Day/night Personality change

My pet mini-lop doe is about a year and a half old, and is normally very cuddly. When come home, she clamors for me to pick her up for a snuggle.

She had a male companion for a while, of whom she was very fond, but he sprouted a dental abscess and had to be put down. So, she could be pregnant, but I never saw her lift, and she doesn't feel preggers.

After the male left she seemed mopey for a bit, then frantically built a nest. It's been a few days, and she still carries hay around. She has not wanted cuddles at all during this time.

Last night, I brought a bunny in the house, and set it up next to her cage, thinking he would eventually be a companion for her. I cuddled said bunny for a while this morning, so had its scent on me. Later, as I walked past her enclosure, she approached as if she wanted pats. Of course I stopped an reached in ... and nearly lost my arm. I have a lovely bruise from her teeth.

What happened to my lovely, super affectionate bunny? Is she likely pregnant? Is this some sort of hormonal storm, due to frustrated sexual/maternal urges? Did she somehow contract rabies? Has she been abducted by aliens? Did she suddenly realize I was eating other rabbits?

Help me, please!

yup. sounds pregnant to me.

Pregnant is acceptable, as long as she returns to normal after weaning! I want my snuggle bunny back, not a small, furry velociraptor!

Could be the smell of the other rabbit on you triggered the attack. Rabbits are very territorial.

Smell is a big part of how rabbits will react to you. Because of it, I have to groom my buck angoras first. If I go out if order and get the does scent on me before I play with one of the bucks, well, I can expect to get violated or sprayed, depending on who I handle.

Both of the ideas suggested above are more than likely, so I would say potentially handle her first next time and expect kits!

Sounds like you might have yourself a nesting box full in the not too distant future. It only takes a few seconds for rabbits to breed and it can be as quick as stepping out of the room. I'd work on getting them spayed (after babies) and neutered. Rabbits only like to get together to mate. Bonding is possible, but not recommended because they can like each other for long time and then decide to gut the other the next because natural instinct tells them to. It seems the older they are, the less likely they will bond without a fight unless they are both really submissive.

gulien":2geoxe4z said:

After the male left she seemed mopey for a bit, then frantically built a nest. It's been a few days, and she still carries hay around.

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She could be going through a false pregnancy, but I'm betting she is pregnant and you'll have kits soon. Does she have a nestbox?

gulien":2geoxe4z said:

Has she been abducted by aliens?

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:beammeup: :thinking: Unlikely, since she is still there. :mrgreen:

gulien":2geoxe4z said:

Did she suddenly realize I was eating other rabbits?

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Also unlikely, since she should realize that mean rabbits end up as :dinner:

Demamma":2geoxe4z said:

Could be the smell of the other rabbit on you triggered the attack.

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PSFAngoras":2geoxe4z said:

Smell is a big part of how rabbits will react to you. Because of it, I have to groom my buck angoras first. If I go out if order and get the does scent on me before I play with one of the bucks, well, I can expect to get violated or sprayed, depending on who I handle.

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Hmm. I haven't ever noticed this. But I have a lot of rabbits, and they are often handled one after another for breeding, nail trims, weighing, etc. Maybe it is different if you only have a couple of rabbits, and they aren't used to you constantly smelling like other animals?

I think it depends on the rabbit in question...I have one buck who doesn't care if I smell like does or other bucks or whatever, so long as I'm delivering treats, petting, or pellets. One of my OTHER bucks...if I pet a doe before him, he wants to molest my hand. :roll: Needless to say he gets fed FIRST most days.

Well, it's confirmed. She was expecting! Wednesday she made a huge hay pile and stripped herself almost bare (holy cow, she looks moth eaten now, lol); Thursday she had 3 kits, 2 living.

She looks a little shocked at what can happen after a little innocent canoodling, lol!

:congratulations:

Keep an eye on the little ones- since there are only two they may have trouble keeping warm. Since they are in the house it probably isn't too much of an issue as long as she has a nice nest- and considering her current moth eaten state it sounds like she pulled plenty of fur, lol!

P.S. I'm glad she delivered normal kits, and not alien hybrids.