Rabbit is acting strange

[Kramer98]

I’ve had Oreo for about 7-8 months and rescued her from a shelter at 8 months old. She was spayed by the shelter in Accordance with state law. Recently she has been acting very inappropriately. She has been extremely destructive and she has even chewed through two separate plastic hay feeders. The only thing she is doing correctly is using her previous which she also attempts to chew through. On top of all this chewing she has been biting people and scratching them without any notice. She has also been trying to mount my arms and legs and hump my brother and I. I left it alone for a while because at first I was like it will go away but today she mounted my arm and immediately sprayed all over my bed and me before I could get her off of me. She is starting to really get on my nerves because she chewed through my 100 headset and a bunch of my sheets. I am not going to give her away but I definitely need some solution to resolve this issue.

[Bunny House]

That must be very annoying. Is she spayed?

[vanessa]

That sounds frustrating. It is in a rabbits instinct, to chew. Some r more destructive than others. I have 2 rabbits who i never let run free on the house because they have chewed thru carpet to the wood subflooring, chewed thru baseboards, and they shred any towel or soft thing i give them. So i make their space “safe” by using 2×4 lumber around the edges, and only giving them things I don’t mind them chewing. It is in their nature. Sometimes u cant stop them, u just have to find a way around it. I have had other rabbits who never chewed anything i didnt want them to. U could try giving your rabbit tree branches to chew, or pieces of untreated wood, but for the moment, it might help to restrict the rabbits access to your stuff, and set up a “bunny-proof area with lots of chew things, tunnels, steps, balls to toss around, maybe an empty flower pot, a few branches, Arab or towel that bunny can toss around and shred… Etc… For the humping, I havent experienced that, sorry.

[Wick & Fable]

Have you taken her to a vet since adopting her? I wonder if perhaps a spay wasn’t actually performed, and knowing you have a vet confirmation would assume that because these do sound like hormonal behaviors to an extent.

I also ask about a vet because these could be a sign of a rabbit in pain or in discomfort, whether it’s physical or psychological. Unusual destruction and chewing is typically a sign of frustration, loneliness, depression, discomfort… Generally negative emotions and potentially physical ailments. Has there been changes in her poop, appetite or energy levels?

And lastly, I wonder if something in her environment has changed that makes her feel aggressive. Perhaps you have a new pet, roommate, new scent for laundry, or generally something has changed?

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.

[Kramer98]

She has been to the vet because she had a heat stroke while we were driving up to Jersey for the weekend. As far as environment changes there hasnt been anything could think of. Here is what I observed while she is in her cage. She plays with all of her toys (she has plenty) she eats all her food by morning and takes her about three days to finish her water. I clean out her litter box as needed and all her poop and pre seems in check. She jumps up and climbs the cage bars everytime I get home and go to my room. When she’s out of her cage for at least 2.5 hours a day she usually just hops on my bed and lies next to me and licks me. She is pretty lazy and doesn’t like to run around alot but she does on occasion. She definitely gets enough attention from me because we spend at least two hours a night watching television. My only problem is she wasn’t this destructive when I got her and things have just been getting worse and worse. I truly spoil her and she has everything she needs so I’m not sure what it could be because I feel like I have all bases covered.
There was only one time that stands out where I know she hurt herself. That was when she jumped off my bed and broke her nail. She screamed And that scared me. Immediately I grabbed some of that stuff I read about to stop the bleeding cleaned her and applied the ointment. She was limping for a day but things got back to normal right after that. No limp or sign of discomfort after that. I don’t know if this is possible but it seems as if she is just being spoiled because she truly is spoiled. Another thing may just be that maybe she needs a larger cage which is a possibility but she already has a really nice sized cage. As of right now getting another cage would mean she would be in a different room than me and that might upset her even more.

[Kramer98]

Yes

[Bam]

As the others have said, it does sound hormonal. But 7-8 months post spay is rather too long for a post-spay craze (the hormonal surges a bun can get post de-sexing). We have had buns here that needed a year to calm down after their spay, but in those cases the buns have been acting weird (ie hormonal) the whole time.
Would the shelter still have records of the spay? There can sometimes be mix ups and mistakes. A vet could perhaps see scars from the spay, but it’s not always possible without an ultrasound.

It does seem like she’s getting a very good attention from you – 2 hours of cuddling per night is great. 2,5 hours out of the cage-time is a bit on the low side though. Could you set up an exercise pen for her so she has more space when she can’t be free roaming? I don’t think she’d be happier if she had to spend a lot of time alone in a room where you are not – rabbits are very social animals, even if they dont directly interact all the time.

Does she eat hay?

[Kramer98]

Yes I fill her hay rack daily. She also gets a timothy twist treat once every two days. Usually she gets a full salad consisting of mint, celery, kale and baby carrots. its very rare where she doesn’t get a full salad but occasionally I run out of fresh vegies and alli have are carrots and celery.

[Asriel and Bombur]

I’d really cut back on the carrots. When they say bunnies need veggies, it’s leafy greens. Baby carrots are high in sugar (for a bunny) so these should really be given as just a treat every few days. Stick to veggies like romaine, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, herbs, maybe buy boxed greens.

As for behavior, I’m with the others, it sounds like maybe the spay wasn’t 100% successful and maybe that’s what’s causing the issue.

[phi]

Hello! It definitely sounds hormonal, either an unsuccessful spay or it could be something else but you would only be able to find out through a blood test. For her play time, if you can’t stop her getting on the bed etc. you might have to use a different room to protect your stuff. Also, a dedicated digging box might help until you figure out what’s wrong.

What time of the day is she chewing through the hay box? Is there any pattern to it?

Does she indicate in any other way that she is stressed (e.g. pulling hair, or growling)? My bunny scratches the floor (not people) when his nails are almost ready for a clipping. What’s the length of her nails like and did the vet check her mouth and teeth thoroughly for any early issues?

Also, how big is she and how big is your room – it sounds like she stays with you in there which she would love, but I wonder if the space is somehow stressing her out?

[Kramer98]

I’m beginning to think that maybe she is upset that I stopped putting bedding in her cage. I stopped because she was prepping and piping all over her cage despite the fact that she had a litter box and she is trained. Maybe if I reintroduce the bedding that will restore her anxiety levels. As to you’re comment regarding a pattern to chewing the plastic hay feeder there does not appear to be anything that stands out.

[Author]

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