Dakota is acting different!

[Juli]

Everyday i take Dakota out of her cage to run around but today i opened her cage and reached in to pet her and she made a creepy snorting sound and attacked me. she scratched me really hard and left a scar. i finally got her out of her cage. So like always i put her on the couch and tried to pet her again but that time she bit me. she didn’t bite me hard but i was very worried because she had never done anything like it before. do any of u  think anything is wrong with her because she is out of the territorial age and 5 months old.

[Monkeybun]

at 5 months old, she is just getting into the territorial age Sounds like her hormones are kicking in and its time to get her spayed

[Nibbles_NZ]

She is not OUT of the territorial age at 5 months at all..she is IN the territorial age. She needs to be spayed! She will only get worse. This is not fun for her either. If she is not spayed, it can be very bad for the both of you…especially her.

[Beka27]

Do you have plans to spay her? Vets will usually perform the surgery at about 6 months old. Hormones take a few weeks to calm down, but she may still exhibit adolescent behavior until a year old (or possibly longer).

[Elrohwen]

Yep, 5 months is prime time for territorial, hormonal behavior. Time to get her spayed!

[BinkyBunny]

Is she eating and pooing just fine? I also agree that this is most likely hormonal as is right in the time where her hormones must be surging–, but sometimes bunnies can react this way if they are in pain too, so that is why I just am double checking that part too.

[Juli]

I don’t have a lot of money and it cost to much to spay her. Also i was planning to breed her this summer. I love Dakota very much and i want to do what is best for her but it is going to be hard. But it might be that she is in pain like you said binkybunny. I am not sure if she is eating her food because when i go to check on her most of it is spilled in her cage. She is pooing a lot too.

[BinkyBunny]

Though discussions about breeding are prohibited as a general rule, I just want to ask Is there any reason you want to breed her? Especially while you are dealing with tight funds — babies can require $$ too. As an advocate for rescue, I see that there are so many bunnies already that are in shelters and rescues just waiting for a forever home who just need someone to love them. So that is just why I asked.  (are you an official breeder or??? or  Is it for a 4H thing or ??)

EDITED TO ADD: Again — I want to make very clear that I am not here to demonize breeders, but if you are not a breeder and you just want to breed a bunny, I am interested to know why.

[Karla]

I remember we tried to talk you out of this about a month ago. I’m sorry, we didn’t succeed

If I remember correctly, you wanted to keep one of her babies, but what about the rest? You may not be able to find good homes for them. And would you be willing to sell them to people who want them for snake food or for training hunting dogs? You have to consider this as well. Babies are cute. No doubt about it. But so are the adult bunnies living at the shelters, who are in desperate need of a home, and whose chances are decreased once babies in the area are given away for a few bucks.

[BinkyBunny]

Thanks Karla for bringing me up to speed. I need to find the other link about this and get more info. I’m going to try and find it right now.

[usagi]

Juli, have you looked in to any clinics in your area that would do the spay for cheaper? I would think that having a bun go through a pregnancy would be at least as expensive as a spay, especially if there are any complications throughout the pregnancy or during birth.

I would also think that the territorial behavior / crankiness would get worse with pregnancy and being a new mother…

Also, even if your bun’s kits all go to good homes, you have no control over what happens after that. What if someone wants to breed one of the kit once she grows up? And then her kits end up as snake food? The chances are just so high, and the youtube videos are just too frightening.

[Beka27]

I agree, please don’t breed her. It isn’t responsible. If you can’t spay her, than you don’t have to. As long as you’re aware that her lifespan will be decreased and she’s likely to be territorial and aggressive for the next few years, this is your choice to make. But please don’t bring more babies into the world, especially if you can’t afford to properly care for the one you have right now.

[Minty]

Also take into account that there is a possibility of complications during pregnancy and you could even lose Dakota which would be devastating, as she is your loved pet. Maybe try putting aside a bit of money every month until you have enough for a spay?

[Juli]

i really love Dakota and i would hate to loose her but the reason i wanted to breed her is because i love bunnies and i always want to be with them and i thought it would be nice to breed her. also my friends really want a bunny so i would give one to them and if she had a lot then maybe the breeder could keep the rest. I am not a breeder but my dad is a vet and he said that spaying helps rabbits but it also is not the best because there are side effects. i don’t know if he is right but do you think it is best to spay her. if so then i will save up as much money as can.

[RabbitPam]

I’d like to suggest that you and your friend take a little visit to the nearest shelter that accepts bunnies. It would be fun to see all of them, and your friend could easily find one to take home with her.
Bear in mind that they are all there because they are unwanted, homeless bunnies. If you want to always be surrounded by bunnies in your life (and I understand the desire!) you can always have one or more from a shelter. They are often already speutered, you save a life, make room for another bunny to be saved, and they never run out of bunnies. If you really love them, and have it in your genes to be with animals with a father who’s a vet, consider volunteering at a shelter where your love can be given to all those bunnies who need care. It’s a win/win for you, your friend, and many, many bunnies!

[Juli]

thanks that is a great idea rabbitpam. and i finally got an appointment to get Dakota spayed.

[jerseygirl]

That’s great Juli, Kudos!
Are you feeling confident with the vet you got her in with?

[KatnipCrzy]

Glad to hear that you are getting her spayed.  Many bunnies end up being dumped at a shelter or are let loose outside once they start showing this territorial/hormonal behavior that you are describing.

If you love her and want the best for her- you will not breed her- there is absolutely NO health benefit to having babies- only risks.  And you will not be able to bond her to another bunny even if it is her baby.

Spay her, get her past her raging hormones and you will have an incredible pet that all your friends will be amazed about.  House bunnies are MUCH more fun than sad hutch bunnies.

[Juli]

thanks! Im really happy with the vet who i am getting to spay her. He is a vet who works with exotic an imals and he works at the same animal clinic that my sister Stephanie works at.

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