Help, buns fighting!

[ajr231]

Hi,
i have 2 girl bunnies - about 3 months old. they have always been together and always been really loving towards each other. They sleep cuddled together and although they can be a bit competitive over food, if there are 2 bowls they are fine. Anyway, earlier today i heard an almighty noise from their room and went up to see them having a massive fight, literally fur flying everywhere and I actually needed to force them apart. I've checked them for injuries and they seem fine - no blood or visible marks. I've since separated them, one in the run, one outside it but in the same room with food / water etc available to both - they can see each other but not get to each other. Is this the right thing? When / how should I reintroduce them? Since i separated them they seem fine, not aggressive at all, as if nothing has happened.
Any help much appreciated!

 

[honeybunny]

It's because they are reaching puberty and their hormones have kicked in
Trying to keep two unspeyed rabbits together is very difficult..it can be done but fights are very likely and can result in severe injuries

The more they fight the harder it will be to get them back together
My advice would be to find a good rabbit vet and get them both speyed, after 6 weeks when their hormones have calmed try to re introduce..but honestly two does, that have already fallen out, are probably the hardest bond.

You may be best getting them each a neutered boy bun after they have been speyed

 

[ajr231]

Thanks, i'm getting them spayed as soon as they're old enough - i though 5 months was the youngest they could get spayed, it is younger? I don't want to give up trying them help them bond as they've been lovely together every day of the last 3 months and have only had 1 falling out. Any ideas how to help them do this?

 

[honeybunny]

all baby rabbits will get on..this is the problem rescues have with people who have bought pairs from pet shops..then the bunnies grow up and fight

Sadly the fact they have got on as babies is no indication as to how they will get on as adults

Keep them totally apart until after they are speyed..the more you try them and let them fall out the harder they will be to bond

 

[clairekaitlin]

I posted a very similar post a few weeks back as my sisters had always been together and suddenly took to fighting each other was awful to see, I found separating them for a while and then introducing them slowly worked again although there's some bullying going on but that's because they have reached that age just before I can get them spayed!!! x

 

[eeyorefan]

same problem

I have the same problem with my 2 6 month old girls, like a fool I thought 2 was a good idea to go with my male who had lost his mate, all went well for the 4 months I first had them and then war, parted them and have had one spayed, had very conflicting reports from the vets to have one or both done, one has been done and the other is now very protective over the male and it has only been 2 weeks and they have only seen each other through the bars of the cage but the unspayed one went mad, I have a feeling I will have to either rehome the spayed one or keep her now as a house rabbit, since spaying she has lived in the kitchen and seems to love it. I have learnt my lesson with 2 girls. Yolanda.

 

[ajr231]

Thanks for you help, just an update - i've reintroduced them under a very watchful eye and they are getting on fine again. I will of course monitor them closely but so far so good. Keep your fingers (and toes) crossed it was a one off.

 

[R & R by the river]

Hey ! welcome to the club !

Ours seem to have a falling out once a fortnight ( does this correspond to a rabbits menstrual cycle, by any chance?) and then get on fine again.

We'll be glad when they are old enough to be speyed though.

 

[Angie65]

Hey ! welcome to the club !

Ours seem to have a falling out once a fortnight ( does this correspond to a rabbits menstrual cycle, by any chance?) and then get on fine again.

We'll be glad when they are old enough to be speyed though.

Rabbits don't have a menstral cycle. Spaying should fix any hormonal issues

 

[wallythelop]

It's very hard to get two rabbits to get along in a loving way if they are the same sex and are not fixed.

Once you fix your rabbits and introduce them in a controlled way- they should go back to being the way they were. Hormones are a crazy thing with rabbits and really change their personalities.

Definitely get them fixed and they should be back to normal with just a little bit of watching. They will also live longer fixed, and don't run that high risk of getting female sex organ cancer eg: ovarian.

 

[ajr231]

Thanks for all your help. I've planned to get the fixed as soon as they're old enough but have been told this is at 5 months and they are only 3 months so can't do that yet. Happily they have been fine and bak to normal since their scrap so poss if was a one off, i'll just have to wait and see.

 

[kayw1]

Thanks for all your help. I've planned to get the fixed as soon as they're old enough but have been told this is at 5 months and they are only 3 months so can't do that yet. Happily they have been fine and bak to normal since their scrap so poss if was a one off, i'll just have to wait and see.

Please don't worry about them fighting and not getting on. Once you have had them neutered and the hormones die down, they will get on. My two bucks, Floppy and Patch used to fight all the time from when they were 4 to 6 months and once they were neutered, they were inseprable and looked out for each other. Good luck

 

[Stufi]

you have two very similar rabbits to me! i have a white one and a browny one. They are both girls and have had a couple of tiffs. When it first happened i thought they were tearing each other to shreds!its only happened two times since i had them, and i found they only acted up if there was a change in temperature, then they get grumpy. Infact they had a bit of a tiff last night (they sleep in our room so we can keep an eye on them) but the room was very warm. We let pinky out, so they could have a little time out from each other, and brought a fan down to cool them down. 5 mins later they were best friends and put them back together. There hasnt been a peep out of them since and ive been keeping an eye on them all day.

The first time they had a tiff i think it was because they were chilly, they are inside but i think there was a slight draft. With a quick room change, and separated their cage in two for the night and the next day they were best friends afterwards.

They are like us, if you are sitting in a hot car and your sibling sitting next to you being a royal pain in the butt, you are bound to react (I havnt got mine spayed yet - they are coming up to 5 months, but i am going to soon.)

 

[kattymieoww]

I have heard that two females are the most difficult to bond(spayed or not).
Thankfully we had an older neutered boy(now 6) then three years later intoduced a young female.(now 3).Both house rabbits.The girl before she was spayed, flirted,rolled over and sprayed like crazy at our bemused boy,I also got sprayed with urine etc.:shock:
They are both utter cuddle bunnies now,though they do have seperate cages at night time,just like an old married couple .

So I would say,older buck(neutered) then younger female (spayed) is the easiest intro,though I'm sure others have different opinions.

 

[raine]

I have the same problem with my 2 6 month old girls, like a fool I thought 2 was a good idea to go with my male who had lost his mate, all went well for the 4 months I first had them and then war, parted them and have had one spayed, had very conflicting reports from the vets to have one or both done, one has been done and the other is now very protective over the male and it has only been 2 weeks and they have only seen each other through the bars of the cage but the unspayed one went mad, I have a feeling I will have to either rehome the spayed one or keep her now as a house rabbit, since spaying she has lived in the kitchen and seems to love it. I have learnt my lesson with 2 girls. Yolanda.

I would get the unspayed one spayed, as you still have a hormonal girl there. My two french lop girls were fine once I had them spayed.