Newly Nipping...

[CaptainKitty]

My young cuddle bunny Spur is not yet fixed, (it's so very expensive 350$) and I've noticed what I think is a "she" has started to nip me...

She's always been VERY cuddly and timid... and often licks while being petted. Recently, the licking turns into nips, and now she's doing it more and more. Sometimes, even when I feed her.

I don't know how to deal with this at all... From everything I've read, there is no way to really punish a rabbit. How do you get them to understand that nipping is bad without scaring them to death?

Is there anything I can do before I get Spur snipped?

[Fromper]

Rabbits have a very specific "pecking order" in groups, and behavior like this is how they fight for dominance within the group. Usually, it's just clawing, but biting is a possibility, too. It sounds like she's trying to assert herself as being superior to you in the social structure of your home.

To make her stop, you've got to show her who's boss. Bonk her lightly on the top of her head when she does this. Keep tapping on her head if you have to, until she retreats a step and puts her head down submissively. This is how they accept defeat and show their loyalty to the lead rabbit. When she does this, scratch her behind the ears to let her know you accept her and there's no hard feelings.

Some rabbits will continue to challenge you every once in a while for their entire lives, while others will accept defeat after the first couple of tries and never fight you that way again. It really depends on the individual rabbit.

--Fromper

[kathydip]

You could yelp loudly when she nips you. To be sure she knows that it hurts. They do nip each other for many reasons. To show dominance, to say get out of my way....
I believe that since buns have all that fur it doesn't really hurt the other bun too badly. Since we have no fur it hurts really bad! I don't think they realize how much pressure they can use with us furless creatures.
Teddy still nips me from time to time. I yelp and I think he gets the idea.
Oliver nipped me tonight. I deserved it. I was trying to get the extra fur off of him. He hates being held or touched - as you can see I deserved the nip.