bunny acting different

Question
we have a 8 month old mini rex. just about a month ago she started to scratch on the sofa cushions. she does have lots of stuff to play with.(fleece blanket,wicker basket,tennis balls,phone book,old bags,news papers,wood blocks,baby rattle,a big box to go inside and hide) also now lately she will go into her litter box with her butt facing out and scratch and throw her aspen shavings out on the floor. butterscotch stays in a cage that is 17"x36"x17" high. we do let her out in the mornings (3:00am till 3:15/ 7:00am till7:15am/ 5:30pm till bed time or if she gets into mischief then we put her in it sooner) her cage has a wire floor but we cover it with cardboard. after a while she will chew at the cardboard and tear it up. we do feed her pellet food plus yogurt,apples,green leaf lettuce,celery,broccoli and carrots. she perfers to drink out of a bowl. (we had both in there (cage) for a while to see what she used.) i hope this is enough information for you. thank you from bruce, stacy, sami jo and of corse butterscotch.

Answer
Dear Bruce,

Congratulations!  Your bunny is reaching puberty and has entered her "terrible teens".  This is the age (and it will last about another 8 months!) when bunnies start to assert themselves and act moody and sometimes destructive because their sex hormones are kicking in.  They're not unlike emotional human teenagers at this stage, and it can take some saintlike patience on the part of the human caregiver to get through this period.

The first step, and possibly the most important, is to have her spayed.  This alone will help curb her destructive behaviors, but it will still take a bit of maturation to get all the p*** and vinegar out of her system.  :)

Once she's spayed, you can set up a "blind date" with your local rabbit rescuer to let her choose a neutered mate.  Sometimes a bored, hormonal young bunny will stop acting out completely once she has a companion to share her space and cuddle.  But this process must be done very carefully, as rabbits are fiercely territorial and will fight ferociously if not bonded gradually and with proper technique.

Your local rabbit rescuer can help you with this, and make sure the match is the best for success in this department.  You can find your local chapter here:

www.rabbit.org/chapters

and find a good vet here for the spay:

www.rabbit.org/vets

and also read:

www.rabbit.org/health/spay.html

I hope this helps.

Dana