How long will a rabbit stay in heat?

Question
We got our rabbit as a baby. She was calm and sweet at first, but she just recently started making a weird grunt/squeaking noise anytime we come near her. She also nips alot now.  We put chew toys in the cadge for her but she won't chew them, she chews the cadge instead (which drives us crazy) we just recently (2 weeks ago) started giving her "timithy hay"  and now she wont eat her pellets, she only wants the hay. When we let her out to run around the living room, she slams her back feet ont he floor alot and will run and jump and flip and kick off the far wall.

I was told by a vet that she was just in heat and we should get her fixed (too expensive). He couldnt answer how long she will stay in heat.

What can we do?  I don't want an animal that I can't hold or pet.

Thanks

Answer
Rabbits do not go into heat, but, they do become hormonal at 4-6 months of age.  This behavior will not go away unless the rabbit is spayed.  Think of a human with very bad PMS, that is basically what the rabbit is going through.  Only it never ends for the rabbit.

Maybe you could find another vet who could spay her for less, or a low-cost clinic that spays rabbits?  Once she is spayed and the hormones have gone out of her system, she will become calm again.

You can read more about spaying at http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabrefs.html#spay

Kim