Chip&Lunar
New Kit
Hi everyone,
New here
We have two female rabbits, Chip and Lunar. They are actually my daughter's and live in her room. My daughter has a loft room with a slanted roof, and the rabbits have one end of it as an enclosure, about 2 metres by 3 metres. They were both born in early June last year, but are unrelated. Chip is a dwarf rabbit, and Lunar is a somewhat larger dwarf-mix. Neither has yet been neutered.
Chip (the dwarf rabbit) came home with us in August, and the other in September. We read up on bonding, and everything seemed to go well. They had a couple of tussles, working out social order and things when we moved them into the new enclosure under the roof at Christmas time. Although some of their chase games have bordered on agression (Lunar is clearly dominant), they groom each other, sit side by side, share food, etc.
Chip wasn't feeling well over the last week. Several trips to the veterinarian, some hand feeding, and dietary adjustments later, she seems herself again. The problem is that in order to observe her eating, urination, etc., we put her in a cage. Now Lunar 'owns' the enclosure and doesn't want to share with Chip. They're fine sitting together on someone's lap, and they clearly want each other's company, but Lunar is being so territorial, we are worried that she will hurt Chip.
So, what can we do? Put Lunar in the cage for awhile? Swap them every day for a couple of weeks, clean the enclosure, and try again? Should we buy them new hiding places? Is it possible to make the enclusure neutral again? Should we get Lunar neutered, keep her in a separate cage until she is recovered, and then treat it as a new bonding?
Chip has never been excessively territorial, and has been friendly with Lunar. Lunar has generally been the territorial and/or agressive one. I think we will get them both neutered at some point, though my daughter is very worried about the risk to them during/after the procedure. When is the best time to have them neutered? How much will it help with Lunar's behaviour?
TIA
New here
We have two female rabbits, Chip and Lunar. They are actually my daughter's and live in her room. My daughter has a loft room with a slanted roof, and the rabbits have one end of it as an enclosure, about 2 metres by 3 metres. They were both born in early June last year, but are unrelated. Chip is a dwarf rabbit, and Lunar is a somewhat larger dwarf-mix. Neither has yet been neutered.
Chip (the dwarf rabbit) came home with us in August, and the other in September. We read up on bonding, and everything seemed to go well. They had a couple of tussles, working out social order and things when we moved them into the new enclosure under the roof at Christmas time. Although some of their chase games have bordered on agression (Lunar is clearly dominant), they groom each other, sit side by side, share food, etc.
Chip wasn't feeling well over the last week. Several trips to the veterinarian, some hand feeding, and dietary adjustments later, she seems herself again. The problem is that in order to observe her eating, urination, etc., we put her in a cage. Now Lunar 'owns' the enclosure and doesn't want to share with Chip. They're fine sitting together on someone's lap, and they clearly want each other's company, but Lunar is being so territorial, we are worried that she will hurt Chip.
So, what can we do? Put Lunar in the cage for awhile? Swap them every day for a couple of weeks, clean the enclosure, and try again? Should we buy them new hiding places? Is it possible to make the enclusure neutral again? Should we get Lunar neutered, keep her in a separate cage until she is recovered, and then treat it as a new bonding?
Chip has never been excessively territorial, and has been friendly with Lunar. Lunar has generally been the territorial and/or agressive one. I think we will get them both neutered at some point, though my daughter is very worried about the risk to them during/after the procedure. When is the best time to have them neutered? How much will it help with Lunar's behaviour?
TIA
Last edited: