bunny keeps biting thru ice packs

[Chickenlover0810]

I have a year and a half male mini rex and he is a stinker, he keeps biting thru his icepacks! we give him and our two other rabbits icepacks to keep them cool in the hot summer(cause they are outside rabbits) and is the only one who bites holes in them!that is the 4th one he has ruined in the last week, any suggestions on what to do? also, he is quite rude, he tries to bite my family members(not me because he knows that I am the boss) and he has bit them! help me!!!!

 

[NatJ]

For the ice pack situation, maybe you could freeze water in a plastic bottle (from water, pop, juice, etc). Those are sturdier and might last longer, and if he does bite through them you could just throw them away. (You could also use yoghurt cups, sour cream containers, etc-- any kind of plastic "trash" that can hold water once.)

Make sure he has a stick or something similar to chew on, because rabbits do need to chew on something to wear their teeth down. But if he's already got a stick, then he probably just likes the taste or feel of the ice pack.

You could keep him from biting family members by tending him yourself, and not letting anyone else interact with him. If they can't remember which rabbit to leave alone, maybe you can put a lock on his cage. Even adding something extra to unfasten (carabiner, spring clip, padlock) can remind them that this is the one to avoid.

I suggest you think about whether you want to continue keeping this rabbit at all, because another solution is to get rid of the rabbit. (Personally, I eat rabbit, especially rabbits that act nasty. But I know that doesn't work for everyone.)

 

[cassie]

Three comments. One, rabbits will bite through anything they decide to bite through. Two, as others have said you can use milk jugs or anything else disposable to freeze water in. Three, I have to ask. Why are you keeping an obnoxious rabbit that is prone to bite? There are lots and lots of bunnies available. Personally, I have never found it worth my while to keep one that was either sickly or bad tempered. But that's me. If this rabbit is a breeder, bear in mind that temperament is to some extent hereditary.

 

[Tclloyd0812]

I have a year and a half male mini rex and he is a stinker, he keeps biting thru his icepacks! we give him and our two other rabbits icepacks to keep them cool in the hot summer(cause they are outside rabbits) and is the only one who bites holes in them!that is the 4th one he has ruined in the last week, any suggestions on what to do? also, he is quite rude, he tries to bite my family members(not me because he knows that I am the boss) and he has bit them! help me!!!!

I would stop with the ice packs and freeze some water in plastic containers or sandwich bags, then pop the ice out of them and give it to him like that. Or you can give frozen veggies or fruit, keeps them cool and provides a treat!

Not sure on the biting. Some bucks just have an attitude to them, that or you may be handling him wrong or hurting him?...

 

[Tclloyd0812]

Three comments. One, rabbits will bite through anything they decide to bite through. Two, as others have said you can use milk jugs or anything else disposable to freeze water in. Three, I have to ask. Why are you keeping an obnoxious rabbit that is prone to bite? There are lots and lots of bunnies available. Personally, I have never found it worth my while to keep one that was either sickly or bad tempered. But that's me. If this rabbit is a breeder, bear in mind that temperament is to some extent hereditary.

Agreed. When we raised rabbits we culled the biters. We had a doe one time that just hated people, even when she didn't have babies or anything. She would bite you up!

 

[GranderTheGander]

Personally, I think freezing water in 2-liter soda bottles is a better choice than eating or culling the rabbit. Rabbits with attitude are interesting creatures. I've had quite a few "mean queens" and they are fun pets for teenagers and adults. (Not younger children, though.) When I took my most aggressive Netherland Dwarf doe to a rabbit vet to be spayed, he thought she would have been a good rabbit to breed since she had such a strong constitution. (He was a wildlife vet, too.)

A breeder would not see it that way, of course. The breeder we got her from didn't even charge a fee for her, since she was too mean to show or even handle. You learn how to handle biters without getting bit. Once she had the run of a room the last half of her life, she became much less territorial, but still had attitude. The smaller the living space, the more likely a biter will bite. She was a fun, entertaining bunny and lived to be 10 years old.

 

[cassie]

Personally, I think freezing water in 2-liter soda bottles is a better choice than eating or culling the rabbit. Rabbits with attitude are interesting creatures. I've had quite a few "mean queens" and they are fun pets for teenagers and adults. (Not younger children, though.) When I took my most aggressive Netherland Dwarf doe to a rabbit vet to be spayed, he thought she would have been a good rabbit to breed since she had such a strong constitution. (He was a wildlife vet, too.)

A breeder would not see it that way, of course. The breeder we got her from didn't even charge a fee for her, since she was too mean to show or even handle. You learn how to handle biters without getting bit. Once she had the run of a room the last half of her life, she became much less territorial, but still had attitude. The smaller the living space, the more likely a biter will bite. She was a fun, entertaining bunny and lived to be 10 years old.

What you keep and what you cull depends a lot on what you want from your rabbits. Or any other livestock for that matter. For me, constitution and conformation, while very important, were not my only criteria for breeding stock. Temperament is hereditary. Just because you can handle a biter or other aggressive critter, doesn't always mean you should. I don't fault your choices, but to me, an animal that is more trouble than it is worth, goes in the pot. I also do not think animals that are aggressive should be bred. I don't want those traits in my animals and I don't want to pawn those traits off on an unsuspecting buyer. But that's me.

This is off the subject a bit, but it illustrates what I am talking about. For many years I worked as a milker on a cow dairy. One day I saw my boss load a beautiful fresh heifer into a truck and take her directly to the slaughterhouse. Why? Because when she came in the milk barn she went berserk. I couldn't milk her and neither could he. It wasn't just that she was scared either. She was aggressive and downright dangerous. She didn't just kick like a lot of nervous heifers do. She was deliberately aiming her kicks so as to have maximum impact. Like aiming for my head when I tried to milk her. She was dangerous and a menace. Turned out her mother had been the same way. She didn't last very long in the dairy either. This particular heifer was her first and only calf. Anyway, this taught me something. Now a rabbit is not a cow. Its bites may be painful, but a rabbit is unlikely to kill you. However, to my mind the same rules apply. If an animal, or person for that matter, gives you more grief than joy, unless you like the challenge,(and some people do) in my humble opinion, it is best to get that person or animal out of your life.

 

[Chickenlover0810]

I would stop with the ice packs and freeze some water in plastic containers or sandwich bags, then pop the ice out of them and give it to him like that. Or you can give frozen veggies or fruit, keeps them cool and provides a treat!

Not sure on the biting. Some bucks just have an attitude to them, that or you may be handling him wrong or hurting him?...

I'm pretty sure I'm not handling him wrong, i will start giving him some frozen veggies, great idea!

 

[Chickenlover0810]

For the ice pack situation, maybe you could freeze water in a plastic bottle (from water, pop, juice, etc). Those are sturdier and might last longer, and if he does bite through them you could just throw them away. (You could also use yoghurt cups, sour cream containers, etc-- any kind of plastic "trash" that can hold water once.)

Make sure he has a stick or something similar to chew on, because rabbits do need to chew on something to wear their teeth down. But if he's already got a stick, then he probably just likes the taste or feel of the ice pack.

You could keep him from biting family members by tending him yourself, and not letting anyone else interact with him. If they can't remember which rabbit to leave alone, maybe you can put a lock on his cage. Even adding something extra to unfasten (carabiner, spring clip, padlock) can remind them that this is the one to avoid.

I suggest you think about whether you want to continue keeping this rabbit at all, because another solution is to get rid of the rabbit. (Personally, I eat rabbit, especially rabbits that act nasty. But I know that doesn't work for everyone.)

sorry, we are not the type of people to give up on our rabbits, he is for 4-H and i spent a fair amount of money on him. thanks for the idea of the frozen water bottles!

 

[Chickenlover0810]

Personally, I think freezing water in 2-liter soda bottles is a better choice than eating or culling the rabbit. Rabbits with attitude are interesting creatures. I've had quite a few "mean queens" and they are fun pets for teenagers and adults. (Not younger children, though.) When I took my most aggressive Netherland Dwarf doe to a rabbit vet to be spayed, he thought she would have been a good rabbit to breed since she had such a strong constitution. (He was a wildlife vet, too.)

A breeder would not see it that way, of course. The breeder we got her from didn't even charge a fee for her, since she was too mean to show or even handle. You learn how to handle biters without getting bit. Once she had the run of a room the last half of her life, she became much less territorial, but still had attitude. The smaller the living space, the more likely a biter will bite. She was a fun, entertaining bunny and lived to be 10 years old.

haha, yes i agree, why get rid of a nasty bunny?? i will start freezing some 2-liters. thanks!