bonding hiccup

My bunnies were bonding really well, doing everything together, grooming each other and nuzzling up to sleep. For the last 3 days they have been together continuously with no trouble at all. This morning I bought them a new toy, no idea if this was the trigger but they suddenly had a fight. I think it was my doe Jessica that started it as it is mainly my buck Hopscotch's fur on the floor. I have put them in seperate enclosures in the same room and given them a check over and neither seem hurt and are after stuffing their faces stretched out for a nap.

So my question is, what next? Is it back to neutral territory or a pen in the room they have been sharing for the last 4 days?

cut down on space in the existing room :wave:

If they fight again, you may need to go back again.

Thanks, I have put them in a pen in the room as it is the only way to decrease the space they have access to. After a bit of a standoff where they both demanded the other to groom them they decided to take it in turns so fingers crossed.

Personally, for one fight I probably would have ignored it and left them together. I would have done some sort of distraction like misting the air with lavender and banging on saucepans ...

Seems a shame to start from scratch again if you don't need to as you were doing so well :wave:

Unconformity said:

Thanks, I have put them in a pen in the room as it is the only way to decrease the space they have access to. After a bit of a standoff where they both demanded the other to groom them they decided to take it in turns so fingers crossed.

Click to expand...

I would stick to that for ~24hrs and then expand the space a little and see how they react, going from there for ~3-4 days before they get the same space they did have. May be worthwhile spraying white vinegar/water solution around to help neutralise that big shared area a little?

I wouldn't separate after a fight unless blood was drawn, sometimes they have to squabble to sort the 'top dog' role!

I go by the rule like graham said, 24hrs of no fighting then expand space, if fighting you go back a step to the last space you had for 24hrs

Thanks for all the advice . I put them back together after about an hour, and that was more for my benifit than for the rabbits! It was just fur flying but as it was the first time it had happened it gave me a shock! I haven't had more than one rabbit before, never mind try and bond, so it's all new and it wasn't until I had got them apart I knew they weren't hurt. They have been back together all afternoon without incident but I'll leave them in the pen for 24 hours as suggested. They have decided they are prepared to share the pop-up tent