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BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

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.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BEHAVIOR Our rabbit has gone crazy!

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    • PsyBee
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        Hey guys, new member here. My partner and I are pretty desperate. We have a German Lop that we bought in June of last year. He was an ideal pet initially  (litter trained in two days and given full run of the house any time we were home). We had him neutered in December and he continued to be an ideal pet. Approximately three weeks ago he began digging obsessively and biting the bottom of the cage. He also throws the litter out of his litter box. He no longer comes when we call him and has begun to favor obsessively digging over mealtimes. We have tried dozens of solutions from various forums, spent a lot of money on toys, and countless hours trying to comfort/assure him. We are at our wit’s end. We love him very much but are now faced with the decision of keeping a pet that (at this time) provides no enjoyment and possibly isn’t happy or finding a place for him that might be able to give him what we can’t. I thought I would take advantage of your collective experience in hopes that maybe we have overlooked something. Any input would be greatly appreciated. 


      • RabbitPam
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          It,s hard to know what you have already tried, but it sounds like something changed. Start with his health and get him a complete check up. Teeth, tummy, ears, many subtle ailments could be masked by behavior.
          Next is environment. A simple change of litter can cause acting out.
          Any change in smells? Any new sounds? Example-a neighbor gets a barking dog that has him constantly afraid or alert. A different cleaner near his habitat that he doesn’t,t like.
          If he weren’t,t neutered I would say that it,s hormones. But sometimes the procedure isn’t perfect, or done too soon, and needs to be checked or even done again.
          Your vet is your best bet, or try a second opinion.


        • Autumn's Dad
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            Welcome PsyBee! this is my first answer so bear with me if you can I can totally sympathise, my girl Autumn is very poorly behaved, I just had her spayed. has there been any changes in his environment that may be upsetting or angering him? I know autumn will start chewing blankets, pillows etc if I tick her off, sometimes I don’t know what I’ve done wrong but I’m still in the doghouse! There are many things to consider as they as complex creatures, things like being the only rabbit (if he is) can cause boredom, he could be going through hardship such as depression, he could be spooked (sometimes rabbits can suddenly withdraw for reasons unclear). I think the main thing is to give him time, he may just be going through a phase, esp if he’s teenaged. It’s no small task, I know that good as the next person, having lived with autumn for four months of spraying urine on my bed, peeing on the bed sheets, marking with cecals, destroyed furniture, destroyed hiking boots etc. Ty to limit any areas that can cause a nuisance (be dug and make a mess), you can use a throwaway BBQ grill (clean) on top of the litter to prevent him digging it up. Try giving him as much out time as possible, I strongly recommend free range if you can handle it. Autumn hated being caged and would obsessively bite the bars all night, making a racquet. she is much calmer now, more like a Great Dane. I wish you the best.
            Bill


          • PsyBee
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              Hi Bill, and thanks for responding! The only change is moving to a larger cage (one of our attempts to appease Inle). The vet suggested we get another rabbit, but if we can’t seem to manage the one we have that just seems illogical. As “parents,” we can’t help but think we have done something wrong or have caused his behavior to change! 


            • PsyBee
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                Hi there, and thanks for replying. I don’t believe it is health related. We take him to the vet every regularly for check ups; the last one was just over a month ago. Maybe the neuter is something worth discussing with the vet!


              • Autumn's Dad
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                  No problem Bee. Autumn is an only rabbit as my room is far too tiny for another, plus her fierce territorial nature. Yes, it’s easy to think that when your care for something so fragile but try not to worry or take it as a care failier, rabbits are like people with fur, they act weird occasionally with their unique personalities. All we can do is do our best to accommodate our long ear friend’s quirks, and hope they stop their ravenous interior redecorating!


                • Mikey
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                    Your bunny sounds bored to me. When one of my boys is bored, he will start on a destruction rampage in the cage. Does your rabbit have free roam of a room at all during the day? That might help so he can get the energy out, but youll want to be there with him watching him and playing with him to make sure he doesnt get into trouble. If he likes to dig, you might want to consider making a diggy box for him. If he likes throwing things, toilet paper roles make easy toys for buns to toss around


                  • manic_muncher
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                      I want to also point out the time of year. At least here, it’s just coming on spring and I know from other threads that seems to spark some sort of energy in rabbits sometimes too. I have noticed my normally quiet and calm bun is digging like crazy and throwing things around, totally out of character for him, and he just started it up about a week ago. Something to think about.


                    • PsyBee
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                        Hi Mikey. Inle has free roam any time we are home (at least five hours per day). He has three dig boxes throughout (one with newspaper, one with hay, and one with both). has toilet paper rolls, scratching toys, chew toys, balls, and he even had a mini teeter totter at one point.


                      • PsyBee
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                          Good point! He is also in the process of shedding, so we had thought that maybe it had something to do with the season. 


                        • Mikey
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                            Does he use his diggy boxes at all when he gets in the mood to dig, or does he only really dig in his cage? You could try to bribe him to use the diggy boxes instead by picking him up when hes digging in his cage and putting him in one of the boxes. You could also hide treats in the boxes as well so he has to dig for them

                            I didnt think about the season, but thats a good point too! That might explain one of the energy problems ive been having with one of my boys o:


                          • BinkyBunny
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                              I just wanted to ditto some great ideas.  I also believe as the days grow longer, some bunnies get busier! LOL While bunnies don’t go into heat, and they can mate and give birth at any time,  the typical mating season for their wild cousins is approaching, and this could have an affect on even domestic bunny instincts and activity levels.   

                              Digging can also be a sign of stress  —  a way to work it off.  So maybe the move to a new space, even if it bigger and better, caused a little anxiety.  Rabbits, as prey animals, love predictability! and so sometimes it can take them a bit to settle down after a change. 

                              EDITED:  I had suggested a diggy box, but then read later, you have 3! It might be that you continue to try different material.  What is he digging at in his cage?  I had a bunny Jack who didn’t like digging anything but paper towels.  I found that out by accident when I left a roll on the ground. 

                              My current bunny Aria LOVES paper towels too. She does not eat them otherwise, I wouldn’t let her have them, but just one good ol big paper towel roll unwound about half way makes her so happy.  She will mess around with that, rest , go back and do it over and over and over again.  She never gets bored of this.  I just recently posted a quick snippet of her doing this on instagram — she takes it very seriously! 

                              She also loves digging at sea grass mats (for bunnies) so I have a bunch of those too.

                              Keep us updated and let us know what ends up working for your guy. 


                            • LBJ10
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                                My buns love a good old fashioned phone book. It’s the best thing ever.

                                You said he was neutered in December. Some bunnies go through a post-neuter craze where the absence of hormones and rebalancing of their bodies causes them to act out. It usually happens during the weeks following the neuter and will peak a few weeks out. Perhaps his came late? I suppose there is no way to know for sure. But I would suggest sticking it out awhile longer. It could be a combination of things too. You said he is shedding, for example, which can make some bunnies cranky. And, as BB said, the changing daylight can trigger springtime instincts in some bunnies. Leopold is busy trying to dig his way through a metal fling cabinet as we speak. o_O

                                The idea of a friend really may not be a bad one. If you’re unsure, you could always see if a shelter or rescue would allow you to foster a bunny on a trial basis. If it doesn’t work out, then no harm done. You wouldn’t be stuck with a second rabbit indefinitely.


                              • PsyBee
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                                  Thank you for the suggestions!


                                • PsyBee
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                                    Hi BB! Inle digs at the floor, the corners, and the litter box. He does this dig and bite thing. 


                                  • Sr. Melangell
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                                      I tried to reply before to this, but I think a bunny pulled a wire out, LBJ10 is right it can take a while for bunny to calm down, it was only December your bunny went for the big boy operation, now I got Olly in March last year, he did not calm down until just before Christmas, Bunny in a mood? Get a big box, cut a hole in it, let him sleep scratch in it and throw it about, bunny loves boxes and can be free if you ask in a shop if they have any they don’t need


                                    • Bunbun
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                                        Welcome to Binkybunny!

                                        I would suggest going to the vet. It’s your best hope.

                                        Oops, never mind. You already took him there… 

                                        Hmm… Maybe you should spend more time with him. When you get time, take him to a room he’s never been before (my bunny LOVES exploring new places). Bring a couple of treats, and close the door so he can’t go out and ignore you. Spend some hours with him! Make him sit on your lap when you give him treats. Show him how much you love his adorable little bunny face!

                                        Maybe he’ll stop being strange, you never know. I’m no expert, but I think that showing love is the best treatment for crazy/depressed bunnies. Unless they’re actually sick. Then take them to the vet. 


                                      • PsyBee
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                                          Hello all! I’m pleased to say that we decided to stick it out and our rabbit’s behavior is returning to normal. I still don’t know if it was the change of seasons or puberty, but he is once again loving and calm (though he still destroys the house plants).

                                          Thanks for the suggestions and encouragement!

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                                      Forum BEHAVIOR Our rabbit has gone crazy!