Rabbits fighting.

[oreocookierabbits]

My two rabbits, one a boy(about 10 months old) and one that I'm 90% sure is a girl(about 3/4 months old). I've had the boy for 6 months and I got the girl two months ago. The boy has always mounted the girl, but in the past week she has started to mount him. I just assumed that the dominance had switched over, as he didn't seem to care. Today though, he tried to mount her with her running away but he was holding onto her, he bit her and punctured her skin, and ripped out a lot of her hair. I seperated them but they ran under my bed and I heard a little rabbit scream and they were fighting under my bed, because they were both trying to mount each other. They always got along so well and played and cuddles together all the time since I got them. Why are they fighting now? And what should I do about it?

 

[OneTwoThree]

Sounds like your female is old enough to be hormonal, you need to separate them like, yesterday and take her to the vet to get spayed. Is he neutered?

 

[oreocookierabbits]

Yes he's neutered but she isn't spayed.

 

[OneTwoThree]

Phew! At least there will be no accidental litters

I'd still bet on the hormones kicking in. He can smell them, and she's been antagonizing him for awhile with the humping, right?

 

[MILU]

I plan to travel and when I come back I want to have more than 1 bunny but I'm worried about fights too, as I don't know any vets here that could spay/neuter a bunny without killing him/her. This is a good topic, I'm interested in knowing what can be done to keep them together and "intact". Would 2 female bunnies fight? It seems like 2 males would.. would they fight if they're not in a cage, but free to go wherever and to have their own space anywhere they want?

 

[JjGoesBounce]

hotmaildeal wrote:

It seems like 2 males would.. would they fight if they're not in a cage, but free to go wherever and to have their own space anywhere they want?

The two males? Yes. Anywhere is claimed by them both and both never works out.

Aero and Thumper would pretty much kill each other from other sides of my backyard.



Jj

 

[Watermelons]

JjGoesBounce wrote:

hotmaildeal wrote:

It seems like 2 males would.. would they fight if they're not in a cage, but free to go wherever and to have their own space anywhere they want?

The two males? Yes. Anywhere is claimed by them both and both never works out.

Aero and Thumper would pretty much kill each other from other sides of my backyard.



Jj

When I had my old bunny Tiki - Male. I brought over my friends male bunny to spend the night as I had needed to borrow him for Class.
Tiki and Thor were on other sides of the room, seperate cages, couldnt see each other. They both went APE overnight, never seen Tiki destroy his cage like that, there were shavings 10ft from his cage.

Odds are they still may fight. There are members on here who have done it, but regardless even with 2 spayed females, you need to be prepared that both rabbits will need to be kept seperate their entire lives.

 

[oreocookierabbits]

I tried them in the same cage and they didn't fight, they just cuddled. Its only outside of the cage. :?

 

[OneTwoThree]

If they are fighting to the point where one is so harmed its screaming, you need to separate them and work on a true bond.

 

[oreocookierabbits]

how?

 

[Sweetie]

First find a neutral territory, one they both haven't been in at all.

Second place both rabbits in that area, but watch them as they may still fight and you may have to keep them separated.

It takes a while to bond two rabbits. Some will bond instantly and others take a while. Sweetie and Prince bonded instantly when I introduced them. I no longer have Prince, but I do have Pudden. A rabbit I got from someone on here when Prince passed away. Sweetie and Pudden fought at first. When I started doing things with Sweetie first then Pudden, they didn't fight. I have yet to bond them as I haven't had the time to bond them. But hopefully after I get things done I will have time.

 

[zeekat]

My vet told me that until i have my female Zoey spayed, they will fight. The boy, Pixie is neutered, and the one time I tried to re introduce them they fought. They were completely bonded until I had to separate them because Pixie's leg was broken and they had to be separated to heal. I wish they would get along without me having to spay her.
Im afraid to have them play together...I was so upset when I saw fur flying last time. I am thinking of getting them a harness and introduce them that way so I can quickly get one out of harms way if they begin to fight.

 

[OneTwoThree]

Ohh Zeekat, don't use a harness! If one is under stress and tries to run or freaks out (like they are apt to do when meeting) he can really hurt himself I'm working on bonding my girls and I use a broom and a laundry basket to separate if they start to tangle. I'll shove the broom between them or set the laundry basket over one until they calm a bit.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Both need to be neutered or it's a moot point.

 

[zeekat]

thats what i thought ...ok off to save some $$ so i can have zoey spayed.

 

[HaileyandBraveheart]

I am having this same problem, mine are both fixed male and females, she is letting off an odour I can smell. They have gotten along well for 7 months and the other day started fighting. They have seperate cages though.