Our rabbit is no longer tame!!

Hello all!!

We have a problem with our 6month old dwarf rabbit female Cici'.

Lately she doesn't want to be picked up and goes on the run whenever we go to let her out of the cage.

She is kept inside but daily we take her out into a large yard where she has a kennel, food and water.

Now everytime I open the cage she jsut goes into hiding in the box attached to the cage...if i try to get her out of the box she just goes in circles avoiding me...

I used to let her out around the house as well but she has this habit that she hops onto the bed and leaves her traces there always on the same spot. She is litter trained but she lvoes that spot so much...

We didn't want that so we no longer let her around the house much.

She is always trying to get out of the room she is kept in and go roam around all the house...

She is a cutey and we all love her but we she doesn't seem to understand we care about her!!

is she neutered? also she most likely will need a freind

Hi,
Is Cici spayed? It might be her hormones causing her to act this way. :wave:

If she hasn't been spayed then it could be due to hormonal behaviour, and she is obviously claiming the bed as hers. If you can't stop her from getting onto the bed then you could always put her litter tray on there in the hope that she'll use it, and then slowly over a period of time(Days/weeks) gradually move the tray so that it's on the floor.

capel said:

If she hasn't been spayed then it could be due to hormonal behaviour, and she is obviously claiming the bed as hers. If you can't stop her from getting onto the bed then you could always put her litter tray on there in the hope that she'll use it, and then slowly over a period of time(Days/weeks) gradually move the tray so that it's on the floor.

Click to expand...

no she is not spayed....

she is shedding quite some fur when i manage to pick her up and pet her...

do u suggest we spay her

It would be best if she was spayed. This will help calm her down, and is also better for her health as a very large % of female rabbits can end up with cancer if they do not have this op. Also once she has recovered from her spay she can be paired up with another bunny.

Mine is the same.. get her speyed and after a few weeks you'll have your nice little bunny back.
Can you not let her out but stop her going into your bedroom.. after all this will only be a short term measure because once she has recovered from her spey and her hormones have levelled out, she'll be much more friendly.

I have an aggressive bunny myself, getting her speyed was the best thing I ever did for our relationship. Although she hates being picked up, I think your rabbit will either be a lap rabbit or wont I dont think you'll be able to change it.

Adrian said:

no she is not spayed....

she is shedding quite some fur when i manage to pick her up and pet her...

do u suggest we spay her

Click to expand...

yes definatly, being spayed she wont get all hormonal and she wont go through the stress of phantom pregnancys, thinking she is going to have babies when she isn't.

devoted2buns said:

yes definatly, being spayed she wont get all hormonal and she wont go through the stress of phantom pregnancys, thinking she is going to have babies when she isn't.

Click to expand...

no luck with her yet.... she jsut runs away and hides....she takes a treat and leaves...

we get her out of her cage daily..... but now she wants to stay out all the time...

i lost touch with her she is taking over us!!



what am i going to do... ?

As most people have said getting her spayed is definately the place to start.

Not only is it essential for the rabbits health, but it should also calm her down and help with litter training etc (speaking from my own experience).

Also you may have to be prepared for the fact that she just does not like being picked up, our two don't and we can only stroke them on their terms. That's just the way some rabbits are.

stampz said:

As most people have said getting her spayed is definately the place to start.

Not only is it essential for the rabbits health, but it should also calm her down and help with litter training etc (speaking from my own experience).

Also you may have to be prepared for the fact that she just does not like being picked up, our two don't and we can only stroke them on their terms. That's just the way some rabbits are.

Click to expand...

i am afraid to spay her here in Malta... rabbits are not a common pet...and they are normally bred for food!! I'd rather let her be as she is then spay her...

what is the easiest way to approach ehr again... if i keep her locked in teh cage for a while will ti hurt her?

I am trying to tame Mandy at the moment i dont think she will ever liked being picked up though. Angel is the same as well she will only let you stroke her on her terms she isnt spayed as yet i didnt have the faulcity before to keep a eye on her indoors but now i have so once Mandy has being done angel is going to be done next then biscuit(male) them put them back together. Its not the money it costs but its in my oppinion being to cold to do it.

i know every one has said this to you but diffiantely research into getting her spayed there is bound to be a good vets that you can take her too, if you can buy a rabbit in malta there will be vets who'll be able to work on her you'll just need to ring about, it'll stop her getting uturine cancer too. in the mean time i would personally reduce the space she has to run about and somewhere where theres less places to hide from you. you need to spend loads of time on the floor with her allowing her to explore you without the fear of being touched or lifted. as she gets more familiar with you and used to being touched then increase her run space.

Adrian said:

i am afraid to spay her here in Malta... rabbits are not a common pet...and they are normally bred for food!! I'd rather let her be as she is then spay her...

what is the easiest way to approach ehr again... if i keep her locked in teh cage for a while will ti hurt her?

Click to expand...

Unfortunately if you have a hormonal female there are no miracle cures and apart from what has already been suggested I don't think you'll get very far with her. Locking her in her cage will re-affirm to her it is her space and she will become even more territorial over it. The best thing I can suggest is to handle her when she is somewhere unfamiliar - the female we had come in recently was very hormonal and attacked me when I went in her space. Once I had her in my arms and out of the space she considered to be hers she would quite happily sit there and let me hold her. She was spayed last thursday and the change is obvious already.