Aggressive or antisocial behavior does not necessarily mean that your rabbit hates you. Instead, these behaviors are an indication that your rabbit is afraid. Your behavior or your rabbit's past experiences have caused them to be afraid of people, making them lash out or withdraw.
Hormones: Like moody human teenagers, a rabbit's bad attitude is often hormonally driven. Rabbits tend to be quite territorial by nature, and if your rabbit is still intact (not spayed or neutered), an intense desire to procreate makes aggressive behavior much more common and difficult to deal with.
If they are sitting upright and their front paws are 'boxing' at you, they are likely very unhappy. Vocalising. Rabbits don't tend to make much noise and when they do it's a sign they're feeling very threatened. You may hear them grunting or growling and in extreme cases, they can scream.
Your rabbit doesn't want to be held
Even though many people think of rabbits as cuddly animals, most rabbits absolutely hate being held. In fact, being carried is a scary situation for rabbits. Their first line of defense is to run as fast as they can and hide.
Some bunnies are fine with being held, but never assume that your bunny likes being picked up just because they don't struggle in any way. Many rabbits hate being held and will actually freeze with fear. Our advise would be that it is always better to get down to your bunnies level and have a cuddle.
Other signs that a rabbit may be suffering from stress or fear include chewing cage bars, over-grooming, altered feeding or toileting habits, or repeatedly circling the enclosure.
Many rabbit caretakers struggle with behavior problems that include destructive digging and chewing behaviors. Some rabbits also develop bad litter box habits. Other rabbit behavioral problems include fear and aggression toward humans and other animals.
Spritz water
Fill up a spray bottle with cool (not icy) water, and then gently spritz the fleshy parts of your rabbits' ears – making sure not to get water into the ear canal itself. As the mist evaporates your rabbits should feel immediate relief.
Rabbits can become aggressive when they feel they have to protect their territory. They may get aggressive when you walk near their enclosure or stick your hand in to grab food or water bowls. Most of the time, extremely aggressive territorial behavior is fixed after a rabbit has been spayed or neutered.
Until you've learned to gain your rabbit's trust, you should avoid picking them up. To interact with your rabbit you'll want to sit on the floor with some treats and allow them to come to you. They'll get a reward for being a brave bunny and approaching you, and will slowly learn to associate you with yummy treats.
Hormones. Rabbits can display aggressive behaviour towards their owners or perhaps companions during the spring – the rabbits' natural breeding season. This aggression is hormonal and indicates a normal desire to defend their territory and ward off any rivals.
If you're keen to make them stop, a loud enough squeal – but not loud enough to cause alarm – should do the trick. A rabbit that is biting out of affection will respond to the idea that they may be causing harm and decide not to do so again.
A rabbit who is angry will quickly twitch their tail up and down. Beware the rabbit holding their tail up, it is frequently followed by spraying. Rabbits who are not spayed and neutered will spread their scent by spraying everything in sight. They may also do this when they are upset or simply dislike a person.
In the wild, rabbits would spend their time digging, running, jumping, rearing up, hiding, eating, socialising with other rabbits (and being alone sometimes too). To allow your pet rabbits to carry out their natural behaviours they need to be given plenty to do.
Is there such a thing as a 'low mood' in rabbits? While rabbits don't get psychological depression in the same way as humans, their behaviour can become subdued when they are ill or kept under stressful conditions.
Signs of stress may include: appearing nervous (freezing, hunched up with ears flat against the body) being excessively jumpy and watchful (bulging eyes) being aggressive to people or other rabbits, particularly if the behaviour is unusual.
Around 3 to 4 months of age, the baby grows into a “teenager,” and then the hormones start to rage. This causes your dear sweet bunny to become aggressive, often biting, spraying urine, tearing at her cage or your clothing, destroying your towels, furniture, or electrical cords.
The rabbit had bad past experiences
Maybe they have been handled roughly, or people pet them in a way that made them feel uncomfortable. In this case, the rabbit's avoidance of being touched is based entirely on fear. You will need to teach your rabbit to trust you before you can pet them.
Nudging can either mean one of two things: Your rabbit is trying to get past you or smell something and you're in their way. Or they are trying to get your attention because they want a treat or to be petted. Whether an act of bossiness or attention seeking, your rabbit is trying to get your attention.
Always be gentle.
Approach them from above or from the side, as their eyes are not situated to let them see directly in front of their noses. Get down to your bunny's level - this is much safer than picking them up and holding them at a height. Petting can also help to put your bunny at ease.