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Fighting After 2 Months of Bonding

Lawlawg

New Kit
Hello, I wonder if any of you can help. I bonded a 6 month old doe with a 4 year old buck. The bonding process has been a little stressful, however we thought we had finally cracked it. For the past 5 days they have been 100% together. However, this morning they had a fight (fur everywhere), they split up when I walked into the room (they are full house rabbits). I am concerned as I go back to work tomorrow, after a week off, and I am worried about leaving them alone. Do I separate them into separate partitions, where they can still see and smell each other or keep them together and risk fighting when i am at work? Thank you so much in advance for your responses.
 
Hello, I wonder if any of you can help. I bonded a 6 month old doe with a 4 year old buck. The bonding process has been a little stressful, however we thought we had finally cracked it. For the past 5 days they have been 100% together. However, this morning they had a fight (fur everywhere), they split up when I walked into the room (they are full house rabbits). I am concerned as I go back to work tomorrow, after a week off, and I am worried about leaving them alone. Do I separate them into separate partitions, where they can still see and smell each other or keep them together and risk fighting when i am at work? Thank you so much in advance for your responses.

Hello, welcome to the forum and how frustrating that this has happened! I think you should separate them as you suggest though, otherwise there's a concern that they will fight.

Any idea why the fight happened? Had anything changed such as moving them from a small space to a larger one?
 
Hello, welcome to the forum and how frustrating that this has happened! I think you should separate them as you suggest though, otherwise there's a concern that they will fight.

Any idea why the fight happened? Had anything changed such as moving them from a small space to a larger one?

Hi Omi,
Thank you for responding. We increased the space on Sunday (2 days ago), so that maybe why. We increased it as the doe, who is 6 months, kept going crazy at night, running round like a little lunatic. Increasing the space, stopped this as she had more freedom.

I have a feeling the fight came from excitement, I put their favourite toys in their room this morning and they both got excited. They then both went in their litter tray and started nipping each other, which lead to the fight.

Will it break their bond or distress them if I separate them?

Thanks again.
 
Are they both neutered? Un-neutered rabbits will fight, especially as one is now adolescent.
A doe is normally neutered at 6 months, and would then need time to recover from the op and for hormone levels to decrease.
I would separate them, neuter (both) and reintroduce in about 6 weeks.
 
Are they both neutered? Un-neutered rabbits will fight, especially as one is now adolescent.
A doe is normally neutered at 6 months, and would then need time to recover from the op and for hormone levels to decrease.
I would separate them, neuter (both) and reintroduce in about 6 weeks.

Hi Shimmer,
Thank you for responding. They are both neutered. The does was neutered about a month a go. So maybe she still has her hormones in her body 🤔
I forgot to mention the doe is also moulting quite a lot at the moment, so this maybe contributing?!
 
It seems likely to me that increasing their space and re-introducing their toys has probably led to the fight. Obviously can't be sure, but bonding rabbits is a tricky business and if things change too soon, then you sometimes get problems. Ideally you would return them to where they were before the trouble started, so reducing their space and removing toys. However, if you can't be with them to monitor, I would separate for now, but still let them see and smell each other. Then, at the next opportunity I would start again until their bond seems secure. By that time also the hormone levels will have reduced more and the moulting will perhaps not be so bad, so that if these two factors were a problem, they will then be improved.

Best of luck :)
 
It seems likely to me that increasing their space and re-introducing their toys has probably led to the fight. Obviously can't be sure, but bonding rabbits is a tricky business and if things change too soon, then you sometimes get problems. Ideally you would return them to where they were before the trouble started, so reducing their space and removing toys. However, if you can't be with them to monitor, I would separate for now, but still let them see and smell each other. Then, at the next opportunity I would start again until their bond seems secure. By that time also the hormone levels will have reduced more and the moulting will perhaps not be so bad, so that if these two factors were a problem, they will then be improved.

Best of luck :)

I agree with this:thumb:
 
It seems likely to me that increasing their space and re-introducing their toys has probably led to the fight. Obviously can't be sure, but bonding rabbits is a tricky business and if things change too soon, then you sometimes get problems. Ideally you would return them to where they were before the trouble started, so reducing their space and removing toys. However, if you can't be with them to monitor, I would separate for now, but still let them see and smell each other. Then, at the next opportunity I would start again until their bond seems secure. By that time also the hormone levels will have reduced more and the moulting will perhaps not be so bad, so that if these two factors were a problem, they will then be improved.

Best of luck :)

Thank you for all your advice Omi. I think we have obviously increased their space too soon. 😪
I have taken all of your advice and separated them whilst at work today. They were in the same room, but separate. They have then been out with us together this evening. They are both sassy with eachother, but they are obviously still in the bonding stage.
I am on annual leave in September, so I can try again properly.
Thank you again 😀
 
Was there another animal nearby which might have upset them?

Hi tonibun,
Thank you for responding. No, we haven't been in contact with any other animals and we don't have them in the house. Although, I can imagine this would cause them to be unsettled 😪
 
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