Sexually confused rabbit??

Question
Hello

I have 2 much loved house rabbits - Fitch is a 8 month old castrated male and Fifi is 12 weeks old unspayed female.

Whilst at home with them today i have noticed that Fifi is constantly mounting Fitch's face (the behaviour I normally expect from males). This is causing him distress and he is shedding fur when she does this. She is also...

- Stamping her foot a lot (fitch doesn't do this instead he kicks out his back legs when he runs away from you)
- Trying to smell Fitch's bottom which he doesn't like and then they start chasing each other (not nastily just in play i think)
- They seem to make a lot of noise in their cage now think they are running round it
- Also she has started pooping all round the house
- She has nipped (only put her teeth on my finger not caused any pain) a few times in the last week

Is this something that i need to worry about? She is too young to be spayed but I don't know what else to do?

Many thanks

Julie

Answer
Dear Julie,

It sounds as if Fifi is a little Alpha baby in training for future dominance.  Some rabbits are born dominant, and others are not.  She certainly sounds to be one of the former.  Stamping her foot, mounting his head...all the behaviors you describe are those of a dominant baby rabbit trying to establish mastery over other rabbits and over the whole household.  (Don't try to fight it; the rabbit always wins.)

Mounting behavior is a show of dominance in rabbits, and if Fitch objects, you could have some serious, dangerous fights if you let things escalate.  It's very important to NOT let them fight, and to this end I think you would be wise to house them separately while you are not monitoring them, until she's old enough to be spayed (which could be in another month or so, if she's really out of control).

If they're making a lot of noise in the cage, you're hearing incipient fighting.  He's trying to get away, and she's relentless.  This cannot end well.  Please get them apart so Fitch can have some peace.  They can still play together and become friends.  But if you let Fifi continue this roughhousing, they will begin to fight, and then the bond may never be re-made.

So take it slowly, keep them friendly with each other, and have her spayed by a good rabbit vet ASAP.  You can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

I hope this helps.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana