My bunny boys are suddenly ripping each other apart, help!

I have two rabbits, Max, who is about a year older than the younger one, Charlie. They're both mixes and the same size. I've had Max for about a year and a half and got Charlie in May when he was just a few weeks old.

They bonded fairly well. Max is neutered but was still trying to mount Charlie... asserting his dominance I guess. Other than that, they were great, cuddling together, eating together, and just overall best friends...

Well, a few days ago, I got up in the morning and suddenly heard this sound like there was a hurricane in the next room, and found the two boys jumping and fighting and biting each other. There was fur EVERYWHERE. I thought maybe it was just a one time thing, but now it's every time they are together. Then last night, Charlie sprayed Max in the face. I'm hoping that things will calm down once I get Charlie is neutered, but needless to say that I am still worried sick. I just want my buns to be happy and healthy. Please help!

Bangarang (Julie)

This is why one should not get a baby to bond with an older rabbit. As soon as hormones activate all heck can break loose. "Bonds" with babies are not true bonds for this very reason.

Now you will have to completely separate them. Once Charlie is neutered, give him a full 8 weeks after surgery for those hormones to fully dissipate. Hopefully they will forget the fights they had. Unfortunately, sometimes a fight so severe will prevent them from a future bond.

All you can do at this point is keep them apart, get Charlie fixed and healed, then begin the bonding process anew -- as if they never before met. When this time comes, you'll need totally neutral space in which to do the bonding. That means somewhere that neither bunny has ever before been. They may bond, they may not.

More than that, this is why you shouldn't try to bond two males together (and you should never put a rabbit who is not neutered / spayed with another rabbit). What possessed you to buy a boy when you had a male already? Read anything about bonding rabbits on the Internet and you will learn immediately that this seldom work and create bonds that are often unstable and lead to fights. Do your research BEFORE acting.
Neuter Charlie, but there is a high risk that your rabbits will never get along again and that you'll have to manage separated rabbits for the next 10 years or so. There is not much you can do. I'm amazed by the number of similar posts I'm seeing on rabbits forum and I can't really sympathize when the info can be found easily everywhere...

Bonding a premature rabbit is no real bonding, any adult I know is very friendly to kits. When puberty hits bucks most likely don't get along, even if the older is chilled out and neutered the young one can attack him. Also brothers can kill one another, switching from friendly to berserk mode in seconds (had to put down 3 bucklings last year, somehow they matured earlier than expected, over night there were torn off testicles and ripped open bellys, never found out who the culprit was...)

It seems to be much easier to bond neutered males if at least all but one male are neutered before they hit puberty because they never learn to behave like a mature buck, never felt the thrill to fight, but for some reason unknown that seems not to be done in the US? The risk is theoreticly slightly higher, but still very low, neutering a female is a much more severe affair.

Aki said:

More than that, this is why you shouldn't try to bond two males together (and you should never put a rabbit who is not neutered / spayed with another rabbit). What possessed you to buy a boy when you had a male already? Read anything about bonding rabbits on the Internet and you will learn immediately that this seldom work and create bonds that are often unstable and lead to fights. Do your research BEFORE acting.
Neuter Charlie, but there is a high risk that your rabbits will never get along again and that you'll have to manage separated rabbits for the next 10 years or so. There is not much you can do. I'm amazed by the number of similar posts I'm seeing on rabbits forum and I can't really sympathize when the info can be found easily everywhere...

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Aki this is not entirely true. Any bond can be difficult, whether they are both males, females, or one of both. It all depends on their personalities. I currently have 3 neutered males living together in a group of six. I also know others that have bonded males that do just fine together. Though when bonding they definitely do need to be neutered first.

And let's please watch our tone and keep the advice constructive and helpful.

Jbun
Health and Wellness Moderator

:yeahthat:

Well said, Jenny

Aki,

First off, step down off of your high horse. I'm not some stupid negligent pet owner. When I adopted the second rabbit, I was told that IT WAS A FEMALE! When I made her first vet appointment, the vet said that at this point, they still couldn't tell the sex, but they were leaning towards male. As it turned out, it was a male. Secondly, I wasn't about to abandon him. I adopted him. I'm not asking for your sympathy, I'm asking for suggestions, so unless you have something helpful to say, stow your "I'm enlightened" b.s attitude and go give your little power talk about how you "know better" than to have to male rabbits to someone else.

Thank you JBun and Preitler,

Like I said, it was not my intention to end up with two males, but it ended up that way. I love them both very dearly which is why I'm still trying to have them get along. Thanks for the advice and encouragement. My heart breaks at the thought of having to give up Charlie, and I'm hoping it won't come to that.