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Aggressive female rabbit - spaying success stories?

Hello!

I got a female mini lop in November, when she was around 5 months old. Unfortunately she's been getting increasingly aggressive and bites me hard (drawing blood every time). She's very territorial around her cage + food bowl, so I always clean it out and put food in her bowl when she's not inside. This was manageable, but recently she's just been aggressively biting and digging at the things I use when cleaning her out eg. plastic bags, bites me a minute after begging to be petted, and today lunged and bit me totally unexpectedly when I was wasn't messing with her cage or trying to pet her.
Note that she is generally very comfortable around humans - will come over to me whenever I go in the room, climb over legs/jump on my back, and nudges my hand for pets. So I'm just feeling pretty stressed as I never know when she's going to be affectionate and just wants to be pet vs. when she's gonna attack!

I've booked her in for a spay next week and just wanted to ask if anyone has had successful experiences with behaviour changes after spaying a particularly aggressive rabbit? Or if you have any other tips for this sort of behaviour? She has a large room to herself, with various things to dig/chew/climb on and just goes in her cage at night.

Would hugely appreciate any help :)
 
Hello!

I got a female mini lop in November, when she was around 5 months old. Unfortunately she's been getting increasingly aggressive and bites me hard (drawing blood every time). She's very territorial around her cage + food bowl, so I always clean it out and put food in her bowl when she's not inside. This was manageable, but recently she's just been aggressively biting and digging at the things I use when cleaning her out eg. plastic bags, bites me a minute after begging to be petted, and today lunged and bit me totally unexpectedly when I was wasn't messing with her cage or trying to pet her.
Note that she is generally very comfortable around humans - will come over to me whenever I go in the room, climb over legs/jump on my back, and nudges my hand for pets. So I'm just feeling pretty stressed as I never know when she's going to be affectionate and just wants to be pet vs. when she's gonna attack!

I've booked her in for a spay next week and just wanted to ask if anyone has had successful experiences with behaviour changes after spaying a particularly aggressive rabbit? Or if you have any other tips for this sort of behaviour? She has a large room to herself, with various things to dig/chew/climb on and just goes in her cage at night.

Would hugely appreciate any help :)

Spaying will certainly help calm down hr territorial aggression, it will also be far better for her health as a high percentage of unswayed Does develop uterine cancer by the age of 5.

Rabbits are social animals and their welfare needs are best met by having a companion of their own kind. No human can equate to the company of another Rabbit

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-care-advice/behaviour/rabbit-companionship/

Your Doe will probably be less aggressive when she has a Rabbit friend :D
 
Blossom has some of these behaviours despite neutering it has mostly calmed with me now that I've learned how she likes things.

The grooming with one hand while the other is cleaning is still very much required though.

She is very nippy with hubby at times but even with him she gives constant demands for love.

I'm hoping bonding with our boy Rodney will help as he's very established with us and will be able to give her some of the attention shes seeking.

Rodney was also a bit like it when he arrived with us and still had some hormones leftover from his neuter. Bonding with Primrose made a massive difference.

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Spaying will certainly help calm down hr territorial aggression, it will also be far better for her health as a high percentage of unswayed Does develop uterine cancer by the age of 5.

Rabbits are social animals and their welfare needs are best met by having a companion of their own kind. No human can equate to the company of another Rabbit

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-care-advice/behaviour/rabbit-companionship/

Your Doe will probably be less aggressive when she has a Rabbit friend :D

I agree with this. Female Rabbits really do need another Rabbit to keep them company, a neutered Male would be the best choice but introductions must be in a neutral area, somewhere your Doe has not been before. You are doing the right thing having her spayed and I hope she recovers well.
 
We have two bonded spayed females and spaying definitely made a difference to their temperaments. When they got to about 5-6 months of age (they're sisters) they started getting aggressive towards one another (and us!), humping and pulling out chunks of fur. As soon as they'd been spayed they were much better. They adore each other and are much more chilled out! :)

In addition to behaviour, spaying female rabbits is important for their health. They are incredibly prone to uterine cancers as young as 5 years old, so spaying improves their health as well as behaviour :)

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