I got Noodle about 3 weeks ago, when she was 11 weeks old. She has not been spayed.
In the past few days I’ve noticed that she chews on the bars of her cage hysterically when I go to bed. Although, I let her run around my room freely all day, which allows her to get in all the exercise she needs with lots of space to binky and run around. I make sure that there are lots of toys for her to play with (cardboard boxes, newspaper etc). I know that I’m not being a bad bunny parent and keeping her cooped up in her cage- because she’s out of her cage more than in her cage. I only put her there for when I sleep.
But when she does go in her cage, she chews the bars so much I can’t sleep. I have started using a water sprayer and spray a few drops of water on her when she chews the bars so she’ll stop. Does she listen? No. She seems to get more agitated and angry? I feel awful, I feel like I’m being cruel but I’m not?
She also seems to hate being touched. She barely allows me or my boyfriend to touch her at all and runs from us most of the time. I can’t understand why she’s being so distant (although she’s never been a touchy bunny in any case, but now it’s worse). I don’t know if it could be the fact that I’m disciplining her when she chews the bars? Or is she experiencing hormonal changes, therefore resulting in behavioural problems?
I feel quite sad that Noodle’s personality has changed. She has never liked being cuddled, or touched in general. However, she was a lot less antisocial than what she is now. She would at least tolerate being petted. Now she hops away all the time, avoids both of us like the plague and doesn’t even sit with me much anymore. I am trying to understand why she has changed.
Could it be her hormone levels as she reaches sexual maturity? Is the water-spraying as discipline a bad idea? Is that making her mistrust me? Or is this just her personality?
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