Behavior change: now scared

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This topic has 1sd reply, 2 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 7 months ago by Wick & Fable.

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- 04/08/2022 at 6:37 PM
  Paisley&Sage
  Participant
  8 posts
  My holland lop Sage is 1.5 years old. I got her in September. Her previous owners were a family who’s kids no longer had interest in her. When I got her, she immediately took a liking to me. She was obsessed with me always following me around the house. She would get super excited and worked up and make this buzzing noise and give my legs a nudge or a nibble to have me give her attention. Even though I found this adorable, I wanted to break her nibble behavior because sometimes it would hurt. I would gently flick her nose when she nibbled me. During this time, I already owned another rabbit who at the moment was not neutered so I kept them separate. They met through the gate from the very first day I got her in September, but they were not able to meet full-body until he had been 6 weeks neutered in November. Because of there several months interaction through an x-pen, they instantly bonded. In December, I went through a move which is always chaotic and now the rabbits have a very different environment. Sage has not had the same personality since around the November/December time frame. I am not sure if my flicking deterred her from showing affection me, or if since Sage is now bonded she no longer shows interest in me, or if the move stressed her out, but she is nothing like the rabbit I got in September. She often runs from me, and when she isn’t running from me I wonder if she is frozen in fear. She will tolerate some petting but often runs off after a couple minutes and stomps her foot.
  
  I have tried the basic skills to get your rabbit to like you. I go down to her level. I let her come to me. I don’t chase her. I give her treats.
  
  I want to hear if anyone else had some insight to why she may have suddenly had this behavior change. I also would like to hear of tactics of working on her behavior.
  
  She is currently intact. I plan on getting her spayed this summer. I had to put it off for a variety of reasons including wanting her to adapt to her new environment first before putting her body until the stress of spaying. I am hoping maybe spaying will correct some one this behavior, but she was so friendly when I first got her and was already sexually mature at that age.
- 04/10/2022 at 4:49 PM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5813 posts
  Remember that hormones are invisible, so how and when they will impact an intact rabbit is going to change moment-to-moment and be something an owner cannot predict. Also, an intact rabbit is going to react to everything with hormones in the picture, so how she reacts to stress and a big environmental change (stemming from hormone-mediated territorialness) is likely different than how your male would. Her change in personality can absolutely just be hormones — they may really impact a lot, including the stability of her relationship with you and with your other rabbit, especially when interacting with a sudden change in environment.
  
  Note the bond between fixed/intact rabbits is usually less stable/secure than the bond between two fixed rabbits. There are many stories of a fixed/intact rabbit bond that seems smooth for years, and then something suddenly changes where there’s a sudden increase in humping, chasing, etc.. Such changes are very uncharacteristic of the bond, and also are generally only evident when an intact rabbit is involved (and all other factors are constant, including not taking just one to the vet, one not being sick, environment has not changed, etc.). So keep in mind that approaching or following her spay, the bond may get tense and you may need to rebond them: https://binkybunny.com/infocategory/bonding/
  
  I would give it time and continue with the basics.
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
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