Behaviour after spaying

Wondered if anyone has any advice or whether its too soon to even be concerned but before her spay Roo was very friendly, would sit on me for strokes and just generally nice. She was spayed due to the cancer risk and because she was humping the life out of Kanga.

Since her spay (which I appreciate was only a week ago) she's gone right off me. She hides when I put food in and if I try and stroke her she runs as far away as possible. I got them out tonight for some attention and I put her on my lap and she got straight off and run away every time I tried to feed her a treat or stroke her. Before she would purr (sure she did sounded a bit like my cat) whilst sitting being stroked.

Does she blame me for her pain? And will she ever love me again?

It's hard as I was told and read to interact daily with them as the longer you go without the harder it is and longer it takes for them to be friendly but I don't want to push them or her into hating or being scared of us! My children haven't been anywhere near them yet either.

When Doughnut was spayed she didn't react like that but I know it can take another 6 weeks for all of the hormones to be out of their system. Doughnut used to dig like crazy!

Maybe you should try hand feeding and not picking up. Doughnut hates being picked up but will jump up on my lap for treats. I appreciate it's gone backwards for some reason but it seems the trust needs to be built up again. Laying on the floor at her level with a treat in your hand she may come over as rabbits are very nosy and can smell the treat. She probably will go back to how it used to be but sounds like it may take time.

cpayne said:

When Doughnut was spayed she didn't react like that but I know it can take another 6 weeks for all of the hormones to be out of their system. Doughnut used to dig like crazy!

Maybe you should try hand feeding and not picking up. Doughnut hates being picked up but will jump up on my lap for treats. I appreciate it's gone backwards for some reason but it seems the trust needs to be built up again. Laying on the floor at her level with a treat in your hand she may come over as rabbits are very nosy and can smell the treat. She probably will go back to how it used to be but sounds like it may take time.

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Thanks for the reply.

I tried laying on the floor in the kitchen last night with broccoli and carrot pieces on me and she came over smelt them and run away. When I threw a bit in her direction she are it but when I tried to ham feed she went away again.

I miss our cuddley strokes :-(

Will keep trying to hand feed her in her hutch.

The memory of her ordeal is still fresh and she is blaming you. As time goes by she will forget about it and then you can get back into your happy relationship. Give her time.

Rabbits don't 'blame' you for things that happen at the vet, they can't make that association. She is probably just still feeling sore and a bit off. Hope she is back to her cuddly self soon :wave:

None of my buns like being picked up, so after my girls were spayed if I needed to check their wounds I used to hold a treat high up so they had to half periscope to get to it and I could see it without handling them. I found they were more skittish initially but they soon came around, as after all they only associate me with food giving :lol: