Hormonal Rabbits — HELP!

[Sofia N Isabella]

 A short background:

• I got my bunnies 8 months ago, they were very little. My estimate was they were a few weeks old then
• The last 8 months were bliss for us, they loved their hay, watercress and carrots
• They were well-behaved and had the best litterbox habits
• The seller told me they were girls but I had no way of checking
• I am still in the process of looking for a good vet at my place
• Most vets where I live only know how to treat dogs and cats, I’m desperate already

My current situation:

• One rabbit always mounts the other (on the head) which results in the other getting stressed. She always grunts and growls whenever the other gets near her
• Their appetite for hay and their other food have lessened. They used to scamper to my feet whenever I open the fridge door because they know that means feeding time. Now they don’t care at all.
• They have completely forgotten their litter habits. Spraying pee and dropping poo pellets EVERYWHERE.

They used to have free roam of our kitchen, now I have no choice but to cage them and just give them supervised runs in the house.

I am so scared and depressed already, especially since they seem to have gotten bored of their food. They still eat but not as much as before. 

Could my bunnies be sick? Are they just hormonal? I’m thinking maybe it’s time to get them fixed, but will this help me with my problem at all?

Please, if you could give any advice, I’d appreciate it a lot. Thanks!!!

[Monkeybun]

Getting them fixed would definitely help. The spraying and humping is hormonal, and the aggression likely is as well. And if they are girls, getting them spayed is doubly important, as female rabbits have a very high, 80-85% chance, of getting uterine cancer by age 4. Not a pleasant thing.

[Beka27]

Are there any rabbit rescues in your area? They might be able to direct you toward a rabbit vet.

Their behavior certainly sounds typical of unaltered teenage buns. Have you checked their sexes lately? If either are male, at this point, testicles should be visible.

[Sofia N Isabella]

Thanks for your replies. No, unfortunately there are no rabbit rescues in my area. I’m from the Philippines. Truth be told, rabbits are not really treated as pets here, that’s why it’s so hard to care for a rabbit.

I have contacted a vet from the city and am currently waiting for referrals.

I’ve resigned myself to cleaning up after them in the meantime. That’s no problem. What worries me is they do not eat as much anymore. Is that also normal behaviour for unaltered teenage buns? Thanks.

[equalsign]

 That sounds like the typical teen behavior. It’s probably time to get them spayed. You will most likely see a decrease in territorial behavior within a month or two after the operations. At least that’s what I hear.

 

Females participate in mounting too. As another poster said, if one of them is a boy you’ll know. Just check. You cannot miss those things.

 

As for their appetites, I’m not sure. If they’re stressed out I could definately imagine them eating less.

[bunnyfriend]

Definitely sounds like hormones as everyone has been mentioning. I would make sure what genders they are. After they both have been altered you will have to re-litter box train them, but then they should keep their habits from then on. Just wondering, do you feed them other vegetables besides watercress and carrots? I’m sorry it’s been difficult to find a vet! ):

[RabbitPam]

 http://members.shaw.ca/cocoasun/RabbitVetsMain.htm

Here’s a site with International Vets listed, via the House Rabbit Society’s website. Don’t know if your area is there but it’s worth a look.

You really need to take them to the vet as soon as you get a recommendation. It’s very possible that one is a boy, which brings an immediate risk of an unwanted litter. Even if both girls, they are hormonal and won’t get along suddenly, so need to be bonded slowly and steadily. Consider separating them into different habitats so they can’t hump each other until you get them checked for gender and are sure. Then read up on the Bonding Info. on this site, via the green banner at the top of the page, to get an idea of how to go about bringing them back together again peacefully. Bonded babies can become unbonded when they hit their teens. Or with an illness, so the next move is possibly going to their separate corners for a time out and seeing a vet.

[TriBun]

Posted By RabbitPam on 11/02/2011 05:46 AM

You really need to take them to the vet as soon as you get a recommendation. It’s very possible that one is a boy, which brings an immediate risk of an unwanted litter. 

Eeek! Don’t have them together if you don’t know what sex they are. There is no way the person who sold them to you would know their sex as young as they were. 

[Sofia N Isabella]

Posted By bunnyfriend on 11/01/2011 03:48 PM
Definitely sounds like hormones as everyone has been mentioning. I would make sure what genders they are. After they both have been altered you will have to re-litter box train them, but then they should keep their habits from then on. Just wondering, do you feed them other vegetables besides watercress and carrots? I’m sorry it’s been difficult to find a vet! ):

No, their diet is composed of watercress and carrots only. Plus unlimited hay. I tried giving them parsley, cabbage and lettuce but they don’t like those unfortunately.

 

[Sofia N Isabella]

Posted By RabbitPam on 11/02/2011 05:46 AM

 http://members.shaw.ca/cocoasun/RabbitVetsMain.htm

Here’s a site with International Vets listed, via the House Rabbit Society’s website. Don’t know if your area is there but it’s worth a look.

You really need to take them to the vet as soon as you get a recommendation. It’s very possible that one is a boy, which brings an immediate risk of an unwanted litter. Even if both girls, they are hormonal and won’t get along suddenly, so need to be bonded slowly and steadily. Consider separating them into different habitats so they can’t hump each other until you get them checked for gender and are sure. Then read up on the Bonding Info. on this site, via the green banner at the top of the page, to get an idea of how to go about bringing them back together again peacefully. Bonded babies can become unbonded when they hit their teens. Or with an illness, so the next move is possibly going to their separate corners for a time out and seeing a vet.

RabbitPam, thanks for the link. Unfortunately, I did not find my place. I’m still on the hunt for a vet…

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