Rabbits Fighting

Love your rabbit
Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
H

HaileyandBraveheart

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2012
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Location
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
I'm really hoping someone can help me with this...

I have two rabbits, one is a dwarf lionhead (male) the other a chinchilla angora (female). I got the male in march and the female in june, they are both fixed, and they have gotten along great ever since introduction. The other day when I let them out to play they started fighting, and we would seperate them and they would both rest and start fighting again. I didn't bring them out for a few days and did today, and again, they started fighting. I am not sure what to do or why they are fighting all the sudden after getting along so well for many months.
 
I don't know, but I think it would help if you kept them apart in cages/pens but very close together so they could start to get reacquainted safely.
 
Yeah their cages are next to each other, i'm just wondering why it's happening since i read it usually only happens either when they've been newly introduced or if one rabbit hasn;t been fixed. So frustrating! I won't know whether to let them work it out or not
 
No. You don't want them to "work it out." That could mean a vicious fight and could be fatal. The more they fight, the less likely they will bond.

I'm a little confused on what you mean that they got along before but are still housed separately. It sounds like they were never actually bonded (in which case they would be sharing a cage) but were just let out occasionally together? Perhaps you could clarify.

Usually rabbits are either bonded or they are not. They do not become "casual friends." If they've been housed separately and are fighting when let out, they could be fighting over perceived territory.

Once a pair of rabbits is bonded, they are never to be separated. It sounds like yours were never bonded- hence the fighting.
 
Last edited:
Oh, I didn't know that's what that mean't, they get time out of their cages together everyday for the past 7 months, so I figured if they got along they were friends, they groom each other. So rabbits can't bond unless they share a cage?
 
Not to take over the thread but I'm having the same problems. Two neutered males who previously got along and shared a living space and mutual grooming now mortal enemies. The one is bonded to a third rabbit who just came back into the picture. They were fighting long before that though. Sheesh.
 
HaileyandBraveheart said:
Oh, I didn't know that's what that mean't, they get time out of their cages together everyday for the past 7 months, so I figured if they got along they were friends, they groom each other. So rabbits can't bond unless they share a cage?
Click to expand...

Yeah, bonded rabbits are together 24/7. Even if one has to go to the vet, they both have to go together or the bond can break.

Given your description, I even more suspect that there are territorial issues going on. If you want to attempt to actually bond them (and house them together) you will need to start over. They should be kept apart for 2 weeks so they can forget that they were fighting. Then you will need to re-introduce them everyday on neutral territory (where neither has ever been). It would be good to read up on bonding There are lots of threads on this forum about that (and probably stuff in the library section too).

If you don't want to bond them and want to continue to keep them housed separately, then their exercise time out will have to be just one at a time.
 
kmaben said:
Not to take over the thread but I'm having the same problems. Two neutered males who previously got along and shared a living space and mutual grooming now mortal enemies. The one is bonded to a third rabbit who just came back into the picture. They were fighting long before that though. Sheesh.
Click to expand...

Yes, I've heard that male bonds can be inconsistent. Having a 3rd bunny in the picture will definitely be a factor too.
 
We had two females that started fighting after 5 years for no known reason--we had to separate them as they were really going at it. Tried to let them out a couple of times together after that , but, it was a no-go. Just happens. We also had two intact males that were bonded when we rescued them--they were both sweet bunnies, but, we had them neutered as one was a sprayer--he could have worked for the fire dept.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top