Weird noise

Question
Hey. I have a 9 month old femal lionshead rabbit and lately she has been making
weird noises ive never heard her make and i just wanna make sure she is okay?
She hardly ever lets me pick her up out of her cage so i just let her come out
on her own will but the other day i was trying to grab her out and she was
letting out this almost sad whimpering sound everytime i would try to grab her
or pick her up. I knew she didnt want me to but i dont understand what the noise
was for. Also, lately she has been digging in her litter box and making a mess?
Do you have any idea what the noise is for i mean is she okay?
I got part of an answer to this before but i failed to mention that i have another rabbit who i just found out was male. She couldnt be pregnant? I took them to the vet the other day and they didnt say anything and i always keep a very close eye on them whenever they are out together so. I just think the burrowing is a little strange. She does it on the carpet and messes it up sometimes.


Answer
Hi Jennifer

She could be pregnant but if they have been separated for more than 32 days she isn't.  If she were going to have babies and it has been that long she would have had them.

Did you mention to the vet that she had been near a buck recently?  The vet should have palpated for pregnancy.  Now believe me they can't always feel it so don't be surprised if you wake up with a litter of kits.

You obviously know that rabbits are cage protective.  She seems to be the type of rabbit that hates being picked up but obviously needs to be picked up on occasion for well fair checks, nail clippings etc.  She sounds to me like she just doesn't want you picking her up.  As for the noises they love to make strange noises.  Since you had her in for a check-up I doubt she is hurt.  I was at at a national show this weekend and I heard 2 separate rabbits squeal the cry of death.  The only thing that was being done to them is that the judge was holding them on their backs to check their undersides.  I would have swore they were dying.  So rabbits can make noises and as they get older the noises change.  Their flaps of skin in their airways change as they age and it makes the noises sound different.

The best thing to do is to make sure she isn't hurt.  Make sure she isn't limping or has any certain painful areas.  The vet should have noticed any sign of injury if this were the case.  If she is eating normally, drinking and doesn't have diarrhea then I wouldn't worry to much about the noises.

I do have a few concerns about you letting the buck and doe run together.  Even if you turn your back for a second he could get to her.  Unless you are planning on breeding them it is probably best to get the buck neutered.  Honestly people will tell you that you should get the doe spayed also but that is up to you.  There have been many conflicting reports.  Many studies have shown that doe's who aren't fixed have a higher incidence of ovarian or uterine cancer, yet there are other reports that show no difference in the incidents at all.  Honestly if you aren't planning on breeding her I would always say lean toward the safe side.  If she doesn't have the parts then she can't get the cancer.

About burrowing-- Rabbits burrow, its in their instinct.  In the wild rabbits burrow to make homes for themselves.  The best thing to do about the carpet is spray some apple bitter spray in the area she chooses to dig.  This may deter her but again some rabbits just don't care about the bitter taste.  Give her a big cardboard box filled with shredded paper and some old fleece type towels that will allow her to dig to her hearts content.  Make sure there are no lose strings on the fabric so that she can't choke or get a stomach blockage.

If you plan on breeding her it is very very important to keep them separated so that you would know the exact date that she is due.  As for now since you don't know for sure provide her with a nice cozy nest box in her cage.  Line the bottom with about 1/2 inch of a newspaper, cover it with some aspen chips, and load it with tons of hay.  That way if she is pregnant she will have a place to have the babies.

Also remember that since your rabbit is 9 months old she is what we would refer to as a typical teenager.  Her hormones are raging and she can be a down right pain in the butt.  Spaying her would fix her hormonal rages but she still may never like to be picked up.

I think you are doing a fine job Jennifer and just the fact that you are willing to take her to the vet makes me think that you are a good rabbit mommy and a good person.

Just remember to watch out for the signs I mentioned before about illness.  If you see any of them please rush her to the vet immediately.  Other than that I think she is just being a normal bunny.

Thank you so much and give her a big kiss for me.

Pam