CLumps of fur found

Question
Hi there

I've just had my first pet rabbit, who we absolutely adore.  On returning home from work I found clumps of fur in her box with no signs that she hurt herself. Also she turned everything upside down in her box, ie her hay was moved etc. She is kept in her box outside in the garden and due to work commitments we dont let her out as much.  In addition we are trying to litter train her and find when we move her tray she goes to the opposite end.   Do you think our young bunny is stressed, or is she lonely.  Your help would be appreciated.
Kind regards
Nicola

Answer
Dear Nicola,

If your bunny is a few months old, then she may be pulling fur due to a false pregnancy.  She should be spayed at the age of 5-8 months for her health and longevity.  This will also help  with litterbox training.  You can find more tips on training here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/training.html

and on spay/neuter here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/spay.html

and find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Once she's spayed, you can contact your local rabbit rescuer to arrange a "blind date" so she can pick an eligible bachelor from among the needy bunnies there (it is *vital* that you let her pick, or there could be bloodshed!).  This will keep her entertained and less lonely when you're not around to keep her company.

Hope this helps!

Dana