I think people forget just how complex rabbits are. If you live in the same house with one or two you realise just how intelligent and sensitive they really are. I think Ebony loves you and you did extraordinary well ! You have provided a great home to a rabbit who would otherwise have been discarded. You should be proud!

I think this is one of your best videos. Rabbits aren’t always cuddly and easy to manage. They need love and patience. My girl does that grunting too and hates being groomed or handled but I’ve learned how to manage her and wouldn’t trade her for the world. People have to see all aspects of bunnies

This breaks my heart that she’s so afraid of attention and interaction well with grooming but great she has a home with you she feels safe thank you!❤️ She’s adorable 🥰

My rescues hated being touched at all, the thing that helped us bond and eventually led to them being ok with pets and limited grooming, was some advice I found in the library. When they are grooming themselves or each other sit down and brush your hair with them :) They were so confused at first lol. But after the second time the bravest one, princess, came over to sniff the brush. After a few times more she started demanding I use the brush on her :) then the other more timid one came around a little, though I never could get them to let me clip their nails so we did regular vet visits :)

Ebony is adorable, and she has a "voice" and isn't afraid to use it.

I really appreciate you sharing this. I completely understand why you didn't show us earlier - she's your baby and you don't want anyone saying mean things about her! But Ebony is very clearly just scared, which is not her fault. I've gotta groom my buns today and they hate it. They don't try to bite but they make their displeasure known - Pinecone shuts down and Berry tries to run away. But Pinecone is a lazy lop so someone needs to clean his butt and, unfortunately, that someone is me. 😅

I almost never comment on KZfaq, but I have to say, we have 4 of our own rescue bunnies (none who tolerate grooming well at all) and have fostered a bunch of buns, and this video is everything. Thank you for showing that bunnies have their own say, their own boundaries, and that not all of them are quiet and demure. 😝

I needed this so badly. I was feeling so distraught that my bunnies absolutely detested getting groomed and their nails clipped, which made them lash out when they really had enough, but seeing your bunny reacting similarly makes things easier again. Thank you so much for this video!

She's like: „STOP STEALING MY BUTT TUFTS.“

I’m no rabbit expert but the fact that she allowed you to do her nails and didn’t bite despite being scared is amazing. It’s obvious she isn’t aggressive because she isn’t actually trying to bite you unless she you are grooming her. Thank you for sharing this xx

I can't thank you enough for show us how to groom an aggressive buns! Our Louie is aggressive and I thank God he ended up with us. I don't think anyone else would love him like we do! He's just not cuddly and doesn't want to human most of the time lol! I love him enough for both him and I :D He's only 8 months old and I just had him neutered in July and he's not bonded with our girl bun yet. I'd love more info videos like this!!!

I'm glad she's in good hands and I'm glad you gave that message about not all rabbits being sweet cuddle bugs. Rabbits, like any animal are hard work and each has their own quirks and boundaries that should be respected.

I've never in my life heard such a grumpy bun, the poor dear! You're doing such a great job taking care of her, and she's got such a loving home

Thank you for sharing the less glamorous side of having a rabbit. Before, I had tried desperately to find a video like this to help me figure out how to groom my headstrong bun, who HATES being held. All I found were seemingly perfectly behaved rabbits, which was really disheartening.

I’m happy this video exists! My rabbit is going on 2yrs old and she is just starting to warm up to me. My best friend got her when she was about 6months and the seller let us know that she had been neglected and may have ptsd. And we were like “yea right”. Until we brought her home and she was extremely aggressive and territorial. My friend moved, I kept the rabbit and realized she has never been groomed and her nails are my biggest concern so thank you!

SO tired of all these channels that act like they have perfect buns on KZfaq. Thank you for sharing your real experience, so refreshing. Following!

I love how honest you are. Its important that we know what to expect rather than just the nice things. Otherwise we will think its us

Aww Ebony is so cute. I have a rabbit who tends to bite when I cut his nails. I now use gloves that are knife-resistant during grooming, and boy is grooming much easier and faster now. No need to work around in order to dodge the bites. There are knife-resistant gloves that extend up into the arm as well.

Aww! She's cute even though she's grumpy. You're taking such good care of her.

It’s amazing you rescued ebony and gave her probably the best rabbit home there is, not many people would have tolerated her aggression, so there is absolutely no need for anyone to judge you! I’ve had a few rabbits in my past, and fostered cats too, I’m a dog person though and don’t really get much benefit from a cat or rabbit relationship, so I don’t have them as pets of my own. However, it’s not always about that- when you’re rescuing, it’s often not about you, it’s about giving them love and security, even if you may not ever receive the love back, like you said, you still love and care for them, and enjoy them anyway. I think that’s amazingly noble.

Thank you for showing this! I have a bun who isn’t the nicest but we still bond. It’s good to see another side of a rabbit that isn’t glamorize

I’ve been following your channel for 5 years and got my rabbit a week ago. Thank you so much for all your advice!

This is a very important topic, so thank you for sharing! Its understandable why you didnt before. I've had people tell me when ive been scratched by my rabbit (by accident i picked him up and he didnt feel secure) that if they had him and he scratched them, he would be out of their house immediately. It's sad that she is afraid to an extreme extent. But it is beautiful that you have been willing to take good care of her because she deserves that much. ❤

I've followed you for a while and I rescued my female holland lop in December 2020. She has been such a handful because she was abused/treated wrong before ending up in the shelter, and I have been dealing with her aggression since (she was about 9 months old and is now 1.5 years old). There have been many times I have wanted to give up, but I have the same feeling that someone else wouldn't give her a chance. She has since improved after spaying, but still has triggers that I have slowly learned over the past year. It is so nice to hear a similar situation because I love her so much, but hate that not many people can approach her.

Probably the best video about grooming bunnies I've seen. Super tired of people repeatedly teaching the obvious with super calm bunnies. Mine's the sweetest, but he hates having his hind feet touched, so I haven't tried trimming those nails myself (only the vet!), but I really need to learn. Thanks!

This was awesome and so brave. Seeing you interact with her lunging and grunting gives me a lot more courage. Thank you for showing this more challenging grooming session!

as someone that has an aggressive rescue too i love to this this representation

How to easily and safely catch and pick up a timid, fearful rabbit… we need a video demonstrating that, please, Haley!

THANK YOU for sharing this. I love being able to see a rabbit reacting naturally--we love them the more we understand them, including their difficulties and differences. Thank you for providing us with the help to assist all bunnies.

I was thoroughly impressed with how well you handled her and able to cut her nails!?? Like what. My rabbit is a sweetheart and I still struggled with nail cutting. I couldnt handle if he tried to bite me during that process lol. Kudos to you. She is still cute even feisty 😂

Glad you showed this behavior and dealing with it, people think bunnies are always so sweet, but they dont realized that they can be aggressive, and they have teeth like scissors. I have had to administer oral medications to my rabbits and have received a few nasty bites from it. I still have the scars to prove it. But like you said its fear based so I cant get mad at them for biting. I just have to learn to live with it.

Thank you for this! It’s the most helpful video I’ve seen! We’ve had several rabbits but none were as aggressive as our current 2 year old broken black bun, Toby. Like Ebony, he won’t tolerate being a bunny burrito. It’s amazing how strong he is! Toby allows us to brush him when he feels like it, for short spurts. But our first attempt at nail trimming was a disaster. So we’ve had to take him to the vet to trim his nails. He’s definitely our biggest challenge yet. You are so wonderful with Ebony. She’s very lucky to have found you. Thank you!

2 minutes into your description and I already LOVE her! She's a fighter 🥰 She's just saying "I ain't no victim no more!" She is adorable and you are wonderful 💝 if you genuinely understand rabbits you'd be able to see that despite outward appearances she clearly loves and generally feels safe with you, she'd have bolted if she didn't. She's just saying "Hey I love you, so why the touching? We've had this conversation!". Totally understandable you really get them and you are the best type of bunny owner, you put the animals interests before your own wants... Very rare! Subscribed. Thank you

We have two female rabbits. We took them to get spayed. When we picked them and every since, one of our bunnies had anxiety. She was never this way before and we aren’t sure what happened during the process. She has become aggressive. She just runs from you when she used to be bold and courageous. I think you should ignore the negative feedback. What you are doing is awesome to show her love and patience. I’m glad you thought to try to bond her with another bunny!❤

My dwarf bunny is the EXACT same way! She is bonded with my dutch bun and she is living her best life 😍

My rabbit is crazy aggressive! This is so helpful!

My rabbit, Finlay, does that grunting thing too!! She is super shy, but she does like to be petted (when she is in the mood). Today I cut my rabbits (Finlay and Felix) nails for the first time (the vet has done it in the past)! Yay! Finlay was very difficult because she has long fur and dark nails. Felix, who is very big and mostly white, was a breeze. Finlay wouldn't even be consoled by a treat! Felix said "that's ok, I'll eat her treat!"

I cannot thank you enough for sharing this. My bunny and I really appreciate this

Poor baby, I'm glad she has found a nice human like you to take care of her. Its good that you show this side of rabbits, too. Rabbits are not a children's toy and people should see that before they get a rabbit.

I just rescued a bonded pair of rabbits. Thankfully I’m extremely understanding and patient, And familiar with reading animal behavior. One of the rabbits is very aggressive towards me. Thankfully no bites yet. But they are both on medication due to infection right now and it’s been difficult. Thank you for the video! I definitely needed this

I personally am so happy and relieved to see someone who finally is comfortable showing what Roberts can really be like sometimes. I personally used to have a fearful rabbit and people would always be like, she’s so aggressive but people never knew her story and she went through a lot. I think everybody no matter what they’ve been through deserves a very good home in love and kindness. I love her gentle and kind you are with Ebony, I would’ve never known that she was aggressive but thank you for education and know that all these videos have helped me for years with my rabbits.!!!

I’ve been watching your content for years since the Mocha days and hav had bunnies for ten, but today was the first time I saw this video and followed every step, I had the best grooming session ever with an elderly “nippy” but and she was purring by the end and giving me nose bumps on my nose. Amazing please keep the videos up!

Ebony is lucky to have you as her bun mom ❤🐇

I can relate, I just adopted a very wonderful, independent minded little bunny. He tends to nip when he wants his way or he thinks he's boss. He used to nip more aggressively out of fear due to past abuse from another home he was in but he's improved thanks to the rescue person that saved him and since he's been with me. He can be lovey, but on his terms, you can't take it personally, you just have to respect them, and the fact that she'll interact with you shows her respect

I loved that you showed this! You're right, a lot of people forget they're prey animals. My bun hates being picked up but she's happy to sit for pats or jump into your lap

I have a rescue rabbit… I am SO GLAD she’s not like this. I’m slowly realizing what works for my rabbit and what doesn’t. They are definitely a lot of work!

You are a good rabbit mom! I have an aggressive bun and this was helpful!

I just found your video and can't thank you enough!!!! I have 3 rabbits, 2 rescues one much like Ebony and grooming has always been a 2 person nightmare. I just clipped everybody's nails by myself with significantly less drama! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!

You're amazing for rescuing her, helping her and giving her the loving home she deserved❤️

Thank you for taking this girl on. Lots of formerly abused rabbits aren't "fun" and cuddly, but they need our care. You have reduced the stress in her life 100%.

Awwww bless you for keeping her, loving her and for the care you give her.......You and Ebony are beautiful :)

So good for you for keeping her. I kept mine because I was afraid she wouldn't be adopted either.

She is really sweet ,smart,beautiful rabbit.

So glad she has you for her mummy..you are so kind and gentle. Shes a beautiful bunny xx

She’s the cutest lil grump!! Thank you for rescuing her ❤️❤️

Awesome video, this is unconditional love! Ebony is a lucky girl and I think she loves you in her own way.

The way you’re being so gentle with her and she’s still so terrified, I wish grooming was avoidable for rabbits but unfortunately they can’t cut their own nails 🥺

love your honesty! its so important to show a realistic picture and I think its so lovely of you to take on a rabbit like ebony. Also I knowits kinda bad but i find her growling sooo cute

I have a rescue rabbit who was also mistreated in her past, before she was abandoned and we got her in a cardboard box...she will always be afraid of me, no matter how or how MUCH I love her, and I have learned to live her "from afar," while keeping grooming and trimming as quiet and calm and quick as possible. After seven years, she has come as far as giving me a nose boop and then running away, and it is just how she is and I love her no matter what. I just don't love her as... intensely...as I live on our other buns.

honestly this is a great message for all pets. I know especially with cats and fluffy prey animals it can be hard not to want to cuddle them and pet them but especially if they’re a rescue there’s no guarantee that they like that. the best thing to do is respect their boundaries and do what’s best for them.

I think you're doing a great service by showing people this behaviour and how you deal with it. I also completely understand why you would want to edit it out, to kind of allow her the dignity of not being shown at her 'worst'. But it's also, in a way, granting her dignity to show the world that she can be accepted and loved just as she is. Poor sweet baby. May whoever made her afraid know fear themselves someday and have the opportunity to have a good, long think about it.

finally i’ve found another rabbit who’s as vocal as mine! thank you for posting this

Great video, you've done a great job with her. Your patience and love clearly shows through.

This is so sad knowing what some animals go through. I’m so sorry about what happened to Ebony. I understand why u wouldn’t want to share this but I’m glad u did. Sometimes (not always) rescue rabbits do have issues but I’m glad u explained this to people who may not know. Thank u ☺️

Thank you for sharing this! A lot of people see adorable videos of rabbits that are super bonded with their owners and chill, but they don't realize that rabbits can have behavior issues or distrust of humans. I think it's wonderful you appreciate that your rabbit cherishes her relationship with another rabbit. Many pet owners don't acknowledge that it doesn't have to be about them. You're doing great!

My 'sweet' boy who passed away a couple of weeks ago was really aggressive. I adopted him at 6 months and he was already super aggressive. He also mellowed out when he was bonded with a bunny friend. He was never the bunny I went to to pet or cuddle, he didn't like it. He would grunt and stomp and lunge. He only ever bit my dad who ignored his behaviour, and he only ever bit me once during a grooming session. I adored him with all my heart and I hope that he is happily hopping around in bunny heaven, loving the lack of humans and being reunited with his bonded friend.

Omg! Thank you for this! This is the video I’ve needed!!!! We found our little guy severely injured and dumped in the park. His first couple months with us were not fun for him while we treated his horrific wounds. I’m convinced that because of his experiences with the humans that abandoned him and the ways we had to care for him, he’s very fear aggressive with us. I’ve been putting off nails for far too long. This is so how Mr Sawyer responds to us trying to groom him. Makes me feel better, less alone in this. Again. Thank you!

I also have a Netherland Dwarf and he is a feisty little man. He's borderline aggressive but with training and integrating him in my life a bit more he's been better. He's about to get neutered so I'm hoping that helps with the aggression but even if he stays the same, I'll be happy. I love him and am so glad I have him instead of somebody else who may react worse than me. Ebony is adorable though and her little grunts are different than mine which just shows the personality

This is such a great share. I found the sweetest most cuddly bunny, but it's so important that people understand they arent all like that! You did so great with her. 💗

This helps so much! it’s hard having an aggressive animal (I had an aggressive dog) but I still love them just the same. They may need a little more work or you work with them a different way, but they’re still family and I still love them so much 💜

Even though I know how this is terrifying for the rabbit and the groomer (I watch my rabbits' mouths carefully when trimming and brushing, even though they've never bit or been aggressive with me during grooming), I can't help but think that her grunts, growls, and lunges are so cute!

It was very reassuring. I have a bunny that doesn’t like to be picked up and I always take that personally. I think, if I can sit on the floor and pet you why can’t you sit on my lap and let me pet you? But he jumps down and it always hurt my feelings. But he is five years old now and he doesn’t sit facing the wall anywhere anymore and that makes me feel better. He is actually asking for treats and food and is perfect in every other way. He likes to do tricks for treats and have his face cuddled and stroked until I can’t sit on the floor another second because I am 63. He has freedom to roam our entire home but mainly stays out on our lanai which is very large with a wall of windows looking out on the deck. That is where his set up is, toys, tunnels, one litter box and everything he owns. He is actually a very spoiled bunny I just wish I could hold him without him trying to jump away. Good job Haley.

Ebony looks so great for her age thanks to you and all of the care you have given her over the years - what a wonderful informative video you have given the house rabbit community. This was top notch - seriously.

Thank you for such an amazing video! I think it is SO important what you say, that you show that rabbits who are not a fan of people still can be amazing pets and can live a great life in a flock. All rabbits deserve to be loved for who they are

great video haley!! this helped me a lot, I’m going to try grooming with tips from this video later!!!

Thank you so much for posting her like this. I know you're so nervous, but this is a relief to me knowing it's bad for other people. My girl isn't this bad, but it's really close except she has never been abused. We've had her since she was a baby and know that no one has hurt her but she just HATES being plucked, brushed, and especially her nails clipped.

Thank you so much for this video! I have a bunny we adopted and she is so angry. It’s so nice to hear. Our main thing is she tried to grasp us with her little arms and honking. Please don’t feel embarrassed about her. Every bunny deserves a good home.

Thanks for raising awareness about this! Rabbit personalities can vary just as much as human personalities; I’ve had five over my lifetime and each one has been unique. I’ve got one girl currently who is very distrustful of people (she is a rescue) and she is very sweet and lovely up until I have to groom her - so seeing this was very validating, as I follow basically the exact same routine as you!

Thank you for showing us Ebony in her full vocal glory. Hopes this opens eyes to how traumatized buns can behave. In this video Ebony more closely resembles one of my fosters with temperament issues due to past trauma.

Also thank you for this video. It makes those of us with aggressive bunnies who we choose to keep and love and care for feel less alone. I wish I had found this video when I first got my bunny 💜

This is super useful! my bunnies aren't aggressive but they absolutely HATE being picked up. their absolute least favorite thing is being brushed so i try not to do it unless they need it, they are both shedding right now and fur is absolutely everywhere! they will both kick, and grunt, and wriggle to get free whenever they are being groomed. especially they younger of the two is very very jumpy, shes scared of absolutely everything so grooming her is an absolute process. the older of the two is also a pain while being groomed, he is 7 and a half now and he has a really strong bond with me since i adopted him when he was young so because he knows me he knows exactly what to do to get me to loosen my grip and escape because he is older and I stress about hurting him. he loves being cuddled but hates being brushed which i find kind of cute.

I always wear a long-sleeved shirt, or even hoodie when I practice holding my rabbits, because they squirm and claw me. This seems to help me a bit, and it also provides them comfort if I'm wearing something soft and baggy for them to sort of hide in and be held by. Just thought I'd throw this out there, since you were wearing a type of t-shirt while grooming, which leaves your arms open for attack. Thank you for being so kind and understanding about Ebony, as well!

I have three rabbits: dad, mom and their daughter. Dad’s response is to freeze, he’s not really touchy, but takes it well; daughter is a little mischievous, especially now that she’s a teen. Mom always was the nervous type, but during and after pregnancy it got worse. She doesn’t bite me anymore, just grunts and runs away if I do even as little as swing my hand in her direction. The only way to get her near you is to give her food haha. I’m not affectionate person myself, so I understand her wholeheartedly. My tactic was to just chill with them in their room, and they grew accustomed to me. Sometimes mom even lets me to pet her, but only in their house, on the head and with the back of my palm. She’s really cute and I love her as much as other rabbits 💕

Thank you so much for sharing, so helpful. Brilliant handling and understanding of Ebony 's feelings x

omg the similarities between ebony and my dutch are crazy! the grunting and the quick hop to face you and act like you’re the bad guy 😂😂❤️

Thank you for such an honest video and also for never giving up on this little lady. ❤️

Poor baby her grunting makes me sad and wonder what she’s been through. She is very lucky to have you. You are very patient with her.

I have nothing but sympathy for little Ebony. My rabbit also doesn't like being picked up. He recently had to get some medication and some critical care. He hated every second of it, and was thumping and grunting all around the room before I picked him up. Once I get him though, he just freezes, and starts digging in the towel when he has had enough. I always apologise to him, and let him know I would also be angry and scared if a giant picked me up. I wish that bunnies could learn that we are only doing what is best for them, but as they can't understand that, we just have to be as patient as possible. Of course, we should respect their boundaries, unless it is necessary. Honestly his moody little tantrums, melt my heart. Like he is so tiny a full of fluff, and he is trying to be scary and he just looks adorable.

My Felicity growled like that at me only once, when I disturbed her in her hiding hut. Holy cow what a growl! Just heard Ebony raise her tone a bit.

I think it is great you decide to keep her and who cares if she don't love you, you love her and that's all that matters. Plus I bet she is very great full for the life you have given her. She is so adorable by the way💖

Thank you for this video ! My little boy is aggressive from fear because he was abused.

Thank you so much, just seeing that you can manage and be gentle really sets my mind at ease. My girl is a huge brat too. And I think ebony is still adorable despite her feistiness.

Best and honest video, I really appreciate!

Thank you for showing this! There needs to be more true representation of buns on the Internet. We love all rabbits even the high need ones! ☺

I needed to say thank you just like everyone else lol. I have a pretty aggressive rabbit. She’s an older bunny who has a lot of trauma from when she was young before I rescued her. Watching you really helped me know how to go about grooming her. Thank you so much ❤️

Bless her, she doesn't sound aggressive she sounds so scared and worried. My rabbit Thumper smuffles at me or squeaks when she doesn't want to be held but that isn't often because scared she will get scared like this. They are very delicate animals and are very scared so people really need to realise they are babies. All my dogs were scared and they had never been abused but it was their nature ❤❤ xxzx

So helpful! I have 2 rescued rabbits born into severely abusive situations. Then they were fostered in six different homes in one year. My long-haired guy (of course it's the long hair) REALLY objects to grooming. I have figured out some things, but am still struggling with nails and mats on the parts of his bunny anatomy that he won't let me near. Thank you for modeling and teaching such respectful interaction with rabbits. I LOVE that you have have been so honest, so I know I'm not an abject failure! More like this would be lovely.

Yes to more videos about this! My rabbit is a little aggressive, not at this level, but I know numerous people who rescued rabbits who never liked humans. It's important to talk about it and nice to get some tips.

We are grateful you too her in hon and appreciate your help so much I will practice this type of grooming with my babygrl. Many Blessings to you

Thankyou so much for posting this! I have a rescue rabbit who is also pretty aggressive, makes me feel alot better about my bun.