Female being territorial?

[rupertismygod]

I just adopted a second rabbit. A female dwarf, 10 months old.

When I brought her home in the car, she seemed really gentle and calm.

Then when I put her in the new Pen, she seemed to be very angry.

She was ripping a part all the flooring. First, the towls & sheets, then the plastic table cloth covering we put down for her.

She bit my mom, when my mom tried to pet her. She bit me when I tried to put pick up her poop.

She also growled at my dad!

We've given her everything. A big pen, fresh pellets & hay, fresh veggies, water bowl, water bottle, hut, litter box. Yet, she is still extremely angry, won't stop trying to leave her pen and when we let her out she started charging around.



I feel really bad about all this, I'm not sure if she dislikes the fact that she is in a new environment or she is going through a hormonal phase?

 

[luvthempigs]

Is she spayed? If not it could help with her attitude problem.

 

[rupertismygod]

No she's not spayed.

However, since I got her today, the environment is all NEW to her. So, I was told she should not be spayed until at least two months.

An expert told me, too many drastic changes all at once could be TOO traumatic for her.

 

[luvthempigs]

I don't know about that one. When I adopted one of my bunnies from the humane society she wasn't spayed yet. They made arrangements for her to be spayed once I filled out the application and the same day she was spayed I was allowed to take her home.

 

[Whiskerz]

rupertismygod wrote:

No she's not spayed.

However, since I got her today, the environment is all NEW to her. So, I was told she should not be spayed until at least two months.

An expert told me, too many drastic changes all at once could be TOO traumatic for her.

That doesnt make since.. :?

Because if you think about it, with shelters what do they do?

New bunnies come in to a new strange place, new people always messing with them, new cages, and then when someone wants to adopt them they get fixed and off to a new home and cage and people right after wards..

So what that "expert" said doesn't make since at all.

 

[rupertismygod]

Whiskerz wrote:

rupertismygod wrote:

No she's not spayed.

However, since I got her today, the environment is all NEW to her. So, I was told she should not be spayed until at least two months.

An expert told me, too many drastic changes all at once could be TOO traumatic for her.

That doesnt make since.. :?

Because if you think about it, with shelters what do they do?

New bunnies come in to a new strange place, new people always messing with them, new cages, and then when someone wants to adopt them they get fixed and off to a new home and cage and people right after wards..

So what that "expert" said doesn't make since at all.

True.

I'm going to ask them if they can spay her.

 

[rupertismygod]

When I did some research on why female's are aggressive, I found two possible reasons.

First, she could be entering sexual maturity, which causes her to be aggressive. Understandable, mother's must protect their young.

Second, she could either be pregnant, experiencing a false pregnancy, both causing her to be territorial. Hopefully she's not pregnant. If she is though, what would be the indications?

Or perhaps she is just nervous about being in a new environment, and she reacts by being aggressive.

I'll just wait a month or so and see if finally calms down.

 

[RexyRex]

I got Alaska when she was 6mo old and she was an absolute doll until she hit about 8mo and then I was dealing with the same behavior problems you are. They lessened drastically once she was spayed. I think that you'll be surprised at how quickly she will calm down.

Either way, good luck!! They are def challenging at that age

 

[rupertismygod]

Now she's trying to bite through the cage. I'm not sure if that's because of her age or she just hates being in a cage?

I don't mind having my Rabbits run free for a few hours, but if I can't trust her while she's in her cage, how can I trust her outside of it?

The minute I put my finger through the cage, she tries to bite it.

 

[luvthempigs]

Just because a bunny is cage aggressive doesn't mean they will be that way when they are out of their cage. I have one who is a little brat in her cage but a total sweetie when she's out

 

[rupertismygod]

luvthempigs wrote:

Just because a bunny is cage aggressive doesn't mean they will be that way when they are out of their cage. I have one who is a little brat in her cage but a total sweetie when she's out

Yeah, I solved the problem. She simply hates being in a cage, she needs to be in a free-range environment. She is happy when she's roaming free around the house, however, the instant I put her back in her cage, she gets angry. I feel bad for her, after all animals weren't meant to be put in cages. Unfortunately, I don't have a house that is 24/7 free-range. If I had the necessary means, then I would provide with her freedom, but the shame is I don't. I even let her roam my bathroom freely, which is a good size, but even then she was scratching at the door trying to escape. Even a mid-size bathroom was NOT enough space for her.

She NEEDS a lot of space, and the FREEDOM to go with it. I don't have a lot of space. I let myother Rabbit roam free, but he is litter trained and hedoesn't mind that he's free roaming for only 4 hours each day. She would need at least 10+ hours a day to be sastisfied, but I'm at school or work during most of the day.

Thankfully, I adopted her from the SPCA yesterday, so I'm going to bring her back - and hopefully a family will adopt her, and provide her with a free range environment. They say they adopt out 100% of their healthy animals, so there's a bright future for her, and I don't feel THAT guilty now.

 

[Whiskerz]

sent you a PM

 

[rupertismygod]

I replied.