Help

[DinoActual]

So I’ve moved recently, obviously brought my bunny with me. I’ve been trying to improve her lifestyle and eating habits, but I don’t know what to do. She’s been really on edge recently, even though she was happy and binkying around not long after we moved in. She strikes at me while I’m getting her food bowl to give her veggies and pellets, and leaves my hand and arm covered in scratches every time. I don’t have the space inside for a big cage, so I try to let her run around the living room for several hours a day, but it’s difficult because she keeps trying to chew the door frame and along the walls, which is very bad in a rental property. I’m trying to give her often hay, because my local produce store had no idea what Timothy hay was, but she doesn’t seem to want to eat it. What do I do.. I need serious help. Is it because I’m trying to change her lifestyle so drastically?

[jerseygirl]

How old is she?
It could be in part due to the changes. Sometimes change is enough to bring on a molt and rabbits can act a bit out of character right before and during a molt.
You mentioned oaten hay – Are you in Australia? Timothy hay is not common in Australia at all. Is she eating any of the oaten hay? She might be chewing at door frames as she’s wanting the fibre.. What hay was she getting before you moved?

[DinoActual]

Yeah I am in Australia. I’ve been trying to find where I can get Timothy hay for her, but obviously many produce stores don’t have it. She hasn’t been given hay for most of her life because my mother didn’t show me, so she’s only been given pellets up until now, which were alfalfa based, but she’s about 7 months old, so I’m planning on weaning her off onto different pellets soon. She’s nibbling a little at the oaten hay, but I’m worried she won’t eat it like she should.

[Bunny House]

Has she been spayed? The move could have made her mad so with all those hormones she could be raging. You’re can also buy herbal stuff from small pet and sprinkle it on her hay so she’ll want to eat the herbs and in the process eat some of the hay too.

[DinoActual]

She hasn’t been spayed, no. She’s seemed to warm up to the hay and is eating a bit of it, I’m hoping she continues eating it.

[kurottabun]

Sometimes hormones can induce destructive behaviours. If her destructiveness is caused by that, then spaying her would help. It’s important to spay females anyway to prevent uterine cancer.

Since the environment is new to her, she could also be feeling a little insecure about everything, including the hay. When I switched to another brand of hay for Kurotta last month he only nibbled at it (suspiciously) after a day or two

[Author]

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