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Confused

O

Oldskool

New Kit
Hi everyone. I have recently brought home a pair of newly bonded rabbits a male and female. Previously the male was with his brother and seemed to have binded really well, however they fell out a d started fighting really badly.

I had them sepersted and one of them I sent away to be bonded with a female, the other has been rehomed.

All seemed to be going well they'd eat together, groom each other etc.

Now this morning I've noticed that there's a lot of fur in the cage , checked then both over and they seem ok. They were grooming each other as normal too.

I'm just worried that the male has started fighting with this new female, although they seem to be friends.

Could,it just be natural moulting of the fur, or maybe they've had a tiff?

Thanks in advance
 
They could have had a tiff, changing territory can affect bonds, even established ones, but especially new ones, so that could have caused it. Also if they can smell other rabbits that can cause referred aggression. You need to watch them carefully.
 
Are you sure it's a male and female? How long have they been together?
Are they both neutered?
How much space do they have at the moment?

There could be many reasons for this behaviour - trying to narrow it down a bit would help.
 
I would suggest this space is very small and if the female needs to get away from him, she won't be able to, which in turn could mean she will attack him. He really needs to be able to chase her a bit to assert his dominance.
 
tonibun said:
I would suggest this space is very small and if the female needs to get away from him, she won't be able to, which in turn could mean she will attack him. He really needs to be able to chase her a bit to assert his dominance.
Click to expand...

This would be my first thought as well. They can't get away from each other, so anything can set them off. Fur pulling is fairly normal in a new bond - so keep an eye on them. Be prepared to separate if they fight and draw blood.

If they have been recently neutered, they may take longer to settle down. Hormone levels reduce over about 6 weeks post-neuter.
 
As above, if they are both recently neutered, they will both still have raging hormones and he will still be fertile for up to six weeks, and want to mate with her, so could be the cause of fighting. Also 2ft is way too small for one rabbit let alone two, they need so much more space to run and hide and get away from each other when they need a break.
 
Oldskool said:
They're definitely male and female, the space they have is about 2ft by 18 inches
Click to expand...

I would suggest this could be a massive contributor, this is far too small for one rabbit let alone two. I can't remember the exact size that's recommended as mine don't have a cage but they need a lot more space and the lack of it could be contributing to them fighting.
 
Just measured it properly, it's 3 foot long sorry. They seem fine today, lots of grooming and eating together , flopping together as well. They were both neutered about 3 months ago too. Thanks for the help. Fingers crossed it's just a tiff.
 
3 foot is still too small. I believe (but could be wrong) that rabbits should have a minimum of 6 feet each. If there's any way you can increase their space it may help reduce the aggression. If the lack of space is a case then it will only get worse and one could end up severely injured. Is there any way you can increase their space? If there isn't then I would sadly suggest rehoming them as this really isn't suitable for one let alone two rabbits.

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This is only for a week for them to bond, once they're happy together, then they will have the full run of the house.
 
Ah okay. Is there any way you can increase the space slightly? Rabbits are funny creatures, even though they might be fighting over lack of space, you also have to increase their space slowly when they are first bonded as that can also cause fights! But if you're able to increase it a little bit that might help.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
 
We've been bonding in a 4ft sq space and to be honest it's been a little two small.

I've actually ordered some lino to expand it as they need to be able to run a bit more.

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Update, after being together, grooming and eating together, the male has gone for the females bottom again and he's been chasing after her pulling on her fur. I've separated them again and will try again in the morning to reunite them
 
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