Bun behavior questions including bonding

[Itsachickenbun]

 Hey guys. Do you have any info about dealing with a bun who pees all over the place and digs? 

I remember hearing that if you place multiple litter boxes it helps so we are going to do that.

Do you have any good suggestions for where to buy dig boxes or how to make them? Or anything else that might prevent digging? It seems she only digs where the ottoman meets the couch in the crevice between them, so we’re going to try moving them apart.

Also, do you have any experience with a buns’ personality drastically changing after a spay? We took in a rescue who before she was spayed was extremely friendly, not destructive at all, had good litter box habits, let you hold her and wasn’t shy at all. Since she was spayed 10 days ago she pees all over the place, is very timid and runs away, wont let you hold her/pick her up, and digs the carpet. Is this temporary because she feels vulnerable? 

On Tuesday it will be 2 weeks since her surgery and we are going to attempt to bond her with our other buns (1 boy 1 girl who don’t get along with each other). Would it be unwise to try and bond her while she is still displaying this behavior? If so, how long should we wait?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[MoveDiagonally]

It can take 4-6 weeks for hormones to calm down after a spay. She might never like being held though, most rabbits don’t. Spaying doesn’t change their personality it just eliminate/reduces hormonal behaviors.

On bonding, I would wait until at least 4 weeks after her spay before trying to bond her with any other bunnies. You have three single rabbits now, is that correct? Is your goal to have all three bonded? If you’re aim is bonding a trio than I would bond two of them and then try to add a third after the first two are bonded. I think it would be easier than trying to bond 3 at the same time. All three are spayed/neutered, right?

[Bam]

Maybe she is sore from the spay and don’t want to be touched because of that? And has some urine-incontinence, also a complication or a side-effect, perhaps temporary, from the spay? She could dig to relieve pain. Sometimes animals in pain engage in seemingly very meaningless, repetetive behaviour. Although digging wouldn’t be meaningless to a rabbit of course. Does she eat and poop ok?

Wait at least 4 weeks before starting to bond. You want her to be completely healed, bonding is very stressful and she needs to be in good condition. Plus as MD points out, her hormones won’t die down before that. Now there’s a form of chaos in her brain as it adjusts to the cessation of the secretion of female hormones.

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