Cranky bunny

[XaeonsX]

I have a female rabbit (who is fixed), and she has a large play pen surrounding her hutch in my room with plenty of space, and is allowed in it about 20 hours per day.

Anyway she is very cranky sometimes and I wondered is that normal? For instance she will be playing with me and she will be happy and binkying, and the next instant she will lunge and grunt. Or I will have her on my lap when I'm watching TV and one instant she will be bruxing, and the next instant she will be digging at me.

If I don't pet her the exact way she likes or approach her the exact way she likes she gets angry, which I can kind of understand, but I find it odd that she is happy one second and grunting and boxing the next for no apparent reason.

Is this normal? Does anyone else have a rabbit that acts like this?

 

[thisisfliss]

Alfy is just over a year old and is pretty cranky! I'm hoping it's her age and she might get better again but I do find her moodiness pretty funny! It can be hard work sometimes though!

 

[bunnyman666]

Sounds like normal rabbit behaviour.

Trix was a moody girl until she was about five years old. Granted, Daddy does NO WRONG in the world of Trix. She still loves to box for fun and grunts because she can.

Rabbits are just complex little animals, which is one of many reasons rabbits will be my ONLY companion pet.

 

[XaeonsX]

Ah that is good to hear. I was wondering if I was doing something wrong or if maybe she was depressed or something.

She's incredibly happy to see me when I get up to school at 5am, but any other time she is just cranky

 

[JBun]

Sounds like she is just a moody girl bun, which I have found to be pretty typical for girl rabbits, spayed or unspayed. Also sounds like she thinks she's the boss

The digging at you doesn't necessarily mean she's being a grump. She could be trying to communicate something like she needs to go to her litter box to pee, I want to get down, please move, pet me more, stop petting me, give me a treat, or it could be she just likes to dig at blankets and cloth like a lot of buns do, especially girls.

 

[bunnyman666]

I have NEVER had a fully passive female rabbit. I had one that was mellow, but even she had her moments. Every single boy bunny (when fixed) was the most docile and passive animal with the exception of Trigger, but he was a big drama queen. He was the exception, and his mother did NO WRONG. But he was a funny character.

Trix, even at the ripe old age of eleven, stil is Miss Sassy Pants.

The funniest trio of animals I had ever had was a bonded pair of rabbits and a cat. The boy bunny and cat got along okay, but the female ruled the roost and always tormented the cat. She always tried to mount him to show domination.

 

[existenziell]

My female dutch, Olivia, is like this too. She's spayed. She was such a great bunny and then she just hit an age where she is just grumpy and angry a lot now regardless of how much exercise and pampering she gets. I don't know how old your bunny is, but it could just be a teenager thing. Olivia is about that age where she's in her rebellious teenage years. I'm hoping it will eventually go away and she will settle down.

 

[whatever4andnomore]

We have a six year old large lop mix breed of some kind named Thumper. She is a cranky old girl and starting to show her age. She is particularly cage aggressive but once you take her out of her cage, she can be very cuddly. But she lets you know that she does NOT like being petted on her behind or sides. Its head, ears, and shoulders ONLY! (I think the cat pouncing on her from behind has made her nervous about that.) She is definately bonded to my 13 year old daughter and she cuddles her like a baby. Thumper will sit on my lap for bunny snuggles, but she hops down when she has had enough. She also does NOT like to be routed from under the bed or from behind my chair when its time to go to bed and she will growl and lunge if you try to make her get out. It's clear she is getting to be a cranky old girl, but we just love her. I think getting the other rabbits has actually improved her mood a bit. She seems more lively. Yup, rabbits are tricky aren't they!