The Little Digger!!!

Question
Hi, I have a darling 4 1/2 month old mini-lop. She's pretty much litter trained now but she's getting real messy!!  

Almost overnight she has become a real digger and shredder.  I can spend all day and night cleaning up after her and her litter tray needs to be cleaned out twice a day as she just loves to dig, dig, DIG!!! She's very clever and can cover the enter carpet with litter pellets and carefresh!  She can also shred all the newspaper that lines her hutch in a matter of hours! I know she's having a great time, but her cleaner (me!) is getting just a little tired of the constant tidying, my vaccum cleaner has also given up and refuses to work anymore.

I know it's her hormones kicking in, and I'll have her spayed as soon as possible, at 6 months.  Is this behaviour likely to calm down once she's been spayed and matured a little? I never experienced this with my 2 yr old (neutered) buck, so I'm guessing this is a female thing??

Many thanks for your help

Samantha Garbutt


Answer
Dear Samantha,

Yep, you're right:  It's a hormone thing.  The digging also tends to be a more female thing, but this is also a Her Own Unique Personality Thing.  (Is that thingy enough for you?  ;) )

Yes, once she's spayed she should calm down.  But it won't happen right away.  Some bunnies just go through a rambunctious "teenage" stage that takes a few months to subside even after spay/neuter.  But it WILL subside with time.  You just have to wait it out, as you would with a pubescent puppy, kitten...or human!  :)

If you don't yet have a good rabbit vet for the spay, then you can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Hope this helps, and that your little gal calms down sooner, rather than later.

Dana