Behavior AFTER Neuter

FORUM

What are we about? Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules.

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

This topic has 9sd replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 8 months ago by mangoandbourbon.

Viewing 9 reply threads

Author

Messages
- 07/08/2015 at 10:53 PM
  BelarusianBunny
  Participant
  81 posts
  Hi again,
  
  One month ago, I had my now 8-months old rabbit neutered. His behavior prior to his neuter was unbearable. He was very dominant, violent (if that is possible for a rabbit!) and generally displaying romantic behaviors. Thankfully, the neutering took away the aggressive humping and spraying.
  
  I know logically that neutering does not cause personality changes in rabbits. It seeks to resolve aggressive and mating behaviors. However, after the neuter, my rabbit is much more angry and just difficult to deal with. He’s more destructive than he was before the procedure and he’s much more difficult to handle. He bite, kicks and lunges out. It has come to the point that when he is free-range and I am sitting on the sofa, he will hop up and bite my hands or chin/cheek. When he is in his hutch, he is throwing things around all the time and always making a mess. He will throw his litter tray, with his droppings in it, and you can imagine where all that goes. He’s always grunting about something. I feed him (or my husband feeds him), he lunges and grunts. He just “looks” angry too… if that is possible.
  
  We have handled him since he was a small two-month old baby. I mean, not constant “I am upsetting you” handling but gently doing what we need to do with him. As he grew older, more of his personality came out and well, gosh….
  
  I had him in for a check-up; the vet says he is healthy and it looks like nothing physical is causing this. Now, I am not saying that the neuter is the nucleus of this problem but I am just wondering if anyone has experienced anything like this post-neuter?
  
  I know he will calm down with age but right now, it is like living with a tyrant.
  
  Thanks.
- 07/09/2015 at 12:03 AM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17232 posts
  It’s only been 4 weeks, so I would give him more time to calm down. You could just have a post-neuter crazy case on your hands. It can take 6 to 8 weeks for the hormones to stabilize.
- 07/09/2015 at 1:58 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17030 posts
  I totally agree with LBJ. Give it 8 weeks before you suspect sth else than hormones raging. So long as he eats and poops and all that. This is still within the range of normal.
- 07/09/2015 at 2:24 PM
  BelarusianBunny
  Participant
  81 posts
  Yes, the vet told me that it takes awhile for hormones to drop after a neuter. It’s not a matter of an on/off switch. I just didn’t expect the rabbit’s behaviour to get worse. He’ll always have a home no matter what but after (almost) 20 years of rabbits, this one is pushing my limits. Thanks both of you for your input.
- 07/09/2015 at 3:10 PM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17030 posts
  It’s quite common actually, that all the unwanted behaviors become worse the first 0-8 weeks after a bunny has been desexed. That’s why it’s called a post-neuter craze!
- 07/10/2015 at 12:00 AM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17232 posts
  My super sweet, never does anything wrong Wooly went absolutely bonkers after his neuter. LOL I remember wondering what the heck had gotten into him. Why was he being so naughty and not like himself? It was those hormones! Once he was all settled, he went back to being my well behaved boy. Leopold, on the other hand, has always been the troublemaker.
- 07/11/2015 at 6:36 AM
  kirstyol
  Participant
  580 posts
  Bramble went nuts after his neuter too (digging, scratching and nipping mostly) and it lasted probably 8-10 weeks, he is much better now though and I am so glad we had him done.
- 07/11/2015 at 9:21 AM
  Cottontail
  Participant
  1070 posts
  I’ve found that sometimes if you’re patient and consistant you can help him calm down… If he comes charging at you, throw him off guard by offering him a treat or petting his head instead of pulling back or scolding him. If he does nip you: yelp, pull back, but then pet him. After a while he’ll associate you with your warm responses rather than just something invading HIS space (which for a bunny I’m sure is the whole home!) Tilly got a little grumpy after her spay and did some charging/nipping, but luckily it only lasted a couple days.
  
  Unfortunately I can’t offer much help on the flying poos…. The only thing that stops my Tilly from doing that is to make sure that there isn’t too much litter in the box. If she can dig to the bottom then the flying litter and poos stop a lot faster. Maybe that will help with your little man?
  
  I wish you patience and luck.
- 07/11/2015 at 3:18 PM
  JackRabbit
  Participant
  5451 posts
  We finally broke down and got litter screens from the BB store. No more digging in the litterbox, we’re going through about 1/4 the amount of litter, and the only time anything ends up out of the litterbox is when the occasional poop jumps out with the bunny! The screen sits right on top of the litter, cover it with a little hay all over, put a pile of hay in one spot, and voila! We are loving these litter screens!
- 07/14/2015 at 4:48 PM
  mangoandbourbon
  Participant
  4 posts
  My lil girl got spayed on Thursday as she has gone exactly the same way. She was always a tiny bit territorial and would give a lil growl but never acted on it. We now have to use a long wooden spoon to get the food into her bowl and she even attacks that. I have to use a carrier to move her as we can’t put our hands in her cage which makes things very difficult.
  
  The vet said the same as what a lot of others are saying that it may take a while for her hormones to settle. She is also a lil red on her belly so has medicine that I’ve resorted to covering a piece of lettuce in. If we are quiet and sit by her cage she still comes to say hi and will let you stroke her head when she pops it out so I know she docent hate us.
  
  Maybe try sitting near the cage more so he gets use to you being around and feed him from your hand using treats and pellets but start outside the cage and wait for him to come to you.
  
  I totally know how frustrating it is though as our boy was so mellow, he just sulked for a few days.
Author

Messages

Viewing 9 reply threads

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.