Bipolar bunny?

[JavaBean85]

Hello everyone!,
I am very concerned about my little Java. Her behavior has become very "cocky" recently and she is constantly growling when you approach her. I know she is scared we are going to pick her up but once she realizes we just want to pet her, she relaxes and becomes a happy bun. She NEVER bites or scratches, just grunts. In fact, she'll grunt and a few seconds later she'll be constantly licking your face. She has become more daring recently (jumping from higher places) and becoming more destructive with chewing everything in sight (ex- wood work, trying to eat the mesh zipper off of her pen even though the door is WIDE open for her to hop in and out of). She is kept in a cage during the day when me and my husband are at work and generally at night she will be let out for about anywhere from 1-4 hours total. She has plenty of food and toys to play with. I'm not really so much concerned with her chewing but with new onset of aggression and daring behavior. Btw, she is about 10 months old (estimated by the vet) and she was spayed back in May. I was thinking maybe she is going through puberty, but it seemed to be a bit late for that? I don't mind her being this way if it is puberty, I just want to make sure I haven't created a spoiled monster who will forever growl at me!

Thanks friends!

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

the jumping bean,eh??--though the behavior doesnot sound agressive--licky,lick,etc.--i would be careful with the jumping,-their bones break surprisingly easy--some rabbits do pick their favorite peoples and if you are getting the lickylicks--you are it...--chewing is a major concern for electrical wires-which also carry current,-as far as being spoiled---spoil away,--my cottontail thinks he has wings,and is spoiled beyond belief-he is pictured to the left--enjoy--sincerely james waller:biggrin2:

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Lilli grunts at us and then comes over and nuzzles your hand for a rubbing. She also does the same when we do food and treats, I guess "cause were too slow. Bunnies!

 

[Imbrium]

puberty only happens because of hormones and hormones go away with spaying, so it's definitely not that.

how big is her cage? they need 4-5h out of it a day unless it's pretty big and she's got access to a run 24/7 - does she always have access to the play pen? she might just be frustrated/have pent up energy from being in her cage so much, which could cause the destructive behavior. as for being more daring, it's probably just part of growing up/becoming more confident.

 

[MiniLopHop]

Sophie grunts at us, at the cats, at Houdini (her mate). I think some buns are just more vocal. I joke that she's the resident grump and primadonna. But there is a sweetness too that makes me melt. I think it is just the developing personality. Try not to take the grunting personally. You get the licks so she clearly loves you.

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

james waller wrote:

the jumping bean,eh??--though the behavior doesnot sound agressive--licky,lick,etc.--i would be careful with the jumping,-their bones break surprisingly easy--some rabbits do pick their favorite peoples and if you are getting the lickylicks--you are it...--chewing is a major concern for electrical wires-which also carry current,-as far as being spoiled---spoil away,--my cottontail thinks he has wings,and is spoiled beyond belief-he is pictured to the left--enjoy--sincerely james waller:biggrin2:

---how uncanny is this,about the chewing-on wires.??--wow-i donot believe this.!!-a day after this post our house caught fire--i posted in the infirmary -rabbit blamed for fire--this is unreal to me.!!please read it is no joke,--sincerely james waller-:?:shock::lookaround:big wink:

 

[BugLady]

I know that when I kept Rascal in his cage during the day, and I let him out when I got home, he'd go on a destructive rampage for an hour or two. He was short tempered, grunted at me, chewed on everything, dug into the carpet...

But once he became a full house bunny (24/7), all those tendencies went away. He is very mellow and well behaved. My newly adopted rabbit, his bondmate, has followed his lead. They don't chew anything except their cardboard boxes and toys.

It sounds like your bun might need more time out of her cage, or at least a big run that she could have access to all day.

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

BugLady wrote:

I know that when I kept Rascal in his cage during the day, and I let him out when I got home, he'd go on a destructive rampage for an hour or two. He was short tempered, grunted at me, chewed on everything, dug into the carpet...

But once he became a full house bunny (24/7), all those tendencies went away. He is very mellow and well behaved. My newly adopted rabbit, his bondmate, has followed his lead. They don't chew anything except their cardboard boxes and toys.

It sounds like your bun might need more time out of her cage, or at least a big run that she could have access to all day.

--rasin is a 7.5 yr.old bunz--,he was a black havanna rabbit,oddly he is turning white/gray--he resides in the living room-(full reign)-and doesn,t have any aggression unless i don,t pick him up--he is quite the character--thinks he is one of the cats-who accept him as a odd feline---after the fire we couldnot find him and thought he perished in the flames-but was found safe on the floor under a chair,--we feel so fortunate-everything can be replaced---all critters accounted for/safe,--sincerely james waller:big wink::innocent:innocentray:ray::biggrin2::biggrin2: