Rabbit acting weird

[mk94]

Our little rabbit has been acting weird lately. He will want out of his cage so I will let him out to play. He'll run around, play in his box, play in his paper bag, etc. But he doesn't want to have anything to do with me. I'll leave the room after a little bit and when I come back to check on him I always find him in his cage. If he wanted out that bad, then why the heck does he go back in his cage after just a few minutes?
We have also been having trouble holding him lately. We had to go out of town for a few days for a funeral and my parents came by to feed him and whatnot while we were gone. Ever since we got back, he has been doing everything he can to avoid being picked up. I keep wondering if my parents did something to him while we were gone, but I know they would never admit it if they did. I asked my mom about it and she insists nothing happened. But why else would he be acting like this?

 

[Rickman]

If you're in Southern California, maybe it's something to do with the earthquakes!
Animals get strange, from what I've heard!

 

[minrex]

How old is he? A lot of times, when rabbits hit puberty at 4-6 months, their attitudes will change and they'll become much more stand-offish than they were as babies.

 

[mk94]

If you're in Southern California, maybe it's something to do with the earthquakes!
Animals get strange, from what I've heard!

Nope, no earthquakes here.

 

[mk94]

How old is he? A lot of times, when rabbits hit puberty at 4-6 months, their attitudes will change and they'll become much more stand-offish than they were as babies.

He just turned 6 months this month. But would hitting puberty make him not want to play outside his cage? I just don't get it. He'll be going crazy, wanting out of the cage. And then not long after he's let out, he gets back inside his cage all by himself and he just sits there.

 

[minrex]

He just turned 6 months this month. But would hitting puberty make him not want to play outside his cage? I just don't get it. He'll be going crazy, wanting out of the cage. And then not long after he's let out, he gets back inside his cage all by himself and he just sits there.

I don't think it's that unusual. My rabbits love to be let out, but then once they're out, they sometimes decide that they just want to chill. They feel that their cages are a safe place to do that, but they still like to have the "option" of going back out if they want. If he is going through "puberty", his attitude may be changing and he just may not feel the need to romp and play like crazy once he's let out anymore. I have found that this is pretty common in rabbits, in my experience.

Now, if he seems like something is really wrong when he's inside his cage -- if he's acting lethargic and uninterested in his surroundings, or he's losing weight, or he has nasal or eye discharge or sneezing, etc., then you should definitely be concerned.

 

[Dragonflye]

Okay, totally different animals, but- when I first got my cat, he would freak out when I picked him up (not uncommon for some cats, I know)- then I noticed what I thought was marking behavior- brought him to the vet and he had a UTI. Do you think it may be something physical and picking him up makes him uncomfortable?

 

[mk94]

No, he's not sick or anything. Maybe you're right, maybe he's just going through mood swings or something. The little stinker is acting completely different today. He's running around like a maniac, obsessively digging in his box, scent-marking everything, and throwing his toys around. He absolutely refuses to get back in his cage now and he has been out for hours. Ugh, go figure.
Would you say things will eventually even out then? Or is this just how he will be from now on? I've never had a boy rabbit before, so I don't really know what to expect.

 

[minrex]

Things will probably eventually "even out" for the most part, though I highly recommend getting him neutered if he's just going to be a house pet. It'll reduce or eliminate quite a few "bad" behaviors, such as spraying and humping, and I've found that neutered pet rabbits are just generally happier and more mellow because they're not under the influence of those frustrating hormones.

 

[mk94]

Yeah, I want to get him neutered but my husband is hesitant about it. Maybe I'll just have to make the appointment while he's at work. Thank you for your advice/help. I was just worried that my parents had done something to him. But I think the mood swing thing is a better explanation.

 

[PetoftheDay]

Think of it as having a teenage boy in the house. If your husband is still hesitant about getting him fixed, tell him he'll be calmer, less likely to develop bad habits like peeing on everything to mark it as "his" as he gets older, and helps prevent certain cancers he could develop as he ages, as well as behavioral problems. Keep petting him when he's calm, and interacting as much as possible, and you will get through this!