What’s going on with him?

[HareIvoryWhiskers]

Bramble has been acting strangely. My mom has a rabbit of her own whom has just got spayed. So there are x-pens separating the 3 bunnies. (Bramble and Honeydew in one  of appropriate size and my mom’s bunny in the other.) Ever since they all got put in their own bunny room Bramble has been chewing on the bars of his and Honeydew’s x-pen (even when he’s out). And he has been spilling water (which I didn’t think was possible since it’s those Kaytee carrot dishes). He’s also digging and chewing on the fleece blankets of his and Honeydew’s enclosure. And he’s eating my mom bunny’s hay. (They have separation grids except at the hay rack of bunny’s enclosure). And he’s usually very good at using the litter box but not lately. He was good for months. The three of them shared the bunny room shortly after I moved in. (Back in December.) My mom adopted her bunny in February and they all have lived in peace in the bunny room since then. Why is he acting like a wild child suddenly? He and Honeydew had a recent check up and they are healthy and he is fixed. So why? What could possibly be going on with him?

[LBJ10]

It could just be spring. Or as some people call it, March madness. The changing light and warmer temperatures can trigger hormones, even in spayed/neutered bunnies. It sounds like he is frustrated and he is testing the limits of the enclosure.

[Bam]

I agree with LBJ. It is quite common for rabbits to act up this time of year. It has to do with the rapid increase in daylight hours. Temperature is also a factor, although less so for house buns. Some buns act up in September/October as well, when daylight hours decrease rapidly -but the “worst” March madness tends to occur in the spring. There’s a whole host of hormones involved, not just sex hormones. Neutered/spayed rabbits maintain some production of sex hormones in their adrenal glands.

Your mum’s recently spayed doe could be an additional trigger. It takes some time for the female sex hormones to “die down”. In dogs it’s not uncommon for the production of testosterone to increase in a spayed female, at least temporarily. These hormonal changes change the scent of the animal, and rabbits have a very, very keen sense of smell.

March madness subsides spontaneously.

 

 

[BunnyLass568]

I can’t really help but I’m having the same issues with Thumper except he’s not neutered (I’m having trouble getting him fixed along with Blossom, everytime I get enough money something happens).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Pets-Passed away: Hailey (9 years old, half rat terrier and miniature pincher, Feb-5-2019),Monster (13 years old, mixed breed, Lhasa Apso and some form of terrier, Sep-14-2020), Demon (14 year old Lhasa Apso, Aug-3-2022) Blossom (6 year old bunny breed(s) unknown, April-7-2024) Thumper (6 year old bunny breed(s) unknown, April-12-2024)💔💔💔💔

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