How to stop my rabbit from being aggressive when I reach in her cage?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Small Animal | Rabbit | Female | spayed | 3 years and 4 months old | 9 lbs
My rabbit is very defensive, she will grunt at me and will attempt to scratch my hands when I put my hands in her cage for anything. Is there anything I can do to help lessen her fear or defensiveness?
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on March 9th, 2017
It sounds as though you are described territorial behavior. Female rabbits that have been spayed usually don't develop this type of behavior once they get to be several years old. She may be becoming defensive or fearful if she has an illness she is trying to hide and therefore protect herself. Some illnesses to consider in this case are dental diseases, urinary tract diseases or sometimes skin issues. If she has not had a recent (3-4 months or less) veterinary examination, I recommend starting with an examination to ensure there are no health issues involved. Beyond that, you could consider placing her in a new cage or hutch, feeding her directly from your hands (if possible to do safely) and giving more social interaction time outside of the cage.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on January 16th, 2018
I am sorry that Paws has started acting out. I have a couple of suggestions. First I would recommend an examination with a veterinarian to determine if she is painful anywhere. Often, just like us, they tend to have less tolerance if they are in pain. This can be something hiding from view such as oral pain or bladder stones which are both common in rabbits. Second, unspayed females tend to be more aggressive than spayed females. I would consider having her spayed, but there is no guarantee that it would improve her behavior. Best of luck and I hope she settles down soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on March 22nd, 2018
Mature female rabbits tend to be more aggressive than males. Sometimes spay can help, but it can take about 60 days for those hormones to leave the system, so don’t give up hope yet. However, I would not ever expect her to tolerate the other bunny. Some female rabbits Are aggressive no matter what you do. Best of luck and I hope she calms down. Occasionally they will improve if you find a rabbit to bind with- but that takes time. Thank you for using Pet Coach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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