Help Female ripping out fur and digging constantly

[Brittinay]

Hi my Bun is a 1 year and 1 month old female mini rex. She recently started digging in one corner of the cage almost all day all night mainly at night. So I cleaned her cage as usual she made the same hole same spot kept digging same area. That has been going on for about a month now. Tonight a few hours ago I had just got off work and I saw all this fur laying where she is digging at , I also noticed her ripping it out from random spots and getting down and taking the fur to the dug out corner. She does not act sick, she eats and drinks lots of water since she was a baby. She is strong and active always has fresh food and hay. No harm done to her ( curse anyone who harms animals!). She has not shown any change in agression or behavior except for just the annoying digging she will stop for nothing and the fact that she no longer comes to me she is alwaiys looking for something somewhere to hide and dig she loves being petted though she used to always come to us and lick us but seems like she grew out of this She gets up and checks this digging area every so many minutes like maybe every half hour sometimes every 5 minutes sometime maybe an hour its random. She isnt ALWAYS  ripping out her fur tonight is the first I noticed it. She is going potty normal too. Im not sure what else to say but please im worried she is sick but I also heard this can be false bunny pregnancy and is expected at her age due to hormones. It will not allow a photo to be uploaded but please just imagine a cage corner with a kind of rounded dug out area as deep as it gets surrounded with hay and fur. She is also honking.she is also not eating much today was the first time she went without eating or drinking much. She is eating hay just fine though and is still strong. Her cage is due for cleaning and is starting to smell. But I was told not to disturb her or the nest. She can’t be pregnant she’s the only rabbit raised from a baby I have.

[Eepster]

It sounds like a false pregnancy, as your research has already lead you to suspect. Have you looked into having her spayed? It should stop the fur pulling, generally make her more comfortable, and prevents uterine cancer which is common. It might not change the digging though, that is just normal bunny behavior.

[Flabebe]

This is normal hormonal bunny false pregnancy stuff. Just make sure she is eating and drinking water and you should be fine. I would get her spayed, which might help with the excessive digging. It is a normal bun behavior, but it sounds like this is excessive for her normal behavior. When you clean her cage just take out the… nest but put it back when you are done to not upset her. hopefully this will pass soon.

[Dwarf Sparrow]

Does she have a cardbord box in her area that she can hide in and destroy? Until you can get her fixed (and even after that ) it might help if she has somewhere to hide and feel like she’s in a burrow. The digging itself is usually a symptom of wanting to be in a dark safe place; once a bun has a comfortable “burrow,” they usually stop digging.

[Brittinay]

Hello guys thanks for your answers. I cleaned the cage and the nest was just disgustting and it was matted so I removed it for sanitary purposes . After I done that and put fresh bedding in for her she seemed alot happier she started eating again later that night and drinking. She is also now very energetic everyday and shows affection again. Does this normally happen every month like human females going through menstruation or is this gonna be persistent until I get her spay? Right now I dont have enough money to get her spay by a good vet . There is one but I will no longer trust him as because I returned with 2 dead animals after they were treated there. Her cage is not deep enough for a borough shes is mainly out of her cage but even when she is out she seems to want to go in her cage in that specific corner. the more bedding and hay I put the moer she moves it out the way but keeps digging?

http://stuff4petz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/SuperPetsB9VNrQCWkKGrHqEOKicEzP9yYK+BM5cCw0UC0_35.jpg

thats the cage she is sleeping in at night during the day she is out to play but I have nothing big enough for her to hide in I have tried boxes and such but she gets angry because she really wants under the bed and careless about a box or hidey hut. as for in the cage the little ledge on the left she goes under it and thats where she digs . The only other time she digs is after going poo or pee. She covers it up or something or it’ll be vice versa she’ll dig a hole then go. is this nornal too?

Thanks everyone!! if you cant answer all that i’ll understand its a lot to read

[Flabebe]

That all seems to be normal. In her cage where the little stairs are is like a “hidey” spot: It’s more secluded. And they like digging where they have privacy. And I have caught my bun digging a hole and decide that is where the bathroom is So it is normal!

[Author]

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