Bonded rabbits pulling fur - should I be worried...

[Pix]

The past few days I've got in from work to find clumps of fluff in their hutch. No blood or skin, no obvious injuries on the buns - just fluff. I suspect it's his fluff, but they're such similar colourings it's difficult to know for sure.

She is usually dominant in all but food where he is absolutely dominant.
He never tries to mount her - she tries quite a bit - and occasionally pulls fluff - which I suspect is what's happened.

They've been together since they were 8 weeks (with the exception of a 10 week gap where we separated them as they were starting to reach 'puberty' and were not yet big enough to spay/neuter and then to recover from their spay/neuter)

They've been rebonded since August and have been living happily together.

I've recently upgraded their accommodations and they now live within their hutch within a shed (previously they were in the hutch). They do not currently have free-run of the shed when we're not in as we've not totally bunny-proofed it yet - they keep finding new mischief to get into!! But they do have free-run of the shed when we're in

I suspect this fluff-pulling is as a result of going to the vets for their Myxo jabs on Monday - the timing certainly ties in.

Anyway. Should I be worried? Is there anything I can do to discourage it? I've not witnessed it - I just find the fluff!

 

[Angie B]

You don't say how old they are but if they're roughly 5-6 months or more it could be hormones and a trip to the vet may be due - for him to visit the Plum Fairy and her to get spayed. Just a guess - I'm no expert, but my girls pulled each other's fur out as their arguing became more aggressive. They were spayed yesterday.

 

[nessar]

Are you sure its not them moulting?

Or could it be the increase in space?

Can you set up a webcam or video camera so you can record them and see what is happening? Then you could find the trigger.

edit: you did take them to the vets together and put them back in their space together, yes?

 

[Pix]

AngieB - Sorry, I don't think my post was very clear. They were separated in late May, Spayed/neutered in early July (on the same day). Reintroduced and bonded (from scratch) in mid August.

She's 11 months old and he's 10 and a half months old.

Nessar - No, I don't think it's moulting - it's definite clumps...

I don't have a webcam or a video camera, and I think Mr would go mad if I started trying to buy one just for the buns - I originally wanted to get a baby-monitor for the bun-shed so I could hear if there were scuffles and Mr was not happy about that idea.

Yes - I separated them for about 6 weeks prior to neutering and then had them neutered on the same day. And I waited for several weeks and then did the proper bonding slowly on neutral territory thing - over 3 months ago. With the vinegar washing of anything they'd touched etc etc. It worked at the time - it would seem really odd for that to break now... wouldn't it?

 

[nessar]

I meant did you separate them recently, you mentioned myxo jabs?

If I were you I'd be inclined to do a mini re-bond but I only have one pair and theyve never had problems so I dont know how serious this is....the time of year is awkward for bonding too as you dont want to bring them into a heated room...

I was actually going to suggest a baby monitor :lol: Do you have a laptop with a webcam built in? You could use that without having to buy new stuff.

 

[Pix]

No separation - same carrier to the vets. Myxo jabs and health checks one after the other. Same carrier home.

No, I don't have any webcam facilities at all. My computer is ancient. And the only video facilities I have are in my phone which would not take kindly to being nibbled...

 

[Angie B]

Ah, sorry Pix, I misunderstood. I have no idea then, sorry, but I hope you get it sorted.