New edition - Roman and his story

Hey everyone,
Soooo a lady had just drove up from thornaby and dropped Roman off. Well here is his story so the lady has a daughter who brought in a rabbit one day and said that a group of lads had given it to her. The mother kept roman in a large dog cage in doors and got him out every now and then but when anyone stroked him he would bite and i mean bite not once twice but 3 times and this happened to the 18 month old and a 15 year old girl who was stroking him. They are savage bites and apparently he would be in such a frenzie trying to bite anything that he could when the mother removed him from the situation. She has just dropped him off, we both dont wanna hand him over to the nspca as they will just put him down he is so wild!"
So I need some advice on where to start, Ive got him alone in a hutch where the other rabbits can pop up and see him, he is fed and watered load of bedding hay, I gave him a little stroke I got no response he just lay looking at me which is better than nothing. As Ive said before Ive never been bit of any that I have at the min so wondering if anyone has been in a similar possition?

Thanks guys xx

Sorry no help here, only been bitten once and that was same day Flopsy had been neutered, pay back

Hopefuly someone will come along and help.

im getting some welding gloves before I hold him like lol x

Welll for starters...he cld have been aggressive because of a bad experience..maybe they held him badly and it's frightened him. Also is he neutered? If not, then this would help to calm him down as he won't be as territorial. Why are you taking in so many rabbits, are you a rescue or something?
If he is how they say he is, he will probably need a lot of one on one time for you to bond with him and to build up his trust...
Also, the other rabbits could irritate him...When Luna was neutered and Thistle wasn't they were seperate and she would get SO aggressive when he came near her cage...and just because she cld smell him in the room she would be like that towards me too. They are bonded and happy now he is castrated and isn't so smelly and boyish! lol.

Also if he doesn't like being picked up it is probably best to just stick with the stroking for now so he knows he can trust you...sitting talking and stroking him will probably be nice for him. Maybe find out what his fav food is and give him that when you do this too. Some buns just don't like being picked up and I expect if he has had a bad experience that would have made it worse. I would say neutering will be a good start too and getting his vaccs done etc. first. I think when you are frightened of an animal and tense, they can sense it and it makes them more frightened...so it'll be best if you can stay calm when with him .

Well me and mick was talking about him and think that if he has been with a bunch of boys we recon they have tormented him tbh. I gave him loads of broccoli lettuce and cauliflower and thats when I got a sneeky stoke as he was getting propper stuck into it, like he has never had it before.
Im not a rescue but I do take in rabbits that is advertised on my page as there has been some horrible people out there who has bought from my page for all the wrong reasons, in which I called the rspca which done nothing! I am rehoming bunty and roman once he is vacs and neutered and tame fingers crossed x I think I might bring roman into the bedroom where non of them have been and its nice and quiet there away from the baby. my gloves are comming soon so should be able to propperly start the process soon, but for now think i might just be able to sneek a stroke when he is eating xxxx thanks for the advice xxx

Two bits of advice: NEVER feed a rabbit lettuce! I contains laudanum which is defineltly not good for them.
Second: watch the number of rabbits you care for as if you are not a registered charity or boarding establishment there are legal limits to the number of rabbits you can keep.
Handling with thick gloves is not a good idea as you will not have the neccessary sense of touch to handle him safely, you could grip too hard or not hold firmmly enough. Better not to try picking him up than to mishandle him because of the gloves and cause injury. And as LilyGrace says, animals are very sensitive to mood and he will sense your nervousness and as the gloves will be new and strange they could well unnerve him and provoke an attack.
This bunny needs time and a great deal of patience; by that I mean months of quiet and TLC and the care of an experienced rabbit keeper.

I think sometimes you have to accept that animals just don't want the contact. Bruce loves to be petted and stroked and made a fuss of as long as he is still on the floor, if you pick him up and restrain him (for nail cutting for example) you run the risk of being repeatedly nipped getting increasingly harder until you let go. Flo on the other hand will no accept any petting on the ground, she doesn't get it. Occasionally she tries but she just ends up headbutting your hand. She sometimes will allow you to pick her up and then you can stroke her for a few seconds and then she is off again. However she is easy when it comes to having to 'see to her'. It's like she knows! I would say feed Roman and clean him out, let him know that this pattern will go on whatever he does. Allow him space to leave his space before you clean him out and to be involved in the process if that is what he wants and slowly he will be more trusting and affectionate although he may never accept being handled. And I would talk to the RSPCA and check they would definitely put him down. My local branch are understanding and would look for the kind of experienced home he needs. Or advertise him for rehoming with explicit details of his behaviour and stress he needs an experienced home. I'm sure there are people out there who would be willing to provide what he needs.

thanks hun xx

Ie been with him most of the day just petting him and giving him some veg (thanks for the info bout the lettuce I didnt know that) and he took from me fine, he has been trying to get out the cage so I thought I might try and slip a harness on him and it took 5mins but he let me ( I wasnt holding him) then he hopped out and buckaroo'ed about the patio wiggling his little tail so fast I thought it was gonna drop off! He had a good 10 mins sniffing some of the poop that id swept up from the others then dug in the soot and just explored with such viggor he loved it. Im gonna do this everynight untill he gets his vacs. The vet loves me im his new best mate after this week

here is roman diggin like a maniac int he soil he loves it

love the pic

Just a little update, since ive had Roman he has had just that 1 out burst, Ive had him out all day and evening and sat and cuddled him to death he is such a lovley little bun, I do put him to bed at night to give the girls a break from his constant pestering but I think he has paired with the queen of ice our rosemary. They sit together for hours just grooming and cuddling its so cute. The only thing I have found strange is when I bring him in the house for a cuddle he goes WILD!!!!! kicking and trying to get out of my hands. Were not sure but we think he may have been a house rabbit and something bads happened, hope im wrong but thats all we can think of.
Also when I go to get him out on a morning he is always in the same possition I put him in when I put him away which is usualy facing the back of the hut

You might be right and then again it might be the other way round... just think how many strange sights, sounds and smells are in the average house... could be something indoors freaks him. Time and patience and TLC.

yep gpt loads of hat for our Roman he is lervly xx