Humping and nipping!

Hi, we have two rabbits one's 14 weeks and the others 10 weeks, they have lived together for 4 weeks but this last week the older one has started humping the younger one, not all the time. Lastnight I caught the older one chasing the younger one and nipping her! Is this normal behaviour and will it stop or should we do something to stop it? Before this happened they would groom eachother all the time, they still do this, and when in their hutch they will snuggle down together! They are both female.:shock:

this is dominance behaviour linked to hormones. You will need to get your 14 week old neutered and the 10 week old done as well as soon as your vet will do it. If not you are likely to see fighting and if you have possibly missexed bunnies ...babies. neutering will also protect from uterine cancer which affects a high proportion of unspayed does.

ecudc said:

this is dominance behaviour linked to hormones. You will need to get your 14 week old neutered and the 10 week old done as well as soon as your vet will do it. If not you are likely to see fighting and if you have possibly missexed bunnies ...babies. neutering will also protect from uterine cancer which affects a high proportion of unspayed does.

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I agree with the neaturering and cancer...we didnt get one of our females done (i was much younger when we got her and didnt know the benefits of spaying, thought "shes not kept with a male, whats the point"), and she got uterine cancer and manammary cancer, at the same time!Shes 7 now, and got it 7/8 months ago. We caught it soon enough thank god and she pulled through, but we have to watch out for signs, the vet said she it WILL spread, its just a matter of when. Unfortunately she'll have to be put down then most likely, as therell be nothing they can do. Boy do i regret not getting her spayed!

Like the above post said, itll also help stop them fighting, those that were spayed of mine (when i kept 2 females together) were much friendlier, those which arent (the one who had cancer and another one who i tried to bond her with, who i also didnt get spayed as they ended up being kept seperate and i didnt know about cancer), are much more territorial (one stamps feet when i go to food bowl, rubs chin scent EVERYWHERE, urinates to mark territory...)

Im having a similar problem at the moment with the humping...Although my older rabbit already did the humping for dominace when i first bonded them, now the younger ones starting to hump back! Think it must be an age thing (mines 17 weeks and 10 1/2 weeks).

Hi, thanks for all the advice, we will definately be getting them spayed, although all the dominating behaviour seems to have stopped now, the youngest (Pumpkin) just seemed to take it, but we are also worried about cancer, do you have any idea of price just so we are prepared!? Our oldest one (Honey) sprays and I (stupidly) thought it was only males!:lol:. They are both definately females as they have been checked twice by different people and were brought from a breeder not a pet shop, who also gave us good advice which was the same as we have recieved on here. Anyway thanks again and I will keep you posted.:wave::wave: