mean bunnies

Question
When I got my bunny she was a baby. She was from a pet store but she was very nice. She never had any problems with people picking her up, holding her or petting her. I have recently moved and sence the move she has gotten very mean. She makes a sort of grunting noise as if to be growling at you when I go near the cage, she bites me when I open the cage and when I reach my hand in the cage to feed her she scatches and tries to bite me. I have been taking her out of her cage a lot more and giving her more attention to see if that would fix it but i've had no luck. Is there a reason she is doing things liek this and if so how can I get her to stop?

Answer
Hi Stephanie,

I am guessing that her change in behavior is due to the fact she has gotten older and is now sexually mature (older than 4 months).

Female rabbits can become more territorial of their space (cages, etc) when they reach sexual maturity.

The best thing you can do for her (and you) is get her spayed by a competent rabbit vet.  If you do not have one, go to:

www.rabbit.org\vets

and find a House Rabbit Society-recommended vet in your area.  Not all vets are good with rabbits even though they are great with cats and dogs.

It should basically get you your little bunny back (her personality before sexual maturity).  It will take about a month after the spay to get all of her hormones out of her body, just remember that.  You should start seeing changes in her behavior shortly after the spay, though.

If she still has issues with you going in the cage, the best thing to do is go slowly, and pet her awhile before doing anything.  YOu may need to pet her while giving her food, or reaching for something.  Keep her calm and make it enjoyable.  It's not just about doing a chore.

Lee