Question
Bunny Kisses.
Hi there Dana,
Recently I got a male rabbit neutered from the shelter and brought him home to my female rabbit (spayed). After some initial fur flying I separated their play areas by a gate. I have noticed some kisses through the gate so I started letting them have play time together. This is what i've observed. The male chases the female, tries to hump her, she runs away and doesn't want to be humped. There is no aggression any more but they spend their time male chasing female running. I thought it was time to go back to the 'bathtub dates'. Those seem to be more of the same. The female sits there while the male humps away, except this time she cant run. Eventually she gets fed up and literally jumps into my arms to get away from him. I'm at a loss. His neuter was recent but I assumed this behavior would subside eventually with the loss of his parts. I've given him a plush toy to play with and he just humps that away to his bunny hearts content. Was that the wrong thing to do? Am i encouraging his humping habit by providing him the toy bunny? I have never had a male rabbit act like this before so i'm confused on what to do about it.
Also, do you have any advice on what I could do to help this bunny bond along?
Thank you.
AnswerDear Lauren,
It can take a couple of weeks before all the hormones start to leave his system, and between now and then he'll be the Humpomaniac from Hell. For now, you're wise to keep the bunnies separated so his constant humping doesn't foment fights. Gradually, he will calm down and his humping will subside. At that time, the bonding will go more smoothly.
Unfortunately, a few rabbits seem to get *worse* immediately after a neuter, and no one is really sure why. Some have suggested that the handling of the testes during surgery might cause a surge of testosterone...but that's just a guess.
But take heart: he *will* calm down, and the kissing is a very good sign that this will be a sweet bond that will be enjoyed by all for many years.
Hope this helps!
Dana
Help!
QuestionQUESTION: I have a six month old rabbit of an u
Persistent scabby nose
QuestionQUESTION: I volunteer at an animal shelter givi
Meds for E.Cuniculi
QuestionJazzy
QUESTION: Hello Dr. Krempels,
Som
Wild Rabbit Kitten
Question
Rabbit Kitten
This morning we woke up t
swollen testicle
Question
rabbit testicle
My rabbit has a swollen
