Just what is going on??? (should be in rabbit chat!!)

Well I think I know what is going on, but just wanted your confirmation :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Pickle and Twinkle have been a bit "funny" since the washing Twinkle incident and they stayed in the bathroom overnight.

That evening was the first time I had seen the change in the pecking order with the two as I have always seen Twinkle as the little baby and Pickle as the big bad naughty bully boy :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Saw Twinkle humping Pickle, who then got angry and chased her....

Things have been a bit tense for a few days and then this morning....

Always feed the bunnies in the run when I let them out the hutch and today I took out some carrot chunks to go with their SS. Pickle grabbed a chunk of carrot and ran off with it to the end of the run so I gave Twinkle her SS. When Pickle had finished the carrot he came for his SS and then Twinkle was all over the place trying to steal his too!!!! AFter me fending her off with chunks of carrots for a minute she decided to hump him :shock: I pushed her off but after a few seconds she jumped on again and then Pickle got fed up and chased her into the hutch at full speed.

Worried he will get fed up of her strange behaviour and hurt her if a fight broke out.... do I have to do what I think I have to do cos I dont wanna do it cos I scared :?

41 people looked at this post and no replies??? Can no one confirm that this behaviour is a terrible teenager symptom?? Does the dreaded spay seem to be the only answer?????


Please someone.....???

Hello
I'll reply :lol:
i think maybe it is worth considering getting her spayed.

With the health benefits aside I think it depends on each of their individual personalities whether their relationship can cope with the doe being unspayed...When I first had rabbits last year, I was fostering Esmerlda and Bob and Esmerelda wasnt spayed- because of this she would hump Bob all the time, but he was such a placid lovely chap that he put up with it.

However, when Bob died and Esmerelda got a new partner he would not tolerate her humping, so I think perhaps in time they may have fallen out or even hurt each other because of it, so...if you think that Pickle will not ultimately put up with this then it it is worth thinking about.

I'm inclined to agree with Mandy - I think spaying her would be the answer. Sounds like her hormones have kicked in big time, and if they've been getting on fine up until now then if they were my bunnies I'd get Twinkle spayed. Apart from reducing the risk of uterine cancer, then it should help to disperse those raging hormones. Is Pickle neutered btw? and I have to ask - what was the washing Twinkle incident??? :shock: :? :lol:

yeah it sounds like the hormones have really kicked in.

if it was me i would get twinkle spayed as i would not want it to result in pickle getting really annoyed and end in a fight.

i know its a really tough decision to make so good luck

Thanks for the replies

Thought I had posted an invisible thread lol!!!!!

I was thinking this might be the answer. But just wanted it confirmed. They are not as snuggly as they used to be and they spend a lot of time separate - one in run one in hutch etc.

Twinkle has got quite assertive over the last month or so - she has grown a lot so she is not much different in size and she is a major piglet with food. Snatching Pickle's all the time. Even where there is food for her she will take his from him.

It has only been the last few days I have seen her humping him which he doesnt like and am worried they might end up fighting.

The washing Twinkle incident is

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=38606&highlight=


But for quickness she had her vaccindation at the vets who said her bum was a bit dirty. I decided to wash her but she wouldnt dry so had to stay in all night in my bathroom with Pickle!!! He was terrified cos of strange surroundings and thats when I first noticed how much she was being a little bully to Pickle. He stayed in the carrier all night and she was fine.
Pickle was neutered in October 2006 by the way and he is very placid although does not like being picked up.

Just read the washing Twinkle thread I know exactly how you feel about how horrible the stained fur looks - I've had a similar problem with Bundle until I worked out what was causing it. Basically I was using loads of hay in the sleeping compartment for them, but Bundle can be a bit of a dirty mare, and rather than going to use the litter trays, she was peeing all over the hay in the bedroom and then lying in it, getting all her underneath stained. :roll:

I worked out that this was what was happening and have since stopped using hay in the bedroom. I now fill a pillow case with lots of shredded paper, making a plump comfy cushion, and wrap the pillow case in old towels. Both of them love it and snuggle up and Bundle stopped weeing on it straight away because I think she associates the fabric with sitting on my lap, or on the sofa.

Because she is no longer peeing and lying in it :roll: the staining is gradually getting less and less, and Jane is right about the grooming - the longer time goes on the fur dies and comes out with regular grooming thus reducing the stained-ness.

Hope this helps - just had to pass on my success story after despairing of ever solving Bundle's pee stained fur! :wink:

Bundle said:

Just read the washing Twinkle thread I know exactly how you feel about how horrible the stained fur looks - I've had a similar problem with Bundle until I worked out what was causing it. Basically I was using loads of hay in the sleeping compartment for them, but Bundle can be a bit of a dirty mare, and rather than going to use the litter trays, she was peeing all over the hay in the bedroom and then lying in it, getting all her underneath stained. :roll:

I worked out that this was what was happening and have since stopped using hay in the bedroom. I now fill a pillow case with lots of shredded paper, making a plump comfy cushion, and wrap the pillow case in old towels. Both of them love it and snuggle up and Bundle stopped weeing on it straight away because I think she associates the fabric with sitting on my lap, or on the sofa.

Because she is no longer peeing and lying in it :roll: the staining is gradually getting less and less, and Jane is right about the grooming - the longer time goes on the fur dies and comes out with regular grooming thus reducing the stained-ness.

Hope this helps - just had to pass on my success story after despairing of ever solving Bundle's pee stained fur! :wink:

Click to expand...

Thanks for that!!! She has a white underneath and so it shows everything!!!! She has a bit of a sensitive tummy so it is only around her bottom that has a staining of poo really so not sure how you groom a bottom area, but am keeping an eye on her as dont want her getting infected. I wont wash her as such again and will try using wipes occasionally when the weather is better so she doesnt get so wet. Also she is now on SS so hoping her tummy will improve even more than it has already since I got her.

I know I am just kidding myself that the spay wont need to be done. I know she should be done for her own health and the happiness of her and Pickle but taking a healthy animal to the vets for a potential op disaster is just so scary.

Thank you for your advice all.

What I do with Bundle to groom her underneath is to sit on a chair with her on my lap, then gently flip her over onto her back and hold her close against me with her head against my stomach so she can't struggle. I use a soft slicker brush underneath and all round her tail, but just brush very gently. It doesn't get right through the hair but it does fetch a good percentage out. Baby wipes are also good for cleaning around the bottom area. I have found with her that the more you do it, the more they get used to it. Initially I used to get my hubby to hold her while I brushed, but now I can do it by myself and she is quite good about it. For some reason she's just not naturally as clean as Weedie, who keeps himself absolutely spotless (he's very white underneath too and is pristine white - he looks like a good advert for Daz! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: )

I think you need to be brave and book her in for her spay unless you want two single bunnies

This is why I'm not ever getting an unspayed doe again, it's too scary, they need to be pre-spayed for me from now on :wink:

I bonded Zion and Fia before Fia was spayed. Fia was an ex breeding bun so obviously used to male attention but Zion just didn't hump her so she would hump him herself which he did get a bit annoyed with.

Since Fia was spayed in November I have seen no humping from either of them and they snuggle up together in their cat bed and it's just soooo cute!

I would go ahead with the spay - I think it will be worth it, not only for the hormone benefits but the other benefits associated.

Good luck