My bonded, neutered brothers have started fighting :(

Hi I'm looking for advice, wisdom or maybe just a shoulder to cry on!!

I got my bunnies, Boris and Arthur, from Pets at Home in July, we think they're brothers and that they're about ten months old but they PaH haven't been overly helpful.

They were bonded from the day I got them and we've had no issues. They started humping around Sept time and we got them neutered. I'm not sure who the dominant one is, they're both known to hump each other even after being neutered but it's never been cause for concern and they seem to groom each other equally for the most part although if I had to say I'd say Arthur does the lions share of the grooming - on a few occasions he's groomed Boris to baldness around the eye but it always grows back and the vet said not to worry.

They live in a two floor hutch with an attached run and they have run of the garden when we're in.

The only changes we've made was that I was originally feeding them what PaH told me to eed them which was massively pellet heavy I did a bit of research and about six weeks ago I changed their diet from 6 handfuls of pellets a day between them to a couple of handfuls between them. They have unlimited hay and we give them greens every night plus they go to town on my grass most days. They get the odd carrot as a treat but that's it. After I changed the diet I did notice they really go crazy for pellets but I've never seen them fight over them. They have chased each other around the garden a couple of times over a carrot but it wasn't malicious chasing or nipping etc.

About four days ago they were out in the garden and when I popped my head out the window to check on them they were fighting and there was fluff everywhere! I ran out, separated them and put one in the locked hutch and one in the run so they were near each other. A few hours later I let them back together and kept an eye on them they were fine. There were no issues that we saw and no tell tale fluff until yesterday when I let them in the garden again they were fine for ages then I looked out and low and behold there was fluff everywhere although they weren't fighting. I ran out and they were both pretty shaken (neither like being picked up and Arthur, the little one just sat and let me pick him up). I checked them over and did the same I had done previously with one in the hutch and one in the run I then let them back in together after a while and within 10 mins they were fighting again, this time in the hutch! Last night we separated the levels of the hutch and gave them one each as my anxiety couldn't cope with leaving them together. I've done this once before when they first started humping and it stressed them out so I don't like to do it but I don't know what else to do.

I've let them into the run this morning and I'm sitting in here keeping an eye on them. They haven't fought but I've stopped them chasing each others tail a couple of times. It seems tense but maybe that's just me!! Neither of them are behaving out of character really, they're still grooming each other even this morning. Although Arthur seems to be laying his head down and asking to be groomed more than usual - Boris is for the most part submitting. Arthur is off his food this morning but hasn't been previously and I think it's off being separated overnight as it was him who took it the hardest last time too.

Phew, sorry for the essay!! I just don't know what to do with them!!

I would go back a step or two, and take them for a car ride or other stress bonding experience. Looks like they need a bit of a kick in the furry behind to remind them they like each other. Bonding is a hard and stressful process, and I've never tried it with two boys. You are sure they're neutered as in you took them in yourself to have it done?

Never mind yes you did I reread your post.

Thanks for replying

Yes, they're definitely neutered I got them done myself. I tried taking them for a short drive yesterday but I'm not entirely sure it helped or was long enough. I've been thinking about putting them in the bathtub this afternoon but they seem to have made an improvement (touch wood) so now I'm worried to interrupt them.

I've put them in their hutch and removed the run so they have less space. At first Boris seemed terrified of Arthur almost for no reason (maybe Arthur was the instigator in the fights they've had?) he seemed scared to leave the bedroom and whenever he did he would sprint the other way just at the sight of Arthur - Arthur was chasing a little but Boris was running first - strange!

Now they seem to have chilled out and are lying together, nibbling things together and grooming each other. I've spent literally the entire day watching them out the kitchen window - I feel so relieved.

Although now I'm faced with a new dilemma, do I separate them tonight or leave them in the hutch together? I'm scared separating will undo the good progress we've made today but just as worried they'll fight if I leave them alone!

The only thing I can think of is keep them together and try to keep watch. I don't know where you live, can you stay outside with them overnight? Maybe tent it or something? Or if you can't and have to separate for peace of mind, switch who gets the hutch and who gets the run so no one claims that territory.

I'm in North East England - our mates have our tent but to be honest it's so windy here tonight I'm not sure we would be able to put it up!!

I'm going to keep an eye on them over the next few hours and make a decision before I go to bed (I'm driving my boyfriend nuts jumping up from the sofa to check on them every two minutes lol). Based on how chilled they look at the moment I think I'm leaning towards leaving them together to be honest.

I'm so relieved they seem to be getting along, I'm such a worrier and earlier I was thinking it was going to be worst case scenario!

Also the little buggers have got their christmas presents off me early as I wanted to give them new toys to keep them occupied! Haha.

Thanks so much for your advice - my non bunny owning friends just think I'm crazy!!

Calm down, it's okay!

Bonded bunnies can have tiffs just like human couples. It's normal. My two brothers Merlin and Rosebun got along famously normally, but there were a couple of times when I've caught them fighting, or gone to check on them only to find them cuddling amidst a huge messy pile of fluff.

I can see how the sudden reduction in pellets would make their relationship far more tense. They'd think each other is hogging the rest of the pellets! You are right to reduce the pellets, but if I were you, I'd go back to the 6 handfuls and reduce their daily amount very VERY slowly (go down by half a handful every 3-5 days) so they gradually get used to it and don't notice the amount's going down.

As for when they fight, do you have any wire pens or wire dividers? For bonded bunnies who fight but take complete separation quite hard, I'd recommend dividing them by wire, so they can still see and smell each other but can't fight. This is what I would do with my brother buns, they have a wire cage so I'd lock one in and lock one out for a few hours until they forget they were angry at each other. After that I'd open the cage and encourage them to make up over a plate of their favourite fresh veggies. That always does the trick!

Oh and, reading your last post, what I think I would do for the night is keep them together along with a couple handfuls of pellets to keep them full and happy.