Recently neutered bun acting different

[lattebunbun]

Hi!

So my bun is 1 year old and I was finally able to neuter him. He is normally a very calm bunny and is never destructive at all. I wasn’t going to get a second bun, so originally I considered not neutering him. But then he started humping me and scratching me any second he got. He doesn’t have a cage, so I would literally wake up to him scratching and humping me. I decided it was time to get him neutered.

It has now been a week since I neutered him and his recovery has been great. However, I am now facing a new problem with behavior. He is more skittish now and he digs at everything. I free roam him in my room and I have these 3 mats so that he can run around and one of them he has completely destroyed because he keeps biting and digging at it non-stop. I wanted to get him a better, bigger rug to give him more traction to run around but I’m scared he’s going to destroy it. Also, he has never had a problem using his litterbox but for some reason since I neutered him, he moves his litterbox around. I will put it in its normal corner and an hour later it is at least 3 feet away from where it normally is. This isn’t much of a problem since he still uses it no matter where it is, but I just find this sudden behavior so mindboggling. Is this behavior normal for recently fixed buns? Is this just a temporary surge of hormones? What can I do to make sure these things don’t become habits?

Thank you so much in advance!

[DanaNM]

Hi there,

There are definitely some hormonal fluctuations for the few weeks post-neuter that can make buns extra crazy.

As for the rug digging, does he have any safe alternatives to chew and dig at instead? My diggers really like cardboard cat scratchers, paper mats, and sea grass mats. Phone books and boxes stuffed with shredded paper can also be really good. You can also provide some old towels or fleece blankets to dig at, as long as he doesn’t eat the fabric.

I would wait to replace the rugs until you find something for him to chew instead that is more tempting, so he will divert his energy to that instead. It might take some experimenting to see what works best.  (You will also prob see the behavior calm down a bit in a few more weeks). When you do get a new rug, the really low pile indoor/outdoor ones seem to be the least tempting for buns to chew on.

 

. . . 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.  

[lattebunbun]

Hi! Thank you for replying!

Hopefully, this sudden behavior dies down soon. I will be trying some cat scratchers and digging mats and see what attracts him the most.

Another thing is I’ve been noticing that he has become so skittish. He has never really liked being held but I could at least grab him and place him wherever I needed to which is good in case of an emergency but now I can’t even do that.

I am hoping for the best!

[LBJ10]

It sounds like a classic case of post-neuter craze. I would give him a few weeks before growing concerned about the behavior. As for the skittishness, that is probably hormones too. The hormone fluctuations can heighten senses and the littlest things can spook them.

[lattebunbun]

I am hoping for the best!!

Thank you so much!

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