HELP!!
We've had two male rabbits for about a year and recently they have started fighting.
The eldest Fudge is about 12-months old, with Gizmo (dwarf lop) about 3-months younger and slightly smaller. They have always shared a large hutch and (apart from the teenage hormones, which resulted in them both being neutered) they have always seemed best of friends. They both have distinct personalities with Fudge being the more confident and inquisitive of the pair and Giz the one that pinches the food! Gizmo has always been the more the nervous / submissive of the pair and Fudge seems to do all the grooming.
Last week we caught them chasing each other around and fur pulling. We immediately separated them. We assumed that Fudge was the aggressor, especially when he attacked me leaving me with a nasty bite on my hand. When I approached him a few minutes later, he was as placid as usual and happy to be stroked. It was then that I noticed that he had a big scratch on his nose.
As soon as Gizmo went near him though, Fudge's ears went back and he chased Giz away.
We have kept them apart since then, leaving Fudge with the large hutch and Giz with a conventional one. We have been letting them see each other and sniff each other through the mesh of the hutch and they seemed to be getting on ok. When we let them get face-to-face without the mesh, they sniffed at each other gently until Gizmo tried to bite Fudge's nose. Fudge then attacked him and I received another nasty bite (I'm a slow learner!) separating them.
We've tried neutral places to 're-introduce' them, but the same thing always happens - they nervously approach and sniff each other and then Giz tries to bite Fudge's nose. Fudge then attacks him.
When we put them out into the garden with one in the run and the other free to roam, they usually end up very close together, or looking for the other. They appear sad when they are apart.
Please can any one give us any suggestions as to why this might be occuring and how to get them to be friends again? We don't think that this is terratorial squabling as it is occuring wherever they are.
Many thanks
Dave & Tracey
We've had two male rabbits for about a year and recently they have started fighting.
The eldest Fudge is about 12-months old, with Gizmo (dwarf lop) about 3-months younger and slightly smaller. They have always shared a large hutch and (apart from the teenage hormones, which resulted in them both being neutered) they have always seemed best of friends. They both have distinct personalities with Fudge being the more confident and inquisitive of the pair and Giz the one that pinches the food! Gizmo has always been the more the nervous / submissive of the pair and Fudge seems to do all the grooming.
Last week we caught them chasing each other around and fur pulling. We immediately separated them. We assumed that Fudge was the aggressor, especially when he attacked me leaving me with a nasty bite on my hand. When I approached him a few minutes later, he was as placid as usual and happy to be stroked. It was then that I noticed that he had a big scratch on his nose.
As soon as Gizmo went near him though, Fudge's ears went back and he chased Giz away.
We have kept them apart since then, leaving Fudge with the large hutch and Giz with a conventional one. We have been letting them see each other and sniff each other through the mesh of the hutch and they seemed to be getting on ok. When we let them get face-to-face without the mesh, they sniffed at each other gently until Gizmo tried to bite Fudge's nose. Fudge then attacked him and I received another nasty bite (I'm a slow learner!) separating them.
We've tried neutral places to 're-introduce' them, but the same thing always happens - they nervously approach and sniff each other and then Giz tries to bite Fudge's nose. Fudge then attacks him.
When we put them out into the garden with one in the run and the other free to roam, they usually end up very close together, or looking for the other. They appear sad when they are apart.
Please can any one give us any suggestions as to why this might be occuring and how to get them to be friends again? We don't think that this is terratorial squabling as it is occuring wherever they are.
Many thanks
Dave & Tracey