Why is My Lionhead Rabbit Aggressive?

Lionhead rabbits, as their name suggests, are similar to lions when it comes to their amazing manes which encircle their heads. However, all the resemblance to the king of the jungle stops there.

Indeed, these adorable rabbits are extremely timid and playful little creatures. So, if you happen to ask yourself why is my lionhead rabbit aggressive? at some point, you can be sure there is a perfectly good reason for that.

If you are noticing your rabbit becoming aggressive and showing signs of growling, biting, boxing or similar, please do not think that your rabbit does not love you or that it became evil all of a sudden.

Instead, try understanding what the triggers for such behavior are. Once these are removed, your rabbit will soon go back to being the most adorable creature in your home.

Aggression in Lionhead Rabbits

So, here are a few reasons why your lionhead rabbit might be aggressive towards you or other animals.

Pain or Stress

Just as humans can become excessively nervous and aggressive when feeling great pain or when being overly stressed, same is valid for lionhead rabbits. Indeed, they do tend to bite or avoid human contact in such situations.

Sometimes, it can be hard for owners to realize if pain or stress are what is causing aggressive behavior in their pet, especially when there is no visible wound. In such cases, it is important to look for additional signs.

These can include a lack of energy, decreased appetite or even irregular feces. If you notice this is happening with your pet, please consult your veterinarian so he or she can do a health check-up.

Breeding Behavior (Hormones)

Domestic rabbits which are not neutered or spayed can often be quite aggressive. This comes as a natural consequence of their hormones and is frequent both in female and male rabbits.

Indeed, male rabbits will become territorial as if they are protecting your home from other male intruders, while female rabbits become aggressive as part of their instinct to protect their nest.

If you are not planning to keep your rabbit for breeding or presentational purposes, it is always recommended to neuter or spay it as early as possible.

Loneliness or Anxiety

Lionhead rabbits are super-sociable animals and they hate being alone for extended periods of time. That said, it is absolutely understandable if they start showing signs of aggression after being consistently alone.

Rabbits who are left alone tend to get bored and anxious, having nobody to cuddle or to play with. This can really harm your pet’s mental health if not fixed during an early stage, so it is important to react in such situations.

If you have long working hours, getting another rabbit as a new life-companion can do simply fine. Also, try to make sure to find an appropriate pet sitter every time you decide to leave for a vacation.

Small Cage

Rabbis are the perfect athletes. Their bodies are designed for jumping and running, and they require several hours of exercise and play each day. That is why keeping them in a small cage can not only lead to high anxiety levels but it can also be cruel.

If your rabbit spends hours and hours in a small cage, do not be surprised if it tries to bite you once you approach.

Unfortunately, this happens more than we dare to believe, and not because bunny parents are bad people. Instead, many unexperienced owners get confused when purchasing rabbit cages across pet stores.

Although marketed towards rabbits, cages are often too small and completely inappropriate. Please keep in mind that a cage should be sized in such way that your rabbit can fit into it five times.

Protecting Babies

If you notice your female rabbit building up a small nest around her enclosure, this is a super-clear reason for her becoming aggressive. Indeed, your rabbit is trying to protect her babies.

Whether she is really pregnant or if she only believes she is, her instinct is clearly instructing her to be overly protective. If that is happening already, it is probably for the best to give her some more space and quiet, and not to touch her nest.

However, after such phase goes through, the only way to prevent such situations in the future is to get her spayed.

How to Deal with Aggressive Lionhead Rabbits?

There are several things you can do to deal with your aggressive lionhead rabbit, but the most important one is to find out what the triggers and to remove them. If your rabbit is sick or in pain, a visit to the veterinarian is the only effective solution.

Alternatively, if there is a new loud gadget around the room, this can be causing stress to your pet and it is important to neutralize such sounds.

If you are uncertain of what is causing aggressive behavior in your pet, you may try some of these general tricks:

• Neuter or spay your rabbit, as this will certainly release its overly protective hormones.
• Do not pick your rabbit but spend some time with it on the floor instead. Pet your rabbit only when it approaches to you.
• Reward good behavior with treats.
• Avoid sudden moves whenever your rabbit is nearby, so you do not startle it.
• Give your rabbit a decently sized enclosure and provide enough playing and exercise space.
• Clean the enclosure when your rabbit is not inside it.
• Try approaching your rabbit with a calm voice and body language even during its aggressive phase.

Wrapping Up

Lionhead rabbits are definitely among the most adorable indoor pets ever. They are so cute and friendly, and they love spending time around their people.

But sometimes, unfortunately, they tend to be aggressive. This never happens because of the evil soul of a rabbit, but there must be a perfectly explainable reason instead.

If you notice that your rabbit is becoming aggressive, try spotting the reason behind such behavior and solve it.

Whatever the reason may be, your bunny will go back to cuddling as soon as you help it out.