the doe much when she is pregnant unless it is necessary. Don't worry about pregnancy changing her behavior permanently; all the does I have ever owned have gone back to their normal personalities after they have settled back down after their litter. Don't think your doe doesn't love you, she actually does, but she's just very very hormonal and moody from the babies! Pregnant does can be mean as snakes, so always handle them with caution.
6. Protective of new kits
If your doe recently had a litter, she is likely to be very protective of them. Your doe may exhibit the same signs as if she were pregnant (see #5 above). This is normal and a sign she wants to be a good mother! Don't worry too much about this. They usually settle down within a week or two of kindling.
7. Extreme stress
If a rabbit has just been under a great deal of stress, say, a surgery, or being chased by a dog, they are much more likely to show fearful behavior, which can present as aggression. Don't get afraid of the rabbit, and don't take it to heart. Give the rabbit plenty of time to de-stress, then deal with the issue later. Even the best of us snap under extreme stress, so don't be too hard on the rabbit, it's not their fault.
8. Incorrect handling
Incorrect handling is the most common cause of aggression and poor behavior in rabbits. Every rabbit owner wants to think they are instant experts, but the truth is, incorrect handling is very very common. Any poor behavior or aggression could be caused by bad handling. Some examples of this are trapping the rabbit, spooking it, grabbing it from behind, handling roughly, not holding the rabbit firmly enough, and letting the rabbit jump out of your arms when putting it back in its cage. Another common scenario is when a rabbit is already showing bad behavior from one of the other problems listed in this article, and the situation isn't handled correctly. One common circumstance is when a hormonal 'teenage' doe is handled incorrectly. Problems caused by incorrect handling can be hard to fix, so always have an expert help you.
9. Multiple traumatic experiences
Rabbits aren't stupid, they remember unpleasant experiences. If the rabbit has been dropped several times in recent history, it will be afraid of being held. If a rabbit has been chased to be caught multiple times, it will fearfully run away or attack the pursuer. To overcome these issues (which are usually caused by improper handling), you must be willing to put in a lot of time and commit to regaining your rabbit's trust slowly but surely. As always, have an expert help you.
10. Indulgence
Just like children, rabbits can be indulged. And just like indulged children, indulged rabbits can become super-brats. It's usually caused by coddling them at a young age and having no boundaries set by the owners. Basically, the rabbit learns that humans can be totally ignored and that they can behave exactly how they want. Indulged rabbits often exhibit behaviors such as refusing to be caught, scratching, biting to get food quicker, attacking the food scoop or pouncing on hay, running off when being held or being put on a table, scrabbling while being held, nipping, obsessively chewing on fabric, climbing up the owner's shoulders, jumping into their cage out of the owner's arms, and other general poor behavior. Rabbits, like children, dogs, horses, and any other animal, need, as Cesar Millan says, "rules, boundaries, and limitations". Does that mean you need to spank your rabbit if it acts like a brat? NO! Always be gentle, but firm, with your animal. By insisting on rules, you create a sweet, docile rabbit that is a pleasure to be around.
11. Not understanding their behavior
Many newbies like to think they are instant experts in all things rabbit. The fact is, they aren't. Even people who have had animals before often have difficulty telling what their pet's body language means. For example, did you know certain tail wags in dogs can mean aggression or dominance? It's the same concept with rabbits. Many people think their rabbit's curious behavior of putting their ears forward is aggression, or that their rabbit is frightened because its heart rate is so fast (even though rabbits at rest have an average heart rate of 120-150 beats per minute), or that their lop rabbit is sad because it has a slipped crown! In contrast, many people think that their rabbit's raised tail is cute, or that it needs to pee, when in reality the rabbit is frightened. This means that oftentimes, situations are handled wrongly by owners who simply do not understand what their rabbit is trying to tell them. So...unless you really, really know what you are doing from many years of experience handling/training animals, do not expect to understand all your rabbit's behavior. When in doubt, ask an expert breeder. A lot of rescue volunteers and vets also have no idea what they're doing when it comes to rabbit behavior. An experienced breeder is your safest bet.
12. Baby nibbling
A lot of the time, people think their very young rabbit is aggressive, when in reality it is just a young baby exploring the world with its mouth. Although rabbits do not go through a 'teething' phase like many species, they do have an extreme affinity for nibbling on everything they can find, especially around weaning age when they are figuring out what they can eat and what they can't. Oftentimes they will become obsessed with nibbling on fabric, such as clothes, rugs, and blankets. Young kits also enjoy eating human hair whenever given an opportunity to do so (obviously, don't let them do this). They may also try and nip at you, which in its initial stages is usually just curious nibbling as they don't know any better. But as the rabbit matures and gets away with this sort of thing, it can become an entitled, indulgent form of aggression. These behaviors should be gently but firmly discouraged in kits. When a kit is nipping or nibbling, instead of taking away whatever it is they are biting at, gently bop them on the nose or push their nose away, telling them "No" in a kind but firm tone. It will take quite a few attempts, especially with stubborn rabbits, but as long as you are humane and kind, but carry on insisting firmly, they will get the message.
13. Need the bathroom
Oftentimes, perfectly sweet rabbits with no behavioral issues will start squirming and nipping at their owners out of the blue. This is often when the rabbit is very tidy and well litter-trained, and has been held for a long period of time. The rabbit doesn't want to be badly behaved, it just desperately needs the bathroom and doesn't want to have to pee on you! Don't correct this sort of behavior, it isn't the rabbit's fault. Instead, just let your rabbit have a potty break before it gets to this point.
14. Rescue rabbit
Rescue rabbits are notorious for aggressive behavior. Yes, many rabbits from rescues and shelters are perfectly sweet, gentle rabbits. But the fact is, rescues have no idea what sort of past most of their rabbits have had. As most rescue rabbits come from unfortunate circumstances where they have been raised without a mother, or raised without human contact, or have been abused or traumatized. Unfortunately, this means many rescue rabbits exhibit very poor behavior as they never learned how to properly interact with humans. Many of these behaviors are fixable given expert handling and patience, but sadly, many of these issues can never be completely solved. This is why we don't recommend rescue rabbits to beginners without rabbit experience.
15. Babying
So many times I hear the excuse "but it's just a baby!" The fact that a rabbit is young does not excuse poor behavior, such as biting, struggling, chewing things they oughtn't (like clothes), and being difficult to catch. Puppy owners teach their pups to not bite. Like puppies, young rabbits should be expected to not bite. It doesn't mean you have to be cruel to your rabbit. Just don't excuse its bad behaviors when it is young. Those cute sweet nibbles on your finger, or the amusing way your baby rabbit nips at your pants is going to be a hell of a lot less cute when it grows to adult size.
16. Over-handling
Another common reason of bad behavior, and, in extreme cases, aggression, is over-handling. Yes, you want to handle your rabbit often, but they also need time of their own to do their own thing. Being constantly grabbed and poked and prodded is stressful and annoying to the rabbit, so odds are they're going to act out, and can you blame them? The best way to prevent bad behaviors caused by over-handling is, obviously, to handle the rabbit less often.
17. Fear
This is a very, very common cause of aggression in rabbits, like in any other species. When an animal is scared enough, they feel a need to defend themselves. This is usually just avoidance, but if the rabbit is scared badly enough, they will resort to growling, pouncing, biting, and attacking what they perceive as a threat. To stop fear-based aggression, always be slow, calm, and gentle with your rabbit, whether it is acting aggressive or not. Once the rabbit stops being afraid, it will usually resort to normal behavior. If it gets bad enough though, it can be extraordinarily hard to fix and the rabbit may never get over it and exhibit PTSD sort of symptoms.
18. Boredom
Oftentimes, bored rabbits will exhibit mildly aggressive behaviors, such as nipping, nibbling, and chewing on you or your clothes. They will often pace around their cage and thump constantly as well. To prevent boredom, give lots of hay or toys, and interact with your rabbit on a regular basis. Some people also clicker-train their rabbits, which I did once or twice in the past, and the rabbits loved! :)
19. Breed-specific behaviors
Some rabbit breeds tend to be more high-strung than others. Many of the dwarf breeds and full-arch breeds are notoriously feisty. These spunky little boogers can become obnoxious at best and highly aggressive at worst if not given the proper handling. The running breeds (Rhinelander, Checkered Giant, Tan, and English Spot) tend to like frequent playtime, so make sure you give them opportunities to run and play so that they don't take out their frustration on you! With high-strung breeds, such as Netherland Dwarfs and Britannia Petites, make sure that they are given frequent handling, and never own one of these breeds unless you really know what you're doing, otherwise you could very easily end up with a crazy, aggressive animal.
20. Bad genes
This should be the very last thing to consider if your rabbit is being aggressive. Most instances of rabbit aggression I have ever seen have been caused by the other 19 reasons. But yes, it's possible that through a random lineup of genes, you end up with a genetically unfriendly rabbit. It does happen, even from parents with wonderful temperaments. Talk to the breeder or rescue that you got the rabbit from, and see what they say. If working with a genetically aggressive animal isn't feasible for you, that's totally understandable. It's possible they may take the rabbit back, or offer another solution.