Pet Information > ASK Experts > Exotic Pets > Rabbits > Digging & Nesting Behavior

Digging & Nesting Behavior

22 9:39:20

Question
Hi - I have a 7 mo. old female rabbit named Loca - that name totally suits her.  She's funny, silly, and adorably lovable.  However, for the second time in 45 days, she's pulling out her neck fur, and pulling every towel, shirt, rug, yarn, and anything else she can drag into a homemade fun box we made for her. She's making a huge nest in there. And she's aggressive during this time as well, especially if we try to stop her from dragging certain things into her box.  We do know she's def not pregnant, as she's a rescued meat rabbit we've had since she was 8 weeks old.    We've read about pseudo pregnancies, but how long do these events go on?  Will this happen every 45 days or so for the rest of her little life?  Will this go away soon?  Any help would be so appreciated.

Answer
Diane,

Is Loca fixed? If not, I'd recommend doing that for several reasons:
It will slow (if not entirely stop) her nesting behavior. Jessica only nested once after I had her fixed, and she made it to 8 years old.
It will keep her from reproductive organ cancer, which affects about 80% of rabbits over the age of 2 (part of why they mate so voraciously in the wild - they have a REALLY short life span without medical intervention).
It can also help prevent UTI's which can, if not treated, lead to more serious health issues or death.

If you choose not to fix her, she will experience these episodes continuously throughout her life.

I'm sure this isn't what you were expecting to hear, so I'm sorry the answer is a bit more complicated than a yes or no, but I hope this helps. Best of luck!