Eloise6
New Kit
This may be a mad question, but I am 38 weeks pregnant and my two lovely, sweet, bonded boys have suddenly started visciously fighting :'(
Bit of background - we have had our two rabbits a year and 8 months. Prior to this they were living at another home, also as a bonded pair. When they moved to our house, there was a bit of the expected humping - the seller had fibbed and said they were both neutered when only one was. After getting the 2nd fixed, all the tiffs cleared up and they have been completely content and happy together for a year and a half - all the usual grooming, snuggling etc all the time. As of last week they were both trying to mount each other, then yesterday this escalated into a "tornado" - chasing, pulling out chunks of fluff, even boxing and kicking! It was such a shock!
We have had to separate them unfortunately, and will try to rebond next week when they have cooled off. My question though is what could have caused the problem?! Nothing has changed in the house that I can think of - their food / litter tray area is the same, no new people or animals, no change in routine, no new cleaning products (although I have been cleaning a bit more lately getting ready for the baby). Neither of them seems ill at all, they are both their normal, greedy, energetic selves. So could it be my hormones causing the upset?? I am hoping so! As that way they might settle down once our baby is here.
Also, at the moment one is in the conservatory (with the heater on) and the other is in the kitchen / living room, as these are the only rooms we can keep them separate in. However, I feel so sad for the one in the conservatory, away from everyone where it is colder (we did sit in with him for a few hours but still). Can I swap their rooms daily, so each has a turn in with us in the main house? Or will the mixing of the smells just keep them annoyed at each other?
Thanks for reading this long post!
Bit of background - we have had our two rabbits a year and 8 months. Prior to this they were living at another home, also as a bonded pair. When they moved to our house, there was a bit of the expected humping - the seller had fibbed and said they were both neutered when only one was. After getting the 2nd fixed, all the tiffs cleared up and they have been completely content and happy together for a year and a half - all the usual grooming, snuggling etc all the time. As of last week they were both trying to mount each other, then yesterday this escalated into a "tornado" - chasing, pulling out chunks of fluff, even boxing and kicking! It was such a shock!
We have had to separate them unfortunately, and will try to rebond next week when they have cooled off. My question though is what could have caused the problem?! Nothing has changed in the house that I can think of - their food / litter tray area is the same, no new people or animals, no change in routine, no new cleaning products (although I have been cleaning a bit more lately getting ready for the baby). Neither of them seems ill at all, they are both their normal, greedy, energetic selves. So could it be my hormones causing the upset?? I am hoping so! As that way they might settle down once our baby is here.
Also, at the moment one is in the conservatory (with the heater on) and the other is in the kitchen / living room, as these are the only rooms we can keep them separate in. However, I feel so sad for the one in the conservatory, away from everyone where it is colder (we did sit in with him for a few hours but still). Can I swap their rooms daily, so each has a turn in with us in the main house? Or will the mixing of the smells just keep them annoyed at each other?
Thanks for reading this long post!