Help. At a loss with female rabbit.. I feel so bad

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This topic has 5sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by Mikey.

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- 02/01/2018 at 7:23 AM
  Theragite
  Participant
  5 posts
  I am here because I don’t know what to do about a female rabbit I rehomed a few months ago in the hope that my male rabbit would make friends. They were successful until she became pushy and aggressive. She is fixed. I have had them separated. She gets bored so quickly and needs so much stimulation. She jumped her own pen and got into the male’s one and attacked him and he was lying terrified on the floor.
  
  The way I’ve had to set up their pens takes up a large amount of room and much of my time is spent on trying to keep it managed. She makes SO much mess and chews on everything so despite cuddles, moving things around and lots of boredom busters she goes into destructive mode very fast. So aggressive towards the boy rabbit. I spend time with them both but it seems her energy is endless. I would like to try her outside but I don’t have the appropriate space.
  
  I feel so bad that maybe I took on more than I realised I could handle. I’m not sure what to do from here or what I could do to help this female rabbit. I had them free range within their pens but would it be better for me to have them in a hutch each and give them each separate time out to play and run? Indie quite likes to just hang out. I had him in my room which worked but he started peeing on my bed and he was able to jump up despite removing the little ramp I made him. This was a shame because I’ve had to put them back in the same room in different pens. I am so upset that I have under estimated Bounty. She’s more work than most dogs.
  
  What could I do to help Bounty and her behaviour? Perhaps I could try her in my room? Or use hutches or cages to keep her contained when I can’t supervise?
  Or.
  Would you recommend me find a home which has the space and time to give her the stimulation time she is needing?
- 02/01/2018 at 8:03 AM
  Sirius&Luna
  Participant
  2320 posts
  I’m sorry you’re going through this, it sounds stressful!
  
  I’m sorry to ask, but are you 100% sure she is spayed? It sounds like the behaviour of an unspayed female. We had someone just the other day adopt a boy who they thought was neutered, but it turned out he wasn’t. In a way, if she isn’t spayed that’s quite an easy fix.
  
  If she definitely is spayed, then it’s trickier to know what to do. Some rabbits really just won’t bond with other rabbits, but it’s odd that they got on, then she got aggressive. It could be that she’s one of those. It could be that you bonded them early before she was fully settled, and then once she felt more settled in her home she became more aggressive. How long have you had her now? How much space does she have in her pen?
  
  If you want to keep Indie in your room, perhaps you could try keeping a shower curtain over your bedspread, which would discourage him from peeing on it, and make clean up easier if he did.
- 02/01/2018 at 8:26 AM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  It does sound like behavior that an unspayed female would exhibit. Maybe it’s worth a shot at a vet visit to make sure she really is spayed.
  
  If she is fixed, then maybe she is just one of those bunnies that would be best as a solo, and if you aren’t able to offer her that it might be best to rehome her. There’s no shame in needing to rehome a bunny because you thought it could work, but didn’t. If you did take her back, in time you could still get your boy a friend by speed dating at a shelter to see who gets along best with him.
- 02/01/2018 at 12:57 PM
  Theragite
  Participant
  5 posts
  Thanks for the replies. I got Bounty from the SPCA who routinely spay all animals. It could be an idea for me to take her for a vet visit just to be really sure she is in ideal health and truly desexed. I have learned something though. I didn’t get much info on her and I had this weird gut feeling to go with another rabbit. I didn’t listen to my gut!!
  
  I have contacted a good rabbit rehoming place to see if they could take her as I have to swallow my pride and realise that I took on more than I can handle. If I struggle to rehome I will make a better set up for them both again. Indie was my first rabbit and he’s so trustworthy being free range (apart from the bed haha) but I just can’t with Bounty and she is a very intelligent escape artist . She needs a family I think who is busy and around her all the time. But it may be a case of having to enclose her at night and have her roam during the day and evening when she’s both sleepy and I can supervise and give her attention
- 02/01/2018 at 2:29 PM
  sarahthegemini
  Participant
  5584 posts
  I think that’s a very wise decision. Don’t beat yourself up – It’s far better to admit you cannot cope and rehome her than continue to struggle.
- 02/01/2018 at 3:22 PM
  Mikey
  Participant
  3186 posts
  Thats really smart of you to realize and understand that you took on more than you shouldve! Rehoming is done out of love and care for the animal that you know you cannot properly care for them the way they need it. Rehoming is not a cowardly act. Its a positive act out of understanding.
  
  Plus, now you have more time for spoiling Indie the way he loves!
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