Why Do Rabbits Bite Your Clothes

Have you ever been in this situation when you need to keep your clothes protected from your rabbit? Do you ever think why do rabbits bite your clothes?

Rabbits are the third most common domestic pet after cats and dogs. They are one of the most fascinating creatures who can grab everyone’s attention with their cute faces, little fast nibbles, and little hops. Their playful nature makes them more lovable. If given proper training, they can become the best pet as well as friends of the owner.

But despite their fascinating side, they have a different side too. Rabbits sometimes develop weird habits that are not tolerable for everyone. The most common weird habit of rabbits includes biting and digging clothes. This makes people decide that they should not keep rabbits as a pet, as it can create a mess.

Do you ever think why do bunnies bite by developing this odd habit? If not, let’s give it a try. Feeling thoughtless? Let me help you.

Here we are going to discuss this odd habit of rabbits in detail.

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What Makes Rabbits Bite Clothes

The most common answers to the questions Why is my rabbit biting me all of a sudden or Why does my rabbit develop the habit of biting clothes are:

Normal Habit Of Rabbit

Biting clothes is the normal habit of a rabbit. After all, a rabbit is meant to be a natural chewer and digger. Per year, the teeth of rabbits grow up to 4 to 5 inches and they need to trim them by biting, chewing, nibbling, and gnawing.

But this habit becomes destructive in the absence of proper resources. So always keep them occupied with a variety of chewing stuff.

They Feel Bored

Rabbits are very social creatures. They don’t like to be in their own company for long and start feeling bored. If they don’t find anything interesting all around, they start chewing clothes to seek attention.

Just In The Playing Mode

There are times when while passing quality time with your furry friend, they start biting you suddenly and you are like, why does my rabbit bite me, all of a sudden?

Biting at times might also represent his playing nature. They find it interesting when you run to prevent biting. Also, they feel more encouraged when you clap your hands or snap your finger to stop them.

Arrogance In Nature

Sometimes age is also a factor in rabbit biting. Just like humans, they also tend to prove themselves, and in the process, they might become more aggressive. But their aggression lowers with age. Possibly the spaying or neutering process in rabbits takes place after 3, 4, or 5 months of age, till the time they become sexually mature.

It Is Hormonal Sometimes

After 3 months of age, the rabbit starts feeling some hormonal changes. There is a slightly noticeable change in their bunny when they are at their early stage of maturing.

At this stage, the rabbit becomes highly temperamental and starts giving bites, kicks, and sometimes squirting urine too.

Both male and female rabbits start behaving weirdly at this stage, due to spaying and neutering.

Nothing But He Simply Loves You

One of the possible reasons for “Why does my rabbit nibble me” is he is showing his love.

Just like other pets, rabbits also have some weird habits to show their love for their owner. Bitting clothes is one of the habits. He just wanted to tell, from his body language, that he loves you and wants to be with you.

Seeking Attention

Every species have its own body language, as rabbits have. They seek a lot of attention. If biting your clothes makes them feel like getting attention, they will continue doing so. The rabbits tend to do so just to grab attention and care.

He Might Be Feeling Scary

The rabbit might be feeling scared because of some strange or dangerous stuff. Rabbits do not like strong smells or the smell of new perfume or deodorant and start scratching and biting clothes.

A Grooming Liturgy

The possible reason behind rabbits biting is he might have entered his shedding season. If you notice one or two nips at your clothes, this might be a sign of the loving gesture of the rabbit.

If you find a gentle nip on your clothes, it might be a sign of the grooming ritual of the rabbit and he wants you to be a part of his rituals.

How To Stop Rabbits To Bite Your Clothes

So, how can you stop your furry bunny to dig into your clothes? Here we are going to discuss a few effective approaches that can help to stop them:

Show them that you are not liking them digging into your clothes
Provide them ample playful stuff so that they don’t get diverted towards such destructive things.
Rabbits love to dig on the rug. If they have their own designated rug, they won’t look for anything else. So, buy them one.
Allow them to access only limited space and keep them away from your valuable stuff. If they still develop the habit of biting clothes, put them in a cage.
Always have a check on their nails. Cut and clean them at regular intervals of time. If you are afraid to do it by yourself, ask for a vet.
De-sex the rabbit as there are findings that unsexed and neutered rabbits are more playful and less aggressive. They don’t divert themselves from such things.
Try to distract them by showing some playful items or eaters, they like.

What Happens If a Rabbit Bites You?

Rabbit bites might be a little painful, but normally they don’t trigger any health issues. Do rabbit bites hurt? Yes, they do hurt and often bleed too.

Sometimes rabbit bites cause infection and that is the time when you need to take antibiotics.

Does Rabbit Bite Need Injection?

There are certain situations when your rabbit bites you and it causes infection. In such cases, you need to take antibiotics. Sometimes the scratch caused by rabbits got infected based on your immune system.

Moreover, you should carefully clean and disinfect the portion where the bunny bites.

Always have an eye on the wound till it gets completely healed, as the infection can occur at any time during the healing process. If you find that the scratched portion is getting painful, red, and tender to the touch, then you should immediately ask for a doctor.

Also, if you haven’t taken any tetanus injections in the past ten years, then you should opt for the one.

Does Rabbit Bite Cause Rabies?

It is rarely found that rabbit bites cause rabies. Moreover, there are some other rabbit bite diseases known as Zoonotic diseases. Some of the diseases caused by rabbit bites are cryptosporidiosis, mycobacteriosis, ringworm, pasteurellosis, and external parasites. Bunnies can transmit bacteria and diseases through bites and scratches.

What To Do If A Rabbit Bites You?

Rabbit bite does not cause any danger, so no need to worry about it. But there are certain preventive measures you need to take as a healing procedure or treating the wound.

Step-by-step procedure to treat a rabbit bite:

Use soap and water to clean and wash the wounded portion.
Apply antibiotics and put a bandaid on it.
Take any antibiotic medicine, if available with you.
Take a tetanus shot as a preventive measure.
The healing process takes time, so always keep an eye on the infected portion to avoid infection.
If you find that the wound is getting severe or any other symptoms, visit a doctor as soon as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What does it mean when bunnies bite your clothes?

Ans. If your furry friend suddenly starts bitting your clothes, it means that:

They might be bored
They seek attention
They love you
They are at the grooming ceremony
They are frightened
They are arrogant in nature
They want to play with you
They are stressed

Q2. Do rabbits bite to show affection?

Ans. Yes. Every animal has their own body language to show its activities. Similarly, bunnies start biting, scratching, and jumping at you to show their affection for you.

Q3. How do I get my bunny to stop biting me?

Ans. There are many things you need to keep in mind to stop your bunny from bitting you:

First, you need to learn to handle him calmly.
Always take care of all their basic requirements such as environment, rest, social time, hygiene, balanced diet, playtime, and time outside.
If your rabbit is becoming aggressive around its mating season, spaying its mood can balance its temperament.

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