New bunny owner with two sisters fighting, advice?

Hi everyone, so I am a new bunny owner. About a month and a half ago I received two 2 month old female rabbits. They have been living together unseperably for the whole time I have had them. So they are about 3 1/2 months old now. Suddenly today, they started circling each other and fighting pretty intensely. I managed to separate them, gave them some space apart and then reintroduced them. They went crazy fighting again.

I have been doing a lot of reading and it seems like the next step is to get them spayed? I was hoping I wouldn't have too because they were both female, but from the research i have just been doing it seems they are the most territorial. I have them set up now in their cage, but I have placed a big divider down the middle so they don't have access to each other. It's a pretty big cage so they still have room to do their thing.

Any advice on this situation besides getting them spayed? Will this problem only get worse if I don't get them spayed? Once I do get them spayed, what is the ideal set up afterwards? I have been reading that it is a good idea to keep them separate for six weeks after the operation to let the hormones subside. Is this correct?

Thanks for any advice

jmartin941 said:

Hi everyone, so I am a new bunny owner. About a month and a half ago I received two 2 month old female rabbits. They have been living together unseperably for the whole time I have had them. So they are about 3 1/2 months old now. Suddenly today, they started circling each other and fighting pretty intensely. I managed to separate them, gave them some space apart and then reintroduced them. They went crazy fighting again.

I have been doing a lot of reading and it seems like the next step is to get them spayed? I was hoping I wouldn't have too because they were both female, but from the research i have just been doing it seems they are the most territorial. I have them set up now in their cage, but I have placed a big divider down the middle so they don't have access to each other. It's a pretty big cage so they still have room to do their thing.

Any advice on this situation besides getting them spayed? Will this problem only get worse if I don't get them spayed? Once I do get them spayed, what is the ideal set up afterwards? I have been reading that it is a good idea to keep them separate for six weeks after the operation to let the hormones subside. Is this correct?

Thanks for any advice

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Hello

Two entire Does are very likely to scuffle when they reach puberty. Getting them spayed is most definitely the best thing to do. Not only from the behavioural aspect, but also to protect them from uterine infections and uterine cancer. The latter being a real possibility from the age of 5, sometimes a lot younger

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/uterine.htm

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/leaflet_pdfs/neutering28.8.07.pdf

Until they are spayed I would keep them separated as the scuffles will get worse and a serious fight is the likely result. Once that happens getting them back together once they have been spayed would be unlikely, Rabbits who have had a serious fight tend not to forget it. So as you are likely to need to keep them apart for some time now I would look at organising large enough individual accommodation for them. I dont think they can remain in a divided cage for weeks on end as that would just increase their frustration/aggression. They need constant access to enough room to display their natural behaviours.

It can take some time for the hormones to settle and the Does will need to fully heal from surgery. So I would not attempt to re-introduce them for at least 4-6 weeks.

I would arrange an appointment with your Vet to see when he/she feels it would be appropriate to spay the girls. many Vets will do it at 5 months. Some will do it before then as long as the Doe is of a good weight, at least 1kg. My personal (unqualified) opinion is that I would not want a Doe spayed before reaching 5 months of age.

I agree with all of what Jane has said above, a lot of people make the mistake or are wrongly advised that two females will live together happily together, but its their hormones that make them act this way as they mature, same with males, the breeder (whom I would never to go again, I would always rescue now) didn't advise me that my two males would likely fight as they grew.

Luckily before it got to that stage I joined here and members told me that all rabbits should be neutered for health and happiness. My two males were neutered at the earliest opportunity and now have a harmonious relationship which I'm hoping will last for the rest of their lives!

Spaying your girls is the best option, not just for their relationship with each other but for their overall health as well! Good luck! x

Sorry your rabbits have fallen out! It might be they are boys as this age 3.5 months is just the age they do fight. The divider in your cage must be very very secure as they will be able to get to one another. They do really need separate accommodation now.

Thank you everyone for the advice and contact the vet about getting them spayed and what the reccomend about the right age for doing that procedure. I will also work on getting separate enclosures for both of them.

So does this mean that from now until they are spayed they should be no contact? I usually take them out in the evening and let them run around the livin room. Is there any way to continue letting them play together without letting them fight?

Thanks for all of the helpful assistance.

I'm wondering how much space they have? I had the same problem with mine - they started fighting when they hit puberty. But they were in a 4x2 cage, which I didn't know at the time wasn't sufficient! We were actually able to keep them together for another couple of weeks (under fairly close supervision!) by increasing their space, and they then stayed together through their spays and after recovery.

Obviously separating them completely is the 'no risk' option, and they might have enough space anyway.

Have you checked they are not boys because if they are they could be neutered now. Mis-sexing happens all the time. Unfortunately the more they fight the less chance you have of them living together later on.

They are definitely both girls. We had already taken them to the vet for other reasons and they were identified there as girls.

We have been keeping them both in a 2x8ft cage. When they started fighting though it was out in the living room. For now I have placed a divider down the middle giving them both about 2x3 ft of space for themselves. I have been experimenting with taking them out together with supervision. They are pretty relaxed and mellow with each other at first especially when theres food around, but then once they start sniffing each other eventually one of them will nip the other and instantly tension flares.

We have just been trying to keep them apart from now, and just give them some food time together every day.