Lionhead

I've had this doe since spring last year. Ibought her with her sister when they where about 8 weeks old.Thebreeder said theywere aLionheadcrossed with a Netherland dwarf.During the spring and summerI had them out in the garden everyday but since Autumn and Winter, I'veonly really had them out about twice a week as I have another two buckswhich are kept separate.

My problem is that my one doe has becomeveryfrightened of me and is starting to breathe heavy andsort of squeak when I go to pick her up and sometimes stroke her so,today I brought her in and was going to start stroking her for a whileeveryday until she calmed down but she just went off the rails! Shewould attack my hands every time they went near her! I've never hurther or picked her up wrong!

There's two things I think could of caused this.

1. Next doors dog has maneged to jump over the fence twice this week and run up to the hutches. (They're not used to dogs!)

2. I've noticed that the other doe which is kept in with her hasstarted to show her who's boss and is constantly mounting her andbiting her.

Could any of you give me advice on how to solve this problem!?

I'm new to this forum stuff so please be patient if I'm waffling a bit!

Thanks!

iaN.

2. I've noticed that the other doe whichis kept in with her has started to show her who's boss and isconstantly mounting her and biting her.

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This sounds like it might be the problem. She sounds like it is adefense mechanism, that she is feeling threatened. First thing youshould do is get your hands on her and check her over carefully forwounds. Next thing I would do is give her a cage of her own. If theother rabbit is attacking her it will get worse not better.

Yeah! She's got a cut on her back. It looks likea bite.I didn't think much of it because my bucks used tofight one day and then be all over each other the next day!

Hi

Have your does been spayed? One of my rabbits usedto keep asserting dominance excessively over the other and keptmounting her and sometimes pulling fur out of her back. So I got herspayed and she calmed down and they get on much better now.I have seen this in other pairs of females kept together andI think it is hormonal.

Maybe you should seperate them until she calmsdown if you have actually found cuts on the rabbit as you don't want torisk any more damage.

I havn't got them spayed but if you think thatwill help I'll get that done asap! Do you think I should get my bucksspayed also?

Thanks.

I've heard from the forums that spaying will help rabbits to be mature in their nature. I'd reccomend it.

GET THEM SPAYED!

When bunnies reach their sexual maturity at around 3-4 months for boysand 4-6 months for girls, the hormones will cause them to become moreterritorial of their space and bunnies that were friends WILLfight! Rabbit fights are not cutesy. They aredeadly and their sharp teeth and nails can do major damage!! Please donot be on the fence about this.

You need to separate them into separate cages, get them spayed and thenif you want them to be friends again, start the re-bonding process!

Bonding 2 females or 2 males is more difficult than 1 female/1male. It is a process and I recommend doing some research onbonding techniques so you know where to start and what to do after 2-4weeks from their spay. You want to make sure they are bothhealed from their spay before causing them more stress of bondingthem.

DO NOT PUT THEM IN THE SAME CAGE IF THEY ARE NOT BONDED! Asthey continue to live together without being spayed they can cause eachother damage as you have kinda witnessed already with one bunny beingbitten... I have seen so much worse and I do not want you to have to gothrough this with your bunnies. To keep them safe fromharming each other, please separate them.

I know you mentioned "dogs" and i want to mention that I hope you havefixed this situation by talking to your neighbor and/or raising thefence between your properties. Bunnies can be fragilecreatures and there have been cases of bunnies "dying" fromfear!

I hope you will read these articles to learn more about bonding:

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/introductions.html

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/multiple.html

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-4/two-rabbits.html

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-8/rabbits-in-the-plural.html

http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/bond.shtml

http://www.rabbitsinthehouse.org/match.html

http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/bonding.html

http://www.rabbit.org/chapters/san-diego/behavior/bonding-tips.html

http://www.rabbit.org/chapters/san-diego/behavior/bonding.html

hope that helps!