Bonded rabbits fighting

[cornflakeduchess1211]

So I've had a rabbit for about 6 months now (a male, neutered dutch dwarf / lionhead mix). Around a week ago we got a female spayed rabbit from an animal shelter. The male rabbit is around 7 months old and the female around 8 months. They were bonded for 3 days at the shelter and then we picked them up. They've been living at my place together for a couple of days now and so far they've gotten along quite well. Mostly they've just been coexisting but at times also cuddling, eating or pooping together. But this night a fight between them broke out. It looked quite intense, but I checked them and they both were not wounded (just lost some fur). Normally they can roam around the room freely, but now I've separated them for the night, they are in 2 cages that are next to each other, so they can still see and smell each other but not actually touch. I am not quite sure how to deal with this situation from now on, so some advice from other rabbit owners would be amazing!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

You'll have to supervise them when they are out--some use a squirt gun to referee them.

 

[John Wick]

A 3-day shelter bond is much shorter than what I'm used to seeing. I volunteer for rabbit rescues which offer bonding services, and it's a minimum one-week, with a recommended 2-week supervision watch when the pair is returned to the owner.

Though they have cuddles most of the time, their bond may not be as solidified as it should. I would keep supervising them and not let them stay together without supervision, especially if there has been a more intense fight. This may be a catalyst for future bad spurts, which may damage their bond.

Was your male free-roam before? One recommendation we make is having the returned pair in a neutral territory in your place while they get settled because them returning to a territory that was previously one rabbit's can sometimes hinder things.

What a frustrating and stressful experience. Bonding can be finicky, but when you're in doubt, always put the safety of your rabbits first! Separation and going slowly in introductions is not as harming to a relationship as a fight in my mind.