Is she mad about her new condo??

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KrystalWithaK

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I have 2 bunnies (Lola and Theodore) who were staying together in a cage I got from the store. Recently I’ve become mildly obsessed with all the DIY bunny condos I’ve seen on the internet. I finally had time to built a 3 level condo for my own bunnies. However, soon after I moved them into the condo I noticed behavior changes in Lola. She’s often aggressive towards me, my husband and towards poor Theodore. At times she lunges at us, starts fight with Theodore and for the first time ever I heard her grunting or growling (I’m not sure what that noise is). It’s been about a week and she’s still acting this way.

Could she be pissed that I moved her into the condo suddenly? Did I move them in too fast? If she is mad, Will she eventually adjust to the new condo? I feel bad that she’s obviously upset about something but I don’t know what to do. Any thoughts?
 
:yeahthat:

Your boy was "a baby" last month. That means his hormones are rising. That will absolutely affect her. I don't think this has anything to do with the cage change but is the result of the boy growing up.

If she's also still intact, this could be increasing her hormonal level as well.

Please! Be careful! Her increased aggression -likely from sensing his hormones - may lead to fights. Remember, they should both be fixed before bonding them. "Bonds" with a baby don't count as bonds. So don't assume these two will continue to get along.

They will both need to be fixed. The male needs 8 weeks post neuter for hormones to fully dissipate, and then the bonding process may begin.
 
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Considering you put a female with a male, I'm going to suppose they are both desexed. Some rabbits are really OCD about their environment. I once talked about someone whose rabbit who would trash his cage if you moved anything even just for one or two centimeters and I remember a few rabbits who would growl or bite if you tried to touch their things. A few years ago I had a buck who liked things to be parallel to the walls or the sides of the cage and he used to move the cushion / litter box / bowls / tree branches so the were neatly aligned. It was hilarious, but his roommate wasn't always thrilled. Aki doesn't care about places, but she hates dirty / smelly / wet and won't touch an object if she feels it's one of those things (you can actually see her wrinkle her nose and recoil XD). Maybe your rabbit hates change, or is really particular about the way she likes her living accomodations, or she feels the new combo smells weird. I would give her some time, as long as she can't corner Theodore and that the fighting doesn't escalate. When I moved, Tybalt was at home and exploring after 24h but it took a dozen of days for Aki to relax and get out of her hiding places.

...
I just read Blue Eyes' post. If one of your rabbit is not desexed, don't go looking for another cause. You have to separate immediately and neuter (and spay if your female is still intact, which I hope is not the case). Rabbits should never be put together unless they are both neutered and spayed. Don't do it, it's dangerous.
 
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Even spayed, she can still sense and react to his hormones. She's not liking him growing up. :nono



Wow i didn’t realize they both had to be neutered before they could really bond. I thought I was ok since she was spayed. Especially since they’ve been getting along so well. Im a first time bunny Mom. Im learning a lot along the way. Thanks for all information. I guess I’ll have to get the cage out again until he gets neutered.
 
Wow i didn’t realize they both had to be neutered before they could really bond. I thought I was ok since she was spayed. Especially since they’ve been getting along so well. Im a first time bunny Mom. Im learning a lot along the way. Thanks for all information. I guess I’ll have to get the cage out again until he gets neutered.

Perhaps you missed some of the replies to your prior (August) post here:
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=87840

Thinking that it may have been missed since you hadn't replied back then.

You have the right idea to separate them right away now. Don't want to risk a fight and sabotage a future bond.
 
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That's a very common mistake. Most people think if one of the bunnies is desexed, it's OK to put them together. While it does work to avoid pregnancies (which is something ^^), it's not enough to make the rabbits behave. I don't really know why or if it's rabbit specific, but when you put an intact rabbit with a desexed one it's like it awakens 'phantom hormones' and the desexed rabbit will act hormonal. Also, your buck will probably want to try to mate soon considering he is growing up, and if he does, chances are your doe will take it very badly - the fact that she is spayed won't deter him at all, and if a male bothers an unwilling female she is totally capable of attempting a neuter with teeth and no anesthesia. So... neuter first, wait for the hormones to go away (4 to 6 weeks after neutering) and then reintroduce them to put them together in their new (carefully washed with vinegar) combo. Waiting until the rabbits are old enough / desexed / healed and introducing them is not the greatest time in your life as a rabbit owner, but the weeks pass quickly!
 

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