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Serious trouble in paradise

peediepixie

Mama Doe
Holly now, officially, hates Laurel. She was full on attacking her the other day, clumps of fur, pinning her to the ground by her throat etc etc. Poor Laurel was terrified and didn't know what had happened to her! I have had to separate them and now Holly is living in temporarily accommodation in the garage which is really too small but better than nothing. I am at a total loss as to what to do. I do NOT want to rehome Holly but I just don't have the accommodation for 2 seperate rabbits. I can afford a little towards a new hutch for her but everything I see is just so expensive. I loved one of the hutches on Happy Hutch but they won't deliver to Orkney:cry: I am at a loss as to what to do. Freecycle never comes up with hutches when folk ask and because of where I live I can't pick up and of the good affordable hutches on eBay. Argh!!!
 
Can you tell us more? Are both spayed/neutered? Have they both had a health check? What prompted/triggered the fight?
 
Holly is spayed but Laurel isn't. Laurel has lived with other rabbits previously with no bother at all, she is such a friendly thing. It was Holly who was going for Laurel, Laurel seemed to be trying to 'make it up' with Holly each time Holly went for her?! By this I mean, once they had separated Laurel would go over near Holly and wait to see what happened, she was showing no aggression at all. I know I need to get Laurel spayed but I just haven't brought myself to do it yet after losing so many buns over the last year. Would her not being spayed have caused Holly to go for her? They have been so good together for a while now! They are both in good health. It just kicked off when I opened the hutch to clean it out:?
 
I think it could be relevant. It may be when she goes over to her, there is something going on between the bunnies that is triggered it (you can often tell from flickers of the tail rising, or flickers of the ears lowering), such as if Laurel is scenting, Holly may not react well to that, or Laurel's hormones may be causing Holly to act this way.

I would suggest getting her spayed and then once she has recovered and her hormones have died down, then see if they can be rebonded.

I would alsosuggest full vet checks for both bunnies because that can also cause behaviour like this.
 
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