Two bunnies had a fight last night

[jennycreed]

I have a neutered male rabbit lion head dwarf named Simba & a female bunny (non spayed) named sue (not a dwarf)

Anyway, I heard some commotion last night so I went into the living room and the rabbits were still in the same cage, I looked at simba and he had a tuft of hair missing from his forehead, I had a look underneath and there was a pink lump (touched it but he didn't move nor flinch so it cant hurt) Anyway, I presume sue has bitten him. I have had simba a little under a year and sue just over 2 months but they are both the same age. I got sue for simba because I work a lot and didn't want him sitting at home on his own all day so thats why I got him a friend. Anyway, they haven't fought before. But they don't cuddle either?

They live in my living room. They groom each others heads now and again and follow each other around the living room but they never lay flat next to each other, always opposite sides of the rug. They eat together and stay in same cage when I am not in the house.

But I feel like they are not fully bonded and I thought they would be by now. Do I need to get Sue a new home? I cant keep them in seperate cages because my house is too small for 2 cages. Lost here, dont know what to do.

 

[jennycreed]

I must add, his normal skin colour under his fur is light white (checked last night)

I got sue from a rescue house from a private woman who lives around 30minute drive away. I took simba with me to look at the other bunnies and when they were in the same cage, they just sat next to each other straight away with no hassle so I took her. We tried putting 3 bunnies (simba,sue + another female in) and the two females fought over simba. Anyway Sue was more suited. They travelled home in a carry box and they sat next to each other as soon as they got home (presumably from shock), they still sit with each other now but like I said previously, they never cuddle each other. I want them to bond properly as I love them both a lot. Please help!

 

[catherine09]

Really a bond that includes an unspayed female will rarely work long term. Get sue spayed, wait 6-8 weeks and rebond in neutral territory, and I suspect they will be fine :thumb:

ETA: And I might add avoid the rescue centre too, no rescue should be rehoming unspayed females

 

[jennycreed]

When i bought her off this lady she was 11 months old, I am going to get her done before she is 3, probably within the next few months, just because I read that they have an 80% chance of getting cancer if they have not had a litter (which she hasn't) - just waiting until I have enough money to be honest.

If I get her spayed, shall i take simba to the vets with her and pick her up with simba in the carry box?

 

[jennycreed]

ETA: And I might add avoid the rescue centre too, no rescue should be rehoming unspayed females

Its not a rescue center per say, she just takes in bunnies that people dont want anymore and looks after them.

 

[catherine09]

When i bought her off this lady she was 11 months old, I am going to get her done before she is 3, probably within the next few months, just because I read that they have an 80% chance of getting cancer if they have not had a litter (which she hasn't) - just waiting until I have enough money to be honest.

If I get her spayed, shall i take simba to the vets with her and pick her up with simba in the carry box?

If they have had a fight I would seperate immediately and not attempt to put them back together until 6-8 weeks post neutering (so her hormones can die down, which is likely to be why they fought).

 

[jennycreed]

It wasn't a 'fight, fight' It was just a bite to his fore head, no chasing or scratching or kicking or anything like that, just that bite on the fore head. The noise I heard was a rabbit running (the bottom of the cage is plastic) So i presume simba ran away from sue because she bit him and that was the end of it. Wasn't like a full on 'scrap' that rabbits can have. Woke up this morning and they were just sat next to each other eating hay.

 

[Babsie]

I agree with Catherine - separate immediately, have your doe spayed, wait for hormones to settle and then re-bond in neutral territory.

Incidentally, do they have always have plenty of space - ie do they have a run permanently attached to their cage - which I assume is a large dog crate?

 

[Babsie]

A bite counts as a fight - happily bonded rabbits don't have any sort of scrap and bite.

 

[jennycreed]

Incidentally, do they have always have plenty of space - ie do they have a run permanently attached to their cage - which I assume is a large dog crate?

They are out of the cage and have free roam of the down stairs as soon as my partner wakes up (normally around 1pm) and they dont go back in the cage until 3/4am. So they are essentially in the cage for 9 hours at a time but the cage is big enough for them both to be away from each other (currently in the process of building a multi story cage)

 

[jennycreed]

A bite counts as a fight - happily bonded rabbits don't have any sort of scrap and bite.

Christ almighty, i'm really scared. I don't have a massive house. I live in a flat and the cage is currently in the living room, I do not have space for two cages so I will just have to keep Sue out of the cage after she has been spayed (line the cage with sawdust and its not good for their stitches etc)

 

[jennycreed]

At the moment Simba is still mounting and h*mping Sue, If I get her spayed, will this stop?

 

[jennycreed]

Just got her booked in to get spayed 6th October is the first time they can get her in. Hopefully this will work. Thanks guys.

 

[catherine09]

Please seperate them. I don't mean to alarm you but if allowed to stay together and if they have another fight (likely) then it may reduce the chance of them rebonding in future.

I would say a bite is the most serious form of 'fighting'. When mine have fought during bonding it's been chasing and lunging. Only once did it get to 'bite' stage and I was there to intervene and luckily didn't break the skin.

 

[jennycreed]

Please seperate them. I don't mean to alarm you but if allowed to stay together and if they have another fight (likely) then it may reduce the chance of them rebonding in future.

I would say a bite is the most serious form of 'fighting'. When mine have fought during bonding it's been chasing and lunging. Only once did it get to 'bite' stage and I was there to intervene and luckily didn't break the skin.

I will have too then I suppose, Will have to do it when I get home from work though at 5pm (currently 11:05am) - do you think this will be an okay time delay?

 

[tonibun]

Are you sure Sue is a girl? I would check if you are not 100% sure as boys do fight and injure one another.