Unfortunately, not all aggression in rabbits is caused by hormones. Sometimes it can be genetic or biological in origin, but many times, it is simply behavioral.

    It's not me, it's you. It is apparent that some rabbits just do not like some people. Volunteers at the rescue who have been sprayed or boxed by an otherwise friendly rabbit can attest to this fact. Rabbits are very opinionated. Most often, we see cage aggression.

    Cage aggression. As you learned earlier, rabbits live in burrows. This is their home and they have spent a long time making it their own. Rabbits will pat down fake dirt and move things around as though they were making an actual burrow. If someone enters their burrow and they don't have an exit--they attack. You can work with them by giving them their space and showing them that good things happen when you visit, like getting food. However, many bunnies are simply stressed by things like cleaning--you can either remove them from their cage during litter cleaning or place your hand over the rabbit's head to calm them, then remove the object you need. One hand always for the bunny--it prevents bites and boxing.

    Food aggression. Many rabbits at our rescue have come from scary backgrounds where they were never fed or had to fight other bunnies for their food. This leads to food aggression. You can work slowly with the rabbit to build trust and show them that nothing bad will happen and food will never be taken away. Do not remove the food to teach them a lesson--you just confirmed their worst fear. In some rabbits, it will not go away. Like above, use one hand for the bunny.