is my new boy bunny really fixed?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 4sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 15 years ago by jerseygirl.

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- 03/04/2011 at 12:57 PM
  jagx30
  Participant
  6 posts
  Hi. I am brand new to this forum but an experienced bunny owner. My husband had three rabbits before I met him, and we have had 5 total rabbits together. Last May we rescued a mini lop named Molly who is an angel, and was our only pet. We know she is an adult and neutered but are not sure of her exact age. She is litter boxed trained, friendly, and charmingly bossy. We work full time and our kids are in school, so a couple of weeks ago, we adopted a male mini lop named Hennessy from the Humane Society thinking he could keep her company during the day. They told us he was exaclty one year old and that he was neutered.
  
  The problem is, he doesnt’ act neutered. He is extremely agressive with Molly (they each have their own cage) and will even try to attack her through the bars of her cage if he is let out to run near it. He pees and poops everywhere, and even though he has a litterbox and goes in it, he then throws the litter all over the cage.
  
  I am wondering if this is common behavior in a neutered rabbit? None of our previous male rabbits, as crazy as they may have been, were this out of control. And, although I assumed that he had been fixed for a while before we got him, I guess it is possible that the Humane Society had just neutered him and forgot to mention that it was recent.. is it possible that if he was neutered only 3 weeks ago, he could still have enough hormones to act like this?
  
  He also nips us a little if we reach in his cage, but if I take him out and put him in a neutral room (where Molly has never been) he will sit next to me and let me pet him forever. And he has only peed in the neutral room once, so I dont’ think it’s a medical problem or a physical lack of control.
  
  Thanks to anybody who has any ideas!
  
  -Julie
- 03/04/2011 at 1:18 PM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  It sounds like he is reacting to another rabbit being in the house. Territorial droppings and aggression is common among two unbonded rabbits. Are you planning on introducing them with the eventual goal of a bonded pair? Also, is it possible for you to contact the HS and get some clarification on when he was neutered?
- 03/04/2011 at 1:51 PM
  jagx30
  Participant
  6 posts
  Our intention was to bond them. We had the same situation a long time ago when we had had a female for a while and brought a male home. They did not like each other at first and it took us months to bond them, but they eventually did. But they were never really violent and we could always separate at first when they got a little crazy.But Hennessy is SO agresssive. After Molly and Hennessy’s cages had been near each other for a few days, we took them into a neutral room, armed with a spray bottle to see what they would do. In the blink of an eye, they were growling and biting and fur was flying. I sprayed water until he was drenched and he just kept after her, it took my husband a minute or two to separate them and he got bit in the process. I am afraid to try to do another supervised introduction because he was so aggressive and I’ve read they hold a grudge.. I’m worried each bad meeting will make it harder.
  
  She defends herself against him but isn’t as aggressive. She is also not trashing her cage or behaving a lot differently, although when she is out to play, she sometimes drops pellets if she smells somewhere he has been.
  
  I think i will call the humane society and see when he was neutered.
- 03/04/2011 at 2:25 PM
  LoveChaCha
  Participant
  6634 posts
  Perhaps try using a plushie, and exchanging the plushies between cages so the buns can get used to their smells? Have you tried a bathtub? It is a very neutral place.
- 03/04/2011 at 3:59 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  Welcome : )
  
  Records from the Humane Society would be a good idea. Have you checked his sex yourself?
  
  Do you know much about his history? Perhaps the behaviours are stemming from that… He may have even been adopted out before then returned. Was he in a foster home or at the shelter?
  
  It wouldn’t hurt to postpone bonding until he is more setted in. Also, a vet check might be something to consider just in case it’s referred aggression coming from stress or some physical discomfort.
  
  I hope you can get to the bottom of this.
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