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Urgent Help please - fighting rabbits!

OliveTree

Warren Scout
As some of you may have seen from my previous post, we collected our rescue bunnies on Wednesday and they've been settling in pretty well since then. However, this morning they seemed to be squabbling over food and one bit the other twice. How serious is this?? They are both boys, under one and unneutered*, but the rescue said that they get on really well. They've been together for about a month.

We've separated them temporarily with one in their playhouse and the other outside. Should we leave them like this for a bit, and if so for how long and what should be our next move? The outside one doesn't have much shelter but can hide between the side of the playhouse and the tarpaulin that is covering the run.

Please advise!!


*We are planning to get them neutered and we're going to talk about it when we have their vaccination appointment next week.

ETA: unfortunately I have to go out shortly and won't be back til mid afternoon, so urgent advice would be really appreciated!
 
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I would keep them separate unless you are supervising (and completely if they draw blood), neuter ASAP and rebond. You need to discuss timing with your vet as you should leave a couple of weeks gap between each vaccination and any other procedure, such as neutering.

Are they not vaccinated at all?

I would be tempted to neuter first to keep them together, but there is always a risk with unvaccinated rabbits, especially if they are stressed (such as the move and falling out) and I wouldn't be happy with that, either. There is also the weather to consider if one is outside - he will need more protection anyway, and an unheated room after the op as they can't regulate their temperature after an anaesthetic. You also need to monitor input and output for a few days to make sure they are eating and pooing ok. Leaving neutering for another month pushes it further in to winter weather.
 
Oh no, I'm so sorry to read this :( I had no idea that your boys were not neutered, as they had come from a rescue (rescues usually neuter before adoption). I have to say I am really not that surprised that they are fighting :( Unneutered bucks will usually fight, even if they are litter mates.

You say they were OK for a month at the rescue? Were they together also before they were rescued? I would suggest that their bond at the rescue was probably quite fragile and the change of circumstances, now you have adopted them, has caused this upset.

In my view you are definitely right to separate, as not only could they seriously injure each other, but if they do have a nasty fight it will probably be impossible to ever have them living together.

I realise this is far from ideal for you and I'm so sorry as you must be so upset. However, I would suggest your best plan is to keep them separate and have them neutered asap. If you can provide accommodation for them both separately and as they have not been vaccinated I would make their vaccinations a priority. After vaccination I would wait a couple of weeks and then have them both neutered. Unfortunately you will then need to wait about 6 weeks for their hormones to calm down, before re-introducing them on neutral territory.

I really am so sorry that this has happened.
 
Hi, thank you for your quick reply. Unfortunately we just can't accommodate them separately. We don't have the space or the money for separate homes. I think I will need to talk to the rescue asap (I know they're not open this morning though). Do you think we will have to send one of them back? :cry:

Eta: the rescue introduced them.
 
Hi, thank you for your quick reply. Unfortunately we just can't accommodate them separately. We don't have the space or the money for separate homes. I think I will need to talk to the rescue asap (I know they're not open this morning though). Do you think we will have to send one of them back? :cry:

Eta: the rescue introduced them.

I would wait and see what the rescue suggests, before deciding on what to do. One option would be to send one back. Another would be for the rescue to house both rabbits separately, get them vaccinated and neutered and then re-bonded for you. You could perhaps come to an arrangement where you formally adopt them and pay for their veterinary treatment. Sending lots of hugs.
 
Thanks. The rescue were very laid back about everything, and now I'm wondering if they were *too* laid back. They suggested that vaccination and neutering were both optional and it would be completely up to us whether or not we got them done. I planned and expected to do it anyway, but I'm now wondering if that was a bad sign.

I can talk to them though and see what they say. They already held onto them for ages while they waited to us to be ready. I don't know whether they'd accommodate them again but it's worth asking.

In hindsight, we should have arranged for them to be neutered then. Hindsight is a wonderful thing!
 
If they go back to the rescue, the rabbits are still in the same position. It is still something that can be sorted out and have a good outcome - there is just going to be a slight delay to what you were expecting.

Can you put a hutch or big dog crate in the playhouse and swap the boys over daily? It doesn't have to be a quality item - just one that will do the job. I wouldn't use a second hand hutch (especially with unvaccinated rabbits), but dog crates are readily available on local groups (eg FaceBook, GumTree) and can be disinfected before use.
 
Yes, of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing, but quite honestly there are so many things to consider with rabbit ownership. In my experience it's also very unusual, but not completely unknown, for rescues to rehome unvaccinated and unneutered rabbits. In my view, if this is common practice with this rescue they have probably had similar situations happen previously.

You could, of course, just return these rabbits and adopt a neutered and vaccinated pair from a different rescue. However, that would be an enormous pity for these two lads, who in my view have really not done anything wrong. They've just followed their natural instincts. On the plus side, if they have lived together harmoniously for a month in the rescue, then the signs are positive that they would be able to be re-bonded.
 
I’m sorry you have been put in this position. It’s not unusual for any pair to have a bit of a fall out in new territory, and this will be compounded by the fact that they are both un neutered. I’m very surprised that a rescue would bond an unneutered pair of boys.

I hope you can think of a way around the situation. If they have been together a month prior to this hopefully they can be rebonded, I would wait after their hormones have subsided probably 6 weeks after neutering.
 
Oh no I'm really sorry the boys have been fighting [emoji17] I agree with the advice given above, the only thing you can really do now is to separate them, neuter and try to rebond them at a later date. Unfortunately it takes a few weeks for the hormones to settle so it will be a while before you can even attempt to rebond them again.

I know it's not much help to you right now but I do feel you've been let down by the rescue. Having two entire bucks together is a big risk as there is a very high likelihood of them having serious fights. You've been set up for potential heartbreak very early on, so the rescue should do the decent thing and put things right. Whether they will or not is another matter!

It's frustrating you're in this situation but it is salvageable. If you want to keep the boys and you get no help from the rescue then I think the best interim solution is to get some temporary shelter for the one in the more exposed part of the run, get them both neutered, wait a few weeks for the hormones to subside and have a go at rebonding them. Many of us on here have bonded bunnies ourselves so we will be able to guide you through it.

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Sorry to hear you're having problems with your rabbits, it sounds like a tricky situation. I agree with everyone else, they will need to remain separated unfortunately until they are both neutered and their hormones calm down. This will mean trying to make a suitable arrangement for them both in terms of living accommodation. Are you able to try splitting their current accommodation in half? That way they can both be sheltered and still be near each other but not have any contact. I'm sorry the shelter have let you down, I like the suggestion of them potentially having the rabbits back temporarily while they're neutered and vaccinated, but I don't know if they would agree to this. You could also try a bonding service once they're neutered if there is one near you.
 
Thank you everyone for your advice and also for not blaming me! I do feel pretty stupid for having got into this situation, but I also feel let down by the rescue because it feels a bit as if we've been set up to fail. I've been in contact with them (email, not an actual conversation) and they are unconcerned and just say keep an eye on things and neuter when possible.

I think my options for today are to get a crate or cage for inside the playhouse and separate them for today and tonight, but beyond that I must admit to feeling totally stuck. I don't feel at all supported by the rescue and although I haven't broached the subject of them having them back until they're neutered, they seem so unconcerned by it all that I can't see them agreeing. I'm literally feeling sick with worry right now :(
 
Thank you everyone for your advice and also for not blaming me! I do feel pretty stupid for having got into this situation, but I also feel let down by the rescue because it feels a bit as if we've been set up to fail. I've been in contact with them (email, not an actual conversation) and they are unconcerned and just say keep an eye on things and neuter when possible.

I think my options for today are to get a crate or cage for inside the playhouse and separate them for today and tonight, but beyond that I must admit to feeling totally stuck. I don't feel at all supported by the rescue and although I haven't broached the subject of them having them back until they're neutered, they seem so unconcerned by it all that I can't see them agreeing. I'm literally feeling sick with worry right now :(

You have been hugely let down by the 'rescue' - its not fair that you start your bunny owning time like this. I hope you can work out a solution xx
 
I feel awful for you. It's nerve wracking taking on a new type of pet and it's natural to worry whether you're doing things right. But you've also been thrown into this horrendously difficult situation by a rescue that should have known better. And I'm not impressed by their response. I'd actually really like to bang their heads together!

I mentioned on your previous thread about when I adopted my first bun Scrappy. After about a week she developed an eye infection (turned out to be a recurrent blocked tear duct issue). I remember feeling incredibly overwhelmed by the stress and worry of it so I can understand how you must be feeling right now.



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You've definitely been let down by them, they don't sound great! Just take things one step at a time, you can swap them each day so they spend a day in the crate and then not in the crate so they at least get a fair share of time out.

Try not to stress too much, there are loads of incredibly supportive and knowledgeable people on this forum who can offer advice. You're doing the right thing, separate them, focus on vaccinations and then worry about neutering and re-bonding later.

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Again, thank you everyone. I have no idea what I'd do without this forum and I'm only 2 days into bunny-owning!

Scrappy's Little Helper, you've got it exactly - I just feel completely overwhelmed.

The bunnies have been separated since first thing this morning as I've had to be out almost all day (which is unusual for me and frustrating that this has happened on a day when I couldn't move things around and be at home).

I got home about half an hour ago and the rabbits are currently together but being very heavily supervised. They've not gone for one another yet but the 'picked on' one seems pretty subdued. He is eating though and seemed happy to be let out. When my husband gets home I will go to Pets at Home and get whatever I can find that's cheapest and will do the job - I just can't afford to spend any more than is strictly necessary (I've budgeted for food, vaccinations and neutering but not for this!). If anyone can recommend a cheap option from there then please do so. I know people have mentioned about looking for something second hand but I don't feel I can spend any time looking for something suitable.

So, that should keep them safe overnight but I don't know what to do moving forward. It sounds as if even if I got appointments for neutering first thing on Monday morning (which I'm guessing I won't be able to get anyway), they would still need to be kept separated for several weeks. Would a cage/crate within their house be suitable, letting them out into the shared area separately? I'm struggling to see options beyond that, apart from returning one or both. I was also relying on them keeping one another warm at night as the weather is getting colder!

ETA the 'dominant/outdoor' one has now hopped into the playhouse so we've shut him in there for a bit to give the other some outside time - and us a break from supervision! If supervised contact is worth persisting with then we can do that as much as possible.
 
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It really doesn't seem as though you are going to get much support from the rescue and so I don't think I would contact them any more.

The situation is certainly not ideal and it's really unfair on you and the rabbits that it's happened, but it can definitely be managed.

I agree with what others have said and I would either get a crate for inside the playhouse or I would very securely split it in half with very strong mesh. I'm afraid it will involve a lot of faffing about on your part, but then I would swop the bunnies around each day. You could also let them out in the run individually. Then asap I would get them vaccinated and discuss with the vet about neutering.
 
Personally I would not seek any more 'advice' from the 'Rescue' as frankly they appear to be clueless. They may be well intentioned in their mission of 'Rescuing', but unfortunately good intentions do not guarantee good advice.

The boys definitely need to be kept apart. If they have a full on fight they could do serious damage, as I expect you know. I am not sure what area you are located in, but if you can give a rough idea we may be able to suggest a Reputable Rescue who could perhaps help you out by taking one boy in and you adopting a spayed/vaccinated Doe from the Rescue.

Dont worry that space is an issue for the boys atm, OK it may be that they have to be kept in a small space for a few weeks, but it wont be a long term thing.
 
Thanks. I am not a very 'handy' person (in fact I may be the least practical person around!) but I will see if my husband can rig something up. We have some mesh left over from making the enclosure so maybe that can be put to use. Trying to think about how it would work, I think he could rig something up to separate them but I'm not sure how we could get them in and out of it while still making it secure. I kind of prefer that to the crate idea because it feels a bit less prison-like!
 
Oh, x-post there. I'm in xxx

Eta: it's good to know that I don't need to worry too much about space for now. The playhouse isn't massive but it's probably almost twice the size of their previous home, so logically halving it shouldn't be too bad I suppose!

So, would an unneutered boy be ok with a spayed girl (obviously only until he could be 'done')? That sounds like an appealing solution but I feel sad for the bunny who would have to go :( They are both very happy around us so we thought we'd found really friendly rabbits.
 
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