Help please :)

[KendraJ]

So I have two male rabbits, one is 2 and a half and the other is 5 months old. Now they used to live together until they started fighting (no blood just chasing and biting off fur) because (or what I am guessing) it's the youngest bun's special time of his life where girls make him crazy and his skin breaks out! And by that I do mean he has hit puberty.

I am really concerned about the aggression he shows to his older brother. Don't worry they are in separate cages now but even during supervised play time the youngest gets all angry and bites his brother and I don't think the oldest knows why or maybe he does but it is so sad to see them not shoulder to shoulder anymore.

So heres my questions after that longwinded statement:
Is the aggression going to get better or does he need to be neutered because his brother is perfectly fine? In better words is this a phase?
Will they ever be able to live together again?
Can boys be friends again?
And whats the best way to deal with this situation

Thanks so much

 

[missyscove]

I would not recommend housing two unneutered bucks together. I think your best bet is to get them both neutered.

 

[agnesthelion]

Yes, you can't keep unaltered males together. They will fight. You can't consider rabbits bonded unless they are both fixed.

You will need to get them both fixed if you want them to be bonded so no this is not just a phase. Even if the other one "seems fine" as you said, rabbits are full of hormones and it drives everything they do.

Same sex bonds are a bit more challenging and more prone to spontaneous fighting. However, they can still work just might take some efforts or some rebonding over time.

After the neuter, it can take 6-8 weeks for hormones to dissipate. Keep them separated during healing time. I would reintroduce them on neutral territory. After a few sessions on neutral territory, you can move to non neutral territory. Once they can be together for 4-5 hours without one incident, you could be ready for them to live in the same cage together.

Best of luck!

 

[majorv]

If you can't afford to get them both neutered at the same time, then definitely get the younger one done first. It's possible for the younger one to get through the teenage phase and settle down like the other one, but this phase could last 2-3 months and the longer they're apart the less chance they'll get along when (and if) he does settles down.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

they need a neutering