Can 2 male fighting bunnies be bonded?

[k.mdaniels]

I have two male rabbits at 10 months old. When we got them they lived happily together but 3 weeks later hormones kicked in and they started fighting. We separated them immediatley and kept them apart, a fortnight later Sammy (white bunny) managed to get into Leons run and they fought again.

This all happened last summer, Sammy has just recently been neutered and Leon will be neutered shortly.
Do you think they can go back together again?

It would be nice to see them be pals again and have company but I wouldnt want them to come to harm.

My fear is if they went back together what if they started fighting in there hutch whilst I was at work. I'm not sure if I could fully trust them together again.

All advice and opinions will be most appreciated!

[charlie82]

Hi,

I would think that hormones have played a big part in their aggression towards each other. I tend to have male pairs neutered as soon as their testicles descend as opposed to waiting until they start fighting as that makes it harder to put them back together. It is possible that they could be friends, but both will need to have been neutered and kept seperate for a few weeks before attempting an introduction.

It has to be done on neutral ground and personally I go with the slow bonding process. Some people on here choose to just let the rabbits sort it out between themselves but I haven't the nerve to do so. It has never meant that a bond hasn't worked for me, I've just been absolutely sure that they won't fight before leaving them alone. I've had rabbits seriously injured be others so I don't even take the risk. If you choose to slow bond you will be sure that they are friends before leaving them alone. Bonding is a huge subject on it's own!!!

[k.mdaniels]

Hi,

I would think that hormones have played a big part in their aggression towards each other. I tend to have male pairs neutered as soon as their testicles descend as opposed to waiting until they start fighting as that makes it harder to put them back together. It is possible that they could be friends, but both will need to have been neutered and kept seperate for a few weeks before attempting an introduction.

It has to be done on neutral ground and personally I go with the slow bonding process. Some people on here choose to just let the rabbits sort it out between themselves but I haven't the nerve to do so. It has never meant that a bond hasn't worked for me, I've just been absolutely sure that they won't fight before leaving them alone. I've had rabbits seriously injured be others so I don't even take the risk. If you choose to slow bond you will be sure that they are friends before leaving them alone. Bonding is a huge subject on it's own!!!

I picked up from this site that I would have to wait two months after there neutered to be safer but what is slow bonding?

[Sandra]

Hi:wave: I have experienced trying to bond two neutered males where it didn't work out because of fighting, and I have experienced a successful bonding of two neutered males where it was pretty much love at first sight. The first time the bonding didn't work out because the two males seemed 'equal' - they both wanted to be Alfa bunny, they fought and no one showed signs of being submissive. We had them together for three days, constantly watching them, before they started fighting more intensly and locked on each other and then we had to separated them.

When we have bonded bunnies we have put them together Friday when we get home from work so that we have all weekend to watch them - not leaving them alone at all before we are sure that they are ok with each other.

The other time we bonded two males was when we bonded a third male with out bonded pair (female and male). The new male bunny was very submissive and our male Roger did not consider him a threat so he excepted him almost immediately - they was some chasing but no fighting at all.

Having two males together can definately work, but I think it depends on their personalities. And I would give the bunnies enough time after the neutering to loose all hormones so that that doesn't affect the bonding process negatively. I think I read somewhere that bunnies have a long memory, if they fought with another rabbit - that they might remember that etc.

Good luck!

Sandra and the buns (Roger, Mýsla, Finnur and baby Marshmallow)

[charlie82]

Hi,

It varies for bun to bun. I've generally been lucky and most of my neutered males tend to cease amorous behaviours virtually straightaway! One of my bucks was continuously mounting his partner to the point I had to allow only supervised meetings even though they were the best of friends (he was stressing her too much) and from the day I brought him home from being neutered and put them back together he hasn't once tried mounting.

Some people will try two bunnies together and if there is no aggression they will leave them together. I will only do so if they are grooming each other straight away. I guess i've seen how much damage that can be caused to be brave enough to take the risk, so instead I go the slow bonding route....at least for a few days. I allow supervised sessions, keeping them brief at first and if they are not aggressive with each other I will allow longer sessions. I only really seperate if I have to go out or sleep etc...even then I will keep them caged next to each other so they can see/smell one another. Once I see them grooming each other and am confident that they are friends I will leave them together full time. :)