Behavior changes related to weather changes?

[Cadbury]

My two-year-old Rex, Cadbury, has decided to recently (in the past week) start acting like a crazy bunny.  She is more destructive and moody.  Nothing in her environment has changes, and she has been spayed.  I’ve also noticed a major increase in her shedding in the past week.  Do bunnies go through behavior changes when the weather changes?

Thanks for any insight!

[Beka27]

We’ve had discussions about shedding causing moodiness in buns… so that could be the culprit.

I don’t really know how shedding “works” (Katnip, BinkyBunny, anyone?) Is it hormone-related? What triggers the release of fur? If it’s hormones, that definitely makes sense that it could have an affect on their behavior.

[Sarita]

http://www.phoenixzoo.org/learn/animals/as…etail.aspx

From this article linked above – it relates to cats and dogs and at the bottom of the article the vet talks about birds too – cannot find anything specific on rabbits but I’m certain it’s the same:

The shed cycle in a cat or dog is part of an annual cycle that causes them to shift their fur’s insulating qualities in response to seasonal conditions.  As the days grow shorter, the amount of bright light a pet gets exposed to decreases.  With this change in “light consumption”, certain hormones shift their level from the summer months and start to prepare the body for winter.  The shedding of the lightweight summer coat is an obvious change that you can see.  Less noticeable is a tendency for subcutaneous fat deposits to build up, perhaps as an extra bit of insulation against the oncoming cold months.  Come spring, the day length starts to grow longer and a pet’s body responds to this increase in light by another hormone shift designed to help it cope with warmer temperatures.  Again, less obvious to you, your cat or dog might lose a little of its fat reserves at this time.

[Sarita]

e.hormone.tulane.edu/learning/thyroid.html

From this article – really have to read the whole article (at the bottom anyway) to get the jest of this:

Seasonal changes such as fur molting in mammals or skin shedding by reptiles is directed by thyroid hormones. The hormones start hair growth in rodents, sheep, and other mammals. They also initiate amphibian metamorphosis that transforms tadpoles into frogs.

[Sarita]

Also I do think shedding can be stress or illness related in some cases.

[wendyzski]

My bun is always very moody when she’s in a big shed – she sulks under furniture and is generally more grumpy and irritable.  We all joke about PMS – Pre Moulting Syndrome.

[Beka27]

Cool Sarita! That’s interesting!

[Cadbury]

Thanks for the great info!

[Author]

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