Spinning in circles

[Cove]

Floof has done this since day one and I've never been able to figure out why. Anytime she's loose she runs in circles around me, if I'm standing or sitting in the computer chair it doesn't matter. On the couch its a little harder but she then just runs from one end of the couch to the other bouncing on me. Does it have a meaning or is she just weird lol? I've got a video of her going in circles and fifure 8s around me as well.

The link to the video.

[ame=http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=RjjFQM0VOGU]http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=RjjFQM0VOGU[/ame]

 

[Flashy]

That can be something hormonal rabbits do. Is she spayed?

 

[Cove]

I was told she was by her previous owners but have started to really wonder if they had any idea what I even asked seeing as they were keeping her in the garage with a tight kitten collar on. I've been told that her pigish house keeping and horrid litter box manners are usually linked to unfixed rabbits (haven't looked into it myself to see if the info is good or not).

 

[Flashy]

That's really sad she was kept like that, but yeh, they sound unfixed rabbit behaviours. Obviously they can occur in fixed rabbits, but they more commonly occur in the unspayed/neutered.

 

[tonyshuman]

It can be hormonal, but some bunnies just do it when they love you :inlove:. Next time you go to the vet (annual exam, etc) ask him/her if he thinks she's been spayed. They can feel her belly and see if there's a uterus in there.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Awww She's so darned cute! She does love you! Bo used to do that with me all the time but honestly, I doubt she's spayed.

 

[Wabbitdad12]

I'll place another vote in the unspayed column. Many times this behavior will be done by males like a mating dance, but does obviously can display it too. She definitely loves you!

Cute video by the way!

 

[BSAR]

I think she is unspayed also. Sounds like it.

lol Wabbitsdad, my English Lop buck circles me and my sister and tries to mate with our legs all the time! He chases us too!

 

[Cove]

Crud. I really don't want to have to pay for a spay.

However the possible reasoning behind her circles is rather endearing.

 

[BethM]

Nick and Amelia will both run circles around my feet, but only when they know it's treat time.

Nick can be really weird, though. Every once in a while, he'll get in his litterbox (they have a big one, it's an under-the-bed sweater box) and just spin and spin and spin. I have never been able to figure out why he does it!

 

[naturestee]

Mocha runs in circles around me when she knows she's getting a treat, but she usually thumps while she's doing it.

Spayed/neutered rabbits will sometimes circle one another to show affection. Loki does this to Mocha and he's been neutered for years. But it is more common for rabbits to do it a lot when they're not speutered yet.

If you're not sure, your vet might be able to shave her belly and look for a scar. They're really hard to find in rabbits sometimes because of their thin skin but it's one option before having to do surgery.

 

[kherrmann3]

Toby does that to me when I have the craisin bag (or something that crinkles like a craisin bag!). He will run around my feet and honk. He does it when I am walking around, too. I've tripped over him before! It's just a lovey-dovey thing! With a female rabbit, I doubt that she's spayed if she's doing that.

 

[tonyshuman]

My vet actually felt Tony's tummy for the presence/absence of a uterus to verify that he was in fact a boy and in fact neutered. I think they did it to Muffin too. I guess they can just feel it like when they palpate a doe to determine if she's pregnant, so shaving may not be needed.

 

[pla725]

My bunnieswill run circles and practically trip me for a treat. Sawyer does a little dance on his hind legs. Maddie will climb out of her pen. Crazy.

 

[Pipp]

tonyshuman wrote:

My vet actually felt Tony's tummy for the presence/absence of a uterus to verify that he was in fact a boy and in fact neutered. I think they did it to Muffin too. I guess they can just feel it like when they palpate a doe to determine if she's pregnant, so shaving may not be needed.

I'm not sure about the anatomy but it could be they can feel sections of the reproductive system but not the section that gets removed (or something) because I've been told it's very difficult to tell if a female has been spayed by any means other than hopefully finding a scar or doing an ultrasound.

Something to look into I guess.



sas :?

 

[Pipp]

PS: Moving this to nutrition and behavior.

 

[naturestee]

It's not always easy to get a good feel of the uterus. My vet, who is good, wasn't sure until she did the incision. Luna even had a skin line that looked almost like a scar but the vet didn't trust it and has a huge fear of uterine cancer after seeing some bad cases (understandably). Good thing I listened to my vet!

Edit: Initially the vet did a smaller incision, just large enough to see if there was a uterus, before opening a larger incision to remove it. She's done this on rescue buns before and it's less invasivein case they had actually already been spayed.

 

[tonyshuman]

Oh, ok. Well luckily I could see Muffin's healing wound and Tony is def a boy so no surprises there! Probably best to shave and look for a scar anyway.