Please Help - Rabbit Fight

I have two rabbits named Rosie and Humphrey who we’ve recently reunited. Before we reunited properly them there were a few fights with pleanty of fur flying but since they’ve been together theres been nothing more than a few fur pulling incidents. All of these were generally started with Our female Rosie trying to mount neutered Humphrey.

Everything was going fine until tonight when they had a fight when we had them out running around the front room. There was loads of fur everywhere from where they’d kicked/bit each other and a couple sore looking scratches. They were fine with each other after I’d split them up and given them time to calm down in fact they were eating together about 15 mins later but I’m fairly sure they had a small fight in the hutch last night too as there was some of Rosie’s fur on the floor this morning and she’s a fair bit quieter today not making half the effort to get to her breakfast as normal and then only eating bits of it. Normally it’s gone before I finish eating my breakfast but even Humphrey hadn’t eaten as much as normal.

So I have 2 questions. One is should I be worried about Rosie not eating much, I’m planning to keep an eye on her and she did eat something, even with Humphrey at the bowl too but I’m worried she’s hurt herself worse than I can see. She’s a rex and her furs a nightmare to look for wounds in, I found a couple but they were generally old or very minor, he’s also a rex but has thinner fur so it’s easier.

The second question is should I split them up? I’m not sure what started the fight last night as I wasn’t looking until I heard the noise and ran to split them up. There’s a fair chance she tried to mount him again, would getting her spayed help. I know I should to prevent the risk of Uterine Cancer and was planning to at some point though I’m fairly un keen on none vital surgery.

Just thought of a third question If I did get her spayed would I have to keep them apart as we’ve only just got them back together again after his Op and asides from the fighting they genuinely love each other and don’t like being apart. Almost immediately after their fight last night Humphrey came and sat on the stair above her for company while they panted and I checked them over.

Thanks

Jem

I'm taking my rabbit to be spayed next week and the vet asked if she was kept with another bun as they would bring both in together and keep them together. So I take from this you wouldn't need to keep them apart after spaying, I think it would break the bond. The vet recommended spaying for a number of reasons, one of them being aggression and the other being uterine cancer. She said if she had a female bun she would definitely spay to prevent cancer as she sees so much.

Definitely definitely get your female bun spayed. My Rosie wouldn't bond properly with Billy until she was spayed. I had to wait ages because I got her at 9 weeks old so it was a bit of a nightmare keeping them apart in my house!!

Once spayed and she had time to heal they went away together for a week whilst we were on holiday (in separate cages but next to each other so they could sniff and touch noses) and when we brought them home we just let them out together in the house and they were fine.

You will be surprised the difference spaying makes. Rosie was like a different bun without all those hormones flying around making her aggressive and territorial.

Good luck

Bunnysam said:

You will be surprised the difference spaying makes. Rosie was like a different bun without all those hormones flying around making her aggressive and territorial.

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That's great to hear - Pippa's a nightmare right now, not aggressive unless you try to pick her up but very territorial and moody, nesting, stamping etc. How long did it take for the hormones to settle? I want to bond Pippa asap but the vet said wait 2 months, which does seems quite a long time.

The thing that worries me is that assides from trying to mount humphrey once in a while she's not agressive at all. She's really quite friendly and the most affectionate fo the two. She'll follow me around run over to say hi to both me and my husband. Lie and let us stroke her have a run by nose butt with my hand, play fight with a card board tube. I'm a bit scared I'll loose my Rosie she is such a lovely natured girl and this is after only having her for 2 months.

I'm glad to hear you bunnies got back together, i was a bit worried about these too, I'll ask the vet about keeping them apart.

When i took Humphrey in for castration the vet said she'd never come across any rabbits with uterine cancer and all the spays they do were generally for agression. She went and asked the other vets around and they said they very rarely saw it. Maybe it's just up here in cumbria but it doesn't fit with the research I've done into it on the net

Thanks for the help

Jem

If they only do spays for agression it's likely they don't do very many. Also they most likely do them between 6-18months when the territorial aggression generally becomes apparent. If you talk to some of the rescues that spay routinely so see a wider age range including slightly older rabbits in the 3yrs+ age bracket you'll find their vets see uterine cancer much more often.

Tamsin