Spayed Rabbit Humping Objects

[luna_cecelia_rc]

Hi, I adopted my rabbit, Luna, 3 years ago. She was spayed when she came to me (have seen documentation confirming it, and she had a shaved belly when I adopted her). She is the only rabbit in the house at this time. But she humps stuff a lot (her pet beds, my slipper, even if a blanket is crumpled up on the floor, she’ll hump it). She has done it before, but I feel like it has increased lately. She doesn’t hump other rabbits when I take her over to the rescue to play with other bunnies (she mostly avoids the other rabbits). I’ve asked the vet about it, and her vet didn’t think it was anything to be concerned about. But I’ve asked other rabbit owners, and they found it unusual that a spayed rabbit would be humping inanimate objects so much. I’ve checked her scent glands, and they are clean. I’ve tried washing the blankets and beds, and she still does it. I will add that she has had a polyp removed from her rectum and was humping her bed sometimes before that happened. But then the humping continued even after the polyp was removed (this was in Aug. 2020), and the humping seems to have increased lately.

Should I be concerned? Does anyone else have a spayed female that does this? She has chronic congestion (due to an oddly shaped nasal passage) but is otherwise healthy at this time. As I’ve mentioned, I asked the vet about it, and she didn’t seem concerned. Since the polyp, I check her bottom once per month, and it has looked normal since the polyp was removed. Luna goes to the vet (one found via House Rabbit Society’s list) at least every 6 months for checkups and in between if something seems wrong. Any ideas why she humps her beds, blankets, my slippers, etc.?

Thanks in advance!

-Meagan and Luna

[Wick & Fable]

It is unusual for a spayed female to be humping — it suggests there’s still something generating hormonal behavior that we would not typically expect. It could be that the spay was not successful (i.e., not everything was removed), or you may have a hermaphrodite who has female and male parts, the latter of which is causing the hormonal behavior.

Anecdotally, a rescue I volunteer for recently discovered one of the males who had been neutered actually had a 3rd testicle, which was perceived as the cause for what seemed like sporadic hormonal behavior. It was identified via CT.

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.

[DanaNM]

I agree that is unusual, I was going to suggest the same possibilities as Wick&Fable. Do you notice any urinary symptoms?

. . . 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.  

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

I know that some other animals can start to hump objects when they have an irritation in their ano-genital area. But I’m not sure if that’s something that happens in bunnies too.

[Author]

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