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Worried about my boys...

tompunx

New Kit
We have Havok & Logan out every day in the living room (bringing them in from outside in their hutch/run) for about an hour or so. Today, they did their usual running around and jumping, then all of a sudden it SEEMED as if they were getting vicious, ended up with small clumps of fur skewn across the floor.

Is this aggressive behaviour? If so, how do I stop it?

We've been thinking maybe seperating them during their "inside time" with a fence or something, but being new-ish bunny owners, we have no idea!
HELPPPPPPP D:
 
Hi and welcome. :wave: First of all how old are they and are they neutered ? It sounds like territorial behaviour. I wouldn't like to comment further until you can give a bit more background. And we love seeing pics too :D
 
Yes it is aggressive behaviour and probably territorial, as bunslave says. Chasing, humping (not face humping) and nipping are okay but if your rabbits get into a full-blown fight you need to break it up. A broom is good for this as you are likely to get bitten. As your buns are outside you need to determine whether they are showing this behaviour outside or not, as you may not notice if you dont spend much time out there. You also need to figure out why they are fighting - so if you could give us some more info that would be good.

Also, have a look at this thread about bringing outside buns indoors to a heated room: http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...abbits-indoors-from-outdoors&highlight=inside
 
First off, thanks for replying!

They are 9 months old and have both been neutered. Both came from the same "batch" as it were.

Erm, only ever heard/seen them thump before outside, and having read that other thread about bringing them inside, I'm gonna spend a few minutes just fussing over them whilst they're in their hutch.

I'll give them both a checkover too to make sure they haven't acquired any cuts or clumps of fur missing over night. It's really frustrating for me as they'll do the whole running around thing, then the next second, they're snuggled up with each other, little monkeys!
 
My guess would be that you took them into new territory and so they both wanted to claim it, and claim dominance. Or perhaps the submissive rabbit decided to challenge the dominant ones position. Unfortunately male + male bonds can often be more fragile, even neutered rabbits from the same litter, which is what I take it you mean by 'batch' - so you'll need to keep a sharp eye on them, if they have a full-blown fight it can be very dangerous. Make sure you check them daily for any signs of biting, fur being pulled out or injuries.

Another thing to consider, if you have any other rabbits or visited any you may have smelt of them, or the room may have, and that could have sparked some referred aggression.

If you feel their bond is breaking apart then it doesnt necessarily mean you will have to split them forever, you can always try rebonding them as if they are a new pair, and it may be worth looking through the bonding threads on here to familiarise yourself with the process now, because it must be done properly to work.

For now, make sure you never separate them, as this can weaken or put strain on the bond, keep them together at all times, especially for things like vets visits. Keep an eye out for triggers to fighting, some rabbits will fight over food for instance.
 
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