Reintroducing rabbits to an enviorment

Question
Hi there,
My girlfriend and I have two rabbits, dumbo and latte for approx. 7 months now. They are both females minilops, and are quite healthy. Latte has been spayed and as for dumbo, due to a recent surgery we decided to put it off till this coming march. Well recently I had my winter break(we're both students) so we left our rabbits with our aunt who took wonderful care of them for us. But when we brought them back to our apartment (2 months later) we have discovered that they have become extremely naughty. I understand this may be because they haven't been let out of their cage for 2 months and may be a little restless but for the past 4 days they have been pooing in mass quantities all over the house as well as peeing all over the carpet, in their pipe and everything they basically can reach. Bear in mind that we have had the rabbits for a good 5 months where they ran around the apartment all day long prior to the winter break. They have also developed a new tendency to dig all the bedding out of their cage. Nor do they respond to their names or to us rustling their food bowl (when you use to rustle their food bowl they would come running back into the cage.) They also have a new tendency to hump each other and I understand this is because they are both females, and that they are trying to determine whose in charge. They are extremely naughty and quite frankly at the moment scrubbing the pee smell out of the carpet is becoming very annoying. It's like we have come home to completely different rabbits. We have decided to stop letting them out until we can find a solution can you please help us!

Sincerly,
Richard

Answer
Hi Richard,

I hate to mention the "two women in the same kitchen"...but that is most likely what you have.  Rabbits are very territorial and it sounds like you have a property issue.  I would most likely expect things to get worse as the unspayed girl becomes more hormonal.  Remember that a rabbit's primary focus in life is to reproduce.  A male reaches sexual maturity about 3 months or so and they can become really naughty.  Girls usually mature sexually between six and nine months depending on breed.  They can become so hormonal that they will experience a "pseudo-pregnancy" and will become very aggressive and territorial....and will even build a full nest.  She will appear to be in a panic.  She will do everything except deliver kits.  And when the hormones hit...they really hit.  We have had girls that became violent to people...lunging, batting and biting.  I would suggest moving up the spay if at all possible.  Afterwards, you will have to "rebond".  Since scent is a major player in the social status of rabbits, the newly spayed girl will have a different odor.  That, in effect, makes them strangers and most likely will require a rebonding period.  We have seen this same behavior often....it's usually when people feel they have "bad rabbits'.  And sometimes even after a spay, two girls might not get along together.  It's obvious you care for your buns....just having them spayed shows me a lot.  They are in a period that needs your understanding and patience.  They are being rabbits.  Hopefully the spay will correct all these concerns.

Randy