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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum BEHAVIOR Sudden aggression?

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    • Missy-Owner of Oreo
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        I posted a little over a month ago about a question with my girl Oreo concerning exercise.

        My girl just doesn’t seem to like coming out on her own. I have spent weeks leaving her cage door open for hours and hours and all she would ever do is sniff at it and poke her head out once or twice but that’s it. Oreo just wasn’t interested. But at night, she just seemed to have so much energy and couldn’t get it out fast enough. I started feeling bad because it was probably due to not leaving her cage at all so far.


        So, after reading some on here and really thinking and praying about it, I decided to take matters into my own hands. About five, six days ago, I opened her cage and gently but firmly picked her up(after a bit of herding towards my hands) and I set her gently on my floor. Oreo had a blast. She loved it. She explored everything and binky’ed and everything. I’ve been doing this since, especially because she doesn’t seem to know how to leave or enter her cage on her own(with or without a ramp). The only part she hates is me having to get her to take her out and put her back in her cage, though she seems to enjoy being held. She makes that purring noise whenever I do and pet her gently.

        Well, yesterday, I took her out like usual now and all was fine at first. But I got up from the floor and walked over to a part of my room she was playing in to put something of mine away and she growled at me. She lunged at me and growled repeatedly.

        She seemed kinda angry for the rest of the night after that, even after I put her back in her cage. Though she time she didn’t purr or enjoy my holding her at all it seemed. Then today, she has thumped at me and barely seemed to enjoy my company at all like usual. I decided to give her some space but she still seems irritated.

         Is it my fault she is acting this way? Is this normal?

        Or is this a sign that something may be wrong?

        She hasn’t acted like this at all before since I’ve had her.


      • manic_muncher
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          How old is she? Is she spayed? It sounds like it may be hormonal. They can get territorial and aggressive as they mature. Spaying is pretty much a must for female rabbits, aside from behaviorally helping her, there is a very high risk of reproductive cancer in female rabbits even as young as 3 or 4 yrs old (from what I’ve been reading) and as high as 80% of this happening. So if she isn’t spayed, you will really want to consider getting this done, not only for a happier relationship between the two of you, but for her health.

          I missed your earlier postings about her (I’ve been away). But just reading this post, I must ask you… What kind of flooring is her pen/cage sitting on? When we first got my baby this past August he just wouldn’t come out at all on his own… someone mentioned that he might be afraid of the hardwood flooring. When I finally set up his permanent area (same cage with added xpen), I had it all sitting over a piece of indoor/outdoor carpeting. He IMMEDIATELY left the cage and began binkying about on his own. Now that he is used to the slick floor, he doesn’t mind running across it. Just a thought of a possibility, she simply might not like whatever flooring is just outside the door.

          I hope this helps!


        • Missy-Owner of Oreo
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            She is around 1 year around, I believe. But I am not sure if she is spayed or not. Oreo was a Christmas present from my sister and brother in law and Oreo’s previous owners didn’t mention if she was spayed or not, but I don’t think anyone asked them either.

            And my room, which her cage is on, has carpet. So I am not sure why she still won’t leave her cage.
            But part of me is wondering if I’ll need to make a vet visit just to find out if she is even spayed or not.


          • Tessie
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              I think you probably will have to take her to the vet to find out if she’s been spayed.
              It sounds like it could likely be hormonal behavior.

              As for getting in and out of the cage – how can she get in and out? I assume the cage is on the floor – what kind of cage is it?
              I’m just wondering if it’s possible she can’t make the jump to get out?


            • Missy-Owner of Oreo
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                Thanks for your imput, both of you.

                As for her cage, Oreo came with a Living World cage. It has a door on the front that slides open to the side along with the top openings.
                http://www.amazon.com/Living-World-Deluxe-Habitat-X-Large/dp/B007BNE1YA
                This is the cage.


              • manic_muncher
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                  I am going to go out on a limb and guess that she is NOT spayed.  If someone had gone thru the process of getting it done, I’m almost positive that would be a major “selling” point to selling/finding a new home for her.  So I really think this is something you need to seriously consider looking into and getting done.  In the meantime, to address your immediate issue of her not coming out, I have an idea that won’t cost you anything to try.

                  Looking at the picture you linked, the sliding door opening seems very small.  It may be a little difficult for her to easily notice the door when it’s actually open.  What I’m thinking is to make it a stronger contrast between where the bars end and the opening begins.

                  Maybe something like taking a piece of cardboard and cutting an opening the size of the door into it, then placing the piece on the outside of the opening.  Then she would be able to easily see that the door opening has nothing there to prevent her from hopping thru it.

                  Please excuse the crude drawing!

                  Something that will just break that horizontal line effect.  Don’t be discouraged about her not coming out right away, maybe put her plate of veggies outside of the opening about a foot or so away, to help encourage her to investigate.  And definitely look into getting looked at by the vet and assess whether or not she’s been spayed.  Reaching into her space, with hormonal aggression, definitely isn’t going to make her warm up to you!  Good luck and keep us updated!  Maybe others will have more ideas to help as well!


                • Missy-Owner of Oreo
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                    Thanks for the suggestion, Manic Muncher! I will try that and see if it works! It sounds really creative (:

                    But yeah, I think I will be contacting a vet very soon for a check-up to find out for sure.

                    Thanks everyone!


                  • Megabunny
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                      My newest bun wouldn’t come out of her cage for a week. Then I figured out it’s because she won’t go on the linoleum, so I have to put a towel down for Her Royal Highness to come out onto. I know this isn’t your problem, though. You’ve gotten some good ideas here.

                      I’m guessing that the only way the vet can tell if your bun has been spayed is similar to a cat… feel for a scar or actually shave a small area and look for a scar. I agree that she doesn’t sound spayed.

                      I got a rabbit from a “breeder” who had a lionhead she’d gotten from a preschool, and she didn’t want him because he wasn’t interested in the girls. Quite sure he’s neutered. He was really aggressive, though, like yours until this past year when I got him a friend, and now he’s much more content.

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                  Forum BEHAVIOR Sudden aggression?