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bunny bipolar

22 10:01:26

Question

blossom
hey! im elizebeth and im 18..
my dwarf lop bunny "blossom" is my BESTFRIEND :) and she is still very younge (5 months)
she has an outside pen and its free on the bottom so she can play in the grass. and she has a nice wooden house undercover wich she loves.
she has her litter spot, but she likes to drop poo when she explores. she used to be so amazing, come to her name, give me kisses, sleep with me in my bed and not litter. she was like a dog realy. anyway reacently i have been working fultime but still fit her in as much as possible.. things were just a tiny bit different. but a week ago i went on a 6 day holiday and left her with a house sitter... when i came back she was growling and putting her ears back and head down when i tried to touch her, she also bit me every time i put my hand near her. she has never done anything close to this!! shedoes not eat AS much anymore, and just sits in corners, her house seems messier and she scratches and jumps out of my arms whenever i try holding her. im so sad im scared i'l never get her back the way she was. im certain that it is not a stomache upset and i'v somehow hurt her feelings! please helllllllp :)

Answer
Dear Elziebeth,

Your bunny needs to be spayed as soon as possible:

www.rabbit.org/health/spay.html

Her sex hormones are kicking in, and this will cause her personality to change.  Like any human or other animal, a teenage rabbit will be grouchy, moody, destructive, and sometimes aggressive.  She will grow out of this, but the spay is essential to curb her moodiness and aggression.  Unspayed females also have a very high risk of uterine cancer, so this operation is very important.  You can find a rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Don't discount the notion that your bunny is angry with you for leaving her with someone else.  She may have thought you abandoned her, and some lops are SO regal and imperious that they treat us (their subjects) like naughty slaves if we don't do what they wish.  So kiss up to her, give her lots of love (even if she bites!).  Answer a bite with love and cuddles and she will appreciate it and calm down.  Reacting with violence on your part will only escalate things and make them worse.

And I have to warn you:  as cute as lops are, they tend to be the grouchiest and most regal of all.  I guess they figure they're so adorable that they don't *have* to be nice  ;)  But the aggressive rabbits are often the smartest and most fun, once their anger is under control. So for tips on how to stop her aggression, please read the articles here:

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/aggression.html

Hope this helps.

Dana