Hay everywhere

[8rankinho]

Hello.

I have two house bunnies, Nimbus and Izzy, a couple, they are toilet trained and usually good behaved, but recently they started covering the floor of the cage with hay.
I’m trying to figure out why they are having this kind of behavior and if ever happened with someone. I tried doing my research but found nothing, although i have though of some possibilities myself:

1- Season change, together with the increase of humidity.
2- Izzy(female) is on her fertile period. She even started humping on Nimbus (he is sterilized). Maybe she is trying to do some sort of nest.

 This is my fist post ever, i’ve just arrived here and hope to help and be helped by you.

Thank you everyone!

[Sofia]

I strongly recommend getting Izzy spayed. Unspayed females have an 80% chance of getting some sort of uterine or ovarian cancer by the age of 5. That’s a terrifyingly high number. Spaying has a lot more positives and negatives, I suggest you definitely think about it.
As for the hay, some buns are just messy like that. mine do it too, they start digging in the litterbox and all the hay comes flying out.
I doubt it’s because of any weather change, if they’re inside then it wouldn’t make much difference to them. It could possibly be Izzy making a nest, Is she pulling out any of her fur?
If they’re just being messy, there’s not much you can do, you just have to clean up after them

[sarahthegemini]

Rabbits don’t have ‘fertile periods’ btw, they’re always fertile.

[vanessa]

I agree with the posts above. Also… One of my bunnies, Guinivere, is just plain messy. Sometimes it isnt so bad, but othertimes she kicks litter out of her litter box, scatters hay everywhere, etc. Sometimes she is telling me to clean her litter box. Other times, she is just having fun. Especially with scattering hay… She likes to bury under it and jump up like she is jumping out of a birthday came, and hay goes flying. I just clean up after her. Often, the things they do aren’t due to something that we need to correct, or fix, or train, but just individual bunnies being individual bunnies. Sometimes they r messy.

[8rankinho]

Thank you everyone for the replies and the help.

I’m with Boo, i’m considering spaying her now. I will do some research and talk with the vet to know what is best for her. Thank you!

Sarahthegemini, Izzy had her first period before having this kind of behavior, that is why i was wondering if it had any kind of influence in this. Thank you!

Vanessa, Guinivere looks like a playful one. ahah Thank you!

[vanessa]

🙂

[Asriel and Bombur]

Bunnies don’t have periods. If she was bleeding from her uterus it’s serious.

[Wick & Fable]

I’d like to inquire more about the period that you mentioned. As sarah mentions, rabbits do not go into “heat” periods or fertile periods as you may observe/read about in other animals.

Female rabbits do not have bleeding periods like normative-developing human females. Bleeding from that area is usually, unfortunately, an ill-health sign, such as a urinary infection or uterine cancer. I cannot think of any reason a healthy rabbit would bleed there.

Then again, I am assuming by period you are suggesting bleeding, so please let me know if I’ve misunderstood.

How old is she?

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.

[A Happy Herd of Hares]

I believe I know what she meant by fertile period:

Rabbits are fertile for all but 7-10 days a YEAR, though there is only about a week every month that they are VERY fertile and accept a breeding.

As for the hay, do they have a hay feeder? If they do, they may not like it and be pouting because of it. If not, it may be worth it to try one.

[Bam]

Regarding the period: Bunnies can sometimes have orange/red pee. It’s perfectly normal but it can look like blood. If you test it with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide it will foam a lot if it’s blood, but it won’t foam if it’s just pee.

Unspayed does can have false pregnancies and make nests. The nest is as a rule made late in the pregnancy though and if her body “thinks” she’s pregnant it’s unlikely that she’d be sexually interested in the male.

Rabbits do like to dig around in hay or in fleece blankets and make “nests” or blanket mounds etc. Even neutered males can do this. Scattering hay could be something your rabbits have decided is fun. Once a rabbit has decided sth is fun and worthwhile (like bunstructing cardboard boxes or even pulling wallpaper off the walls or chewing baseboards), it can be very difficult to convince them otherwise.

[Muj Mom N Bun]

I have come to no longer think about how to stop BunBun from getting hay everywhere and have evolved into a better state of accepting that I simply am going to have to clean hay from everywhere… it may sound trite, in my home it’s not meant to be… My son and I have a saying, “Hay Happens!” ?

[8rankinho]

Talked with my wife about the “blood” and it was in the pee, the pee was orange/reddish. I didn’t happen to see it happening. What i saw was in their toilet, while cleaning, and it was hard to understand because of the toilet substrate.
Only happened only for around 3-4 days and never again. Hope is not something serious.
She is only around 4 and half months, still a kid.
About the hay, yeah, it looks like she only does it for fun. She calmed down right after putting card boxes with hay inside their house.
Thank you so much for the help!!

[jerseygirl]

Posted By 8rankinho on 11/16/2018 7:07 PM

Talked with my wife about the “blood” and it was in the pee, the pee was orange/reddish. I didn’t happen to see it happening. What i saw was in their toilet, while cleaning, and it was hard to understand because of the toilet substrate.
Only happened only for around 3-4 days and never again. Hope is not something serious.
She is only around 4 and half months, still a kid.
About the hay, yeah, it looks like she only does it for fun. She calmed down right after putting card boxes with hay inside their house.
Thank you so much for the help!!

I’m glad you’ve established what it was. We get a lot of posts here when people see this for the first time. It can be startling. It’s especially noticeable if a bun pees on the floor and the puddle is exposed to the air for a few hours as it darkens over time. 

I’d peg Izzy as being the culprit with the “hay parties”. She’s definitely reached the rabbit “teen” age and is displaying some other hormonal behaviours. 

Do watch their relationship doesn’t deteriorate. You may have to separate them if so.  Some vets are willing to do rabbit spay at 4 months old, but generally most will do from 6 months onwards. Good to know you’re considering having this done. I recommend looking for a rabbit vet that has done many so you can be confident she is in the best hands.  Post-surgery pain management is also really important. The spay is more invasive then castration and it can take the girls longer to recover. Although, my first rabbit was bopping around by 5am the next morning. She was a weird one. 

[Author]

Messages