Misplaced affection maybe?

Question
I have had my sweet,indoor, female lop, Ginger, for just over six months now and she is my first bun. More often than not, she is kept in a cage in my room. I think I really made out personality wise, because from the get go she's been so laid back and affectionate, kissing/licking for her is a passion and she follows me all over the place. We also have a very large short-haired cat and they enjoy just vegging on the couch next to each other, making their respective purring/ "teeth purr" noises. Lately, usually to everyone's amusement, Ginger will mount our poor cat Shadow... or.. try to... he's  a really big cat, and she follows after him occasionally. She's not spayed, granted, but she's female and I'm wondering if she's a little species confused haha, even if our cat is a male. We don't  have the ability to get her spayed yet, but we plan on doing so. Would this stop that behavior? Shadow's a good sport about it, but I'm sure even he has his limits haha. And of course they're never left alone, just in case.

Answer
Dear Samantha,

Yep, it sounds as if Ginger is in the throes of puberty.  Not only will she start mounting things now, but she might also start spraying urine on the objects of her affection (the cat,  you, etc.), but she could also start to show aggression.  Spaying will stop these objectionable behaviors, and also eliminate her very high risk of uterine cancer.  Please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/spay.html

and

www.rabbit.org/health/spay.html

for complete information, and find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Most rabbits who reach puberty are fairly indiscriminate about what they mount, once the hormones kick in.  And as you know, mounting is not only sexual, but also social dominance behavior.  And yes, the cat could get fed up, give her a swat and injure her seriously without meaning to.  

Unfortunately, cats claws and teeth are teeming with potentially deadly Pasteurella and Bartonella bacteria, and even a tiny scratch can elicit a life-threatening systemic infection.  We just finished nursing one of our adoptees through just such a bout of septicemia, and he's lucky to be alive.  He got just the tiniest scratch from his cat friend, who had leaped over him when he was startled.  The owner didn't even realize there had been an injury!  But Rupert nearly died, and it was only prompt intervention that saved him.

If there's any chance that your cat might even gently swat the bunny without sheathing his claws, I'd recommend that you clip and file the cat's claw tips until bun is spayed and no longer mounting.  Better to be safe than sorry.

Hope this helps!

Dana