Help - Aggressive behaviour towards long term bonded friend

Would someone please help us understand our bunny’s behaviour. We have two large kennels in the back garden, each with a separate run. One of our bunnies, Thumper (picture below) has started to get very aggressive to her long term bonded friend Smokie whenever they are out in their run and whilst there are other bunnies in another area of the garden. This behaviour seems to occur only when she can see the other bunnies. However, having chased Smokie all around their run and made her hide inside, once inside their kennel they’re happy again with lots of grooming. Although the runs are not directly next to each other, Thumper can see the other bunnies when all out together. This has only just become a problem.

What are the options to prevent such behaviour apart from not allowing thumper and smokie to play outside whilst other bunnies are out?

Phil

HI. I experienced that problem with Bournville a couple of months back before Furby went to live with Fudge at Karen's. Bournville is normally the submissive bun in the Floss/Bournville partnership. But when Furby appeared on the scene in a nearby hutch and run, Bournville turned into were-rabbit:shock: He chased Floss up to the higher level of the hutch and wouldn't let her come down! When she eventually managed to sneak down he bit her on the bum and sent her back upstairs! The behaviour stopped when I increased the distance between the animals. After Furby was spayed I was able to put the hutches close to each other with no problem but it kicked off again when I stupidly put the graden runs too close to each other..again Floss bore the brunt of it! For the remainder of Furby's stay I had to keep the runs at opposite sides of the garden I had put a screen between the hutch/run combos on the patio though and had no problems there.

Unfortunately that is the only solution! When I had Tia on the patio I had to put boards all around her hutch and run when my group of girls came out or it was world war 3! It's a bunny thing :roll: Why your girl has only just started with this is anyone's guess, but you will have to board off her line of sight to the others if she's out in her run - even just pegging a sheet over that side of the run will do if they can't come up to it and smell each other.

It is very concerning to observe such behaviour esp as they are so close. Thumper has always been very protective of Smokie, to the point of having got a split ear whilst trying to protect Smokie long before we came along and rehomed them over a year ago - have always been best of pals:?

Phil

Back to normal

Thanks for the advice - it worked!
Went outside first thing today and laid a cover over the new buns' run, and Thumper was back to her old self. Although Smokie was a bit wary at first, after her buddy had been chasing her the day before. Both Thumper and Smokie were best buddies again and laid outside for most of the day washing and looking after one another. Such a relief, it was heartbreaking to see Thumps chasing Smokie.