Personality Change in 1.5 Year old Female

[Willowbunny]

Willow, my 1.5 year old Holland Lop has started changing in the past few months. We recently had her spayed, but this was going on before that too. She has always been VERY affectionate and a bit of a “lap rabbit.” She’s always enjoyed hopping up on the couch for a cuddle with me. Especially at night if I ever sleep on the couch while watching a movie. It was a nightly routine; once I was settled and laying down, she would jump up, climb over our dog, and make herself comfy on my chest. She would often sleep there all night. It was rare for her to not want to lay with me or on me. I noticed a change in September. She’s always out of her pen or the door is open so she can go in and out as she pleases. She’s started spending more time in her pen, laying against the wall/stretched out on the carpet, or laying around away from me. When I invite her to the couch, she will come over to let me rub her head and ears, but refuses to cuddle with me like she used to. It’s actually making me very sad because I don’t understand this change. I picked her up tonight and held her, she was fine. She’s never minded me holding her because I’ve done it since she was 6 weeks old. However, the minute I laid down with her on my stomach, she freaked out!!!! Immediately wanted down and had no interest in relaxing on me while we loved on each other. Has anyone else gone through this? It’s like she’s lost interest in wanting to be close to me. If you all have any ideas, advice, similar experiences…please pleade share!!!! I need help. ((

Sincerely,

Sad and Shunned Bunny Mom

[Bam]

Could it be that she’s not been feeling well? Pyometra can develop rather slowly, so I’m thinking she might have had pain in her lower abdomen before she showed any symptoms. Sick bunnies often don’t want to cuddle. They tend to hide, it’s an instinct to hide when you’re a sick rabbit, or you’ll get eaten by a predator.

After a spay/neuter, the hormone levels fluctuate in a bunny before they finally taper out, and meanwhile the bunny might become “hormonal” – meaning skittish, aggressive, territorial, hyper-sexual, frantically digging etc. This period can last 2-8 weeks.

I think she could go back to being affectionate when she feels like “herself” again, since she maintaned that behavior even after puberty. Pre-pubescent bunnies are often very cuddly, then their temperament change, sometimes over night, like a switch had been flipped, and they become “adult”. But I think that ought to have happened before September since she was already over a year old then. (Bunnies start puberty around 12 weeks of age.)

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