Angry/Agressive Female

Question
Dear Mr. Meyer,

I recently got my 6-month old bunny Mocha spayed. Before the surgery, she was very aggressive and moody and I was hoping that she would calm down after the procedure. It's been two weeks and she is still restless. We keep her indoors in a hutch that has a ramp that goes down into a small fenced in play area.

Lately, she's been tossing her litter box around and banging her food bowl against the walls of the hutch. When I come near the fence of the playpen, she lowers her head and pricks her ears back and sometimes lunges forward and growls at me. I can't understand these recent developments in her behavior.

She's always seemed nervous around me for some reason and won't let me hold her at all. I've had her  since she was a few weeks old...I can't understand what I'm doing wrong. I always speak in soft tones with her and give her plenty of treats, but she just doesn't seem to acknowledge me.

When I do step inside her playpen and start petting her, she will immediately lie down and close her eyes. That's about the only good sign I have going for me...

I'm worried that I will never be able to establish a bond with her. Is there anything that I can do? I love her so much and I hate having the feeling that we aren't getting along.   

Thank you,
Anna

Answer
Hi Anna,

it takes between 4-6 weeks for hormone levels to settle to their new, lower levels.  Two weeks is too early to expect her to be totally different.

Most rabbits do not like being held (most prey animals don't).  It is not in their nature to like it.  It is like being held by something just about to eat them.  So her aversion to being held by you is probably not personal.  She may not like you as much as other people because she associates you with trying to hold her, and maybe the people she gets along with better don't pick her up or try to as often as you do.

This will affect bonding because she doesn't trust you.  She needs to see she can be around you without worrying you're going to go for her.  One of the best things you can do is just sit in their area and read or watch tv, and pretty much ignore them.  They start to get curious and it allows them to seek you out.  Avoid the temptation to pet them if she comes up to you.  Let her sniff, and hop away, or be around you without you reaching for her.  The more she can see that your hands aren't always reaching for a pickup, but they may have a small treat, or to give afew pets, the trust can start.

It does take patience,  prey animals are all about trust.  With rabbits we build all of our trust with our hands.  You can't hit them or always be grabbing for them, they'll never trust those hands.

And not every bunny warms up to you at the same rate.  I have one bunny that is totally bonded to my wife, and real shy around me, after about two years.  It can be a personality thing too, but with time and patience you will overcome it.  I can't spend nearly as much time with my gal as you can with yours, so she will get used to you and it should be okay.

But don't expect major positive changes after two weeks of the spay.  4-6 weeks is more accurate.  That and she will start to forget about the surgery and associating it with you.

Lee