Dear Friends of House Rabbit Society,

Welcome to our newest e-newsletter feature. To complement our
monthly "What's New at HRS" newsletter, which goes out at the
end of the month, we will also be sending out a mid-monthly
feature, prepared by HRS Educator Laura Barnes, which will
include heartwarming rabbit stories, tips, and useful
educational articles that will hopefully benefit all of our
members and readers.

***

Living with a Biter
By Mary Alexander, Alabama EARS volunteer
Story Editor, Laura L. Barnes

This story originally appeared in the Alabama EARS newsletter in
September 2003. For more information about Alabama EARS, visit
http://www.alabamaears.org/.

I became a bunny owner quite by mistake. Sophie was a gift from
a well–meaning friend. My intentions were to find her a good
home and continue my pet-less life, but a few weeks passed, and
I was hooked on the little critter. As I learned about bunnies
and how best to care for them, I began thinking about getting
a companion bunny for Sophie.

I had the obvious choice of going to the pet store and purchasing
a bunny, or contacting a breeder. But the idea of saving a life
appealed to me, and so I discovered Alabama EARS. I arranged an
appointment for Sophie and I to meet foster director Linda
Howard. I was surprised to learn that Linda had some 15 bunnies,
of all shapes and sizes, waiting for homes. I was immediately
smitten with a little dwarf male who looked like he'd been dipped
in various shades of chocolate brown. I reached in to pet John
Jacob, whereupon he promptly charged, growled, and bit me. I must
admit, I was taken aback. Sophie's a licker/groomer. I've even
caught her grooming the toilet! I had no idea that bunnies
could – and would – bite. After having Sophie spayed, I decided
to proceed with the adoption, thinking that John Jacob's biting
would cease when he adapted to his new surroundings.

Sophie and John Jacob, now called JJ, bonded immediately and were
quite the pair. However, JJ and I didn't get along quite as well.
My first mistake was in expecting JJ to be like Sophie. Upon
arriving home in the evenings, I would let Sophie and JJ out of
their room to play in the living room. JJ would refuse to come
out, so I began making him come downstairs for playtime. This
usually resulted in me chasing him around the room, getting
bitten in the process. Not exactly what I had in mind. After
a few days of this, I decided to try a new tactic. I left
him alone. I'd check on him, make sure he was eating and
drinking and was bright-eyed, but I didn't try and touch
him. For about 3 days, he remained under the bed in their room.
On day four, Sophie and I were in the living room when who
should appear? A very curious JJ. He explored every nook and
cranny of the living room before venturing into the dining
room. Within a few days, he was quite comfortable with the
surroundings and was hopping throughout the house. However,
any attempts to touch him still resulted in him biting. One day,
JJ and Sophie were playing on the staircase landing, where
one wall is mirrored. Sophie hopped up to the bunny in the
mirror, and began grooming it. Meanwhile, JJ began biting
his reflection, his teeth making squeaking noises on the
glass. I began to wonder if biting was simply JJ's way of
communicating.

I decided to try an experiment. I quit trying to pet JJ at
all, and every evening I would lie in the floor and read
aloud to the bunnies. Sophie immediately realized the benefits
of having me as a Big Bunny Toy, jumping over my back, running
up and down my legs, digging in my hair, and grooming me. It
wasn't long before JJ joined in, nudging me and chewing on my
book. Pretty soon he was letting me pet him, even purring, but
he was still biting. However, the biting behavior had changed.
Initially he was aggressive, drawing blood when he would bite.
Now he was relaxed, letting me know when I had violated him
in some way. As I spent more time with JJ, I began to
categorize his biting: there's the "I really like you" bite,
which reminds me of a dog itching its coat; the "stop petting
me" bite, which is usually accompanied by a growl; the "you
shouldn't have done that to me" bite, which I get after the
weekly grooming session or anytime I have to administer
medication; and finally, the "leave my toy/food alone!"
bite – which is when he means business.

I'm glad I didn't give up on my "biter". JJ has evolved into
a very curious, mischievous, and entertaining bunny. He
likes to "bunny dance" late at night, preferably in the
living room, loves to play with his toss ball, and helps
open presents at birthday parties. The best part is seeing
the bond that has developed between Sophie and JJ as they
play and groom each other. So don't give up on your problem
bunny, give him some space and time, and watch him develop
into a wonderful friend.

***

Please send any comments, questions, suggestions, or
stories about your own rabbits to me at laura@....