Tried bonding & fight broke out

Morning everyone, I tried bonding Bella & Morgan this morning & a fight broke out. I put them in the neutral place neither has been. I put the male down first then Bella the female. She immediately tried to mount him from behind & he kept running away not letting her do it. Within 2 mins a fight broke out. I separated right away before things got bad. This has really worried me as it seems these 2 won’t get on. Morgan wouldn’t let Bella mount him & I guess that was her trying to be dominant. I don’t know where to go from here now. Should I do side by side living in the neutral area & see if after a few weeks they will be ok & try again? It seems they don’t like eachother at all. Iv watched bonding videos & the rabbits didn’t fight like that so quickly. Feeling very upset about this not working out. Thank you for reading


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Have you established if Bella is spayed ?

InspectorMorse said:

Have you established if Bella is spayed ?

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Hi, thank you for replying. she was in on sat for this & the vet shaved her & found a scar so thankfully she has had the op xx


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InspectorMorse said:

Have you established if Bella is spayed ?

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She pulled some of his fur out when mounting from behind. She must have been doing it while trying to mount. She was the dominant female in the pair before. Shadow was a Netherland dwarf though so didn’t stand much chance of being the dominant of the 2. Iv checked him over & no cuts or injuries thankfully. I got them separated within second of the fight xx


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I am sorry they had a fight, it's not the norm but it does happen now and then especially if the female is feisty and has been the dominant one before. It looks rather like you will have to proceed with a slow bond, yes, side by side. She will very possibly come round to accepting him but no guarantees.

tonibun said:

I am sorry they had a fight, it's not the norm but it does happen now and then especially if the female is feisty and has been the dominant one before. It looks rather like you will have to proceed with a slow bond, yes, side by side. She will very possibly come round to accepting him but no guarantees.

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Hi Toni, thank you for commenting. It seems that way sadly [emoji17]. Morgan was running away while she immediately tried to mount him from behind. Do you think that he didn’t let her mount him because he didn’t want to accept her being dominant? & if he just let her do this this the fight wouldn’t have happened? She’s definitely feisty & she would occasionally push shadow away for food if she tried to get it. Didn’t happen often though & they absolutely loved eachother. I think top bunny gets first pickings of food. I used to put a pile each. I’m going to have to prepare the bonding room with a divider. I know it needs to be really high so they can’t jump it. Morgan’s a big jumper but Bella not so much. I hope it works out doing that way. In your opinion can most rabbits eventually be bonded together ok in time? Xx


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Hi, I joined fb group for bonding to get an idea of the separate bonding with a divider. I posted what happened with my 2 & this was the response below. I don’t think a very small enclosure is a good idea as what if a fight happened. It’s harder to separate then & also would that not stress the bunnies out more rather than splitting the room? I think that may be like stress bonding & I will never do that as I think it’s awful. Just wandered what people thought of this & if it’s a good idea to try? By divider I meant with wire in it with mesh over so they don’t nip each other. Maybe they thought I meant a complete divide where theycouldn’t see each other.

Hi Clar. This is not the way we recommend to bond in this group, please thoroughly read the group announcement which is there to tell you exactly how to do the process.

Both bunnies need be 8 week post fix. You introduce them in a small neutral bonding pen big enough in size only for both bunnies to flop. Minimum 4 hours per day. You expand the area 10-20cm every 2-3 days with no bad behaviour, all detailed in the group announcement.

We don’t recommend just letting them loose in a room even if it’s neutral. The more space there is, the more territory there is to fight over if the bunnies aren’t bonded and it can be very dangerous.

I hope neither bunnies are injured in the fights you describe happened. When you bond in a neutral pen, you can intervene in the fighting to stop it which is much harder to do in a big room. They will not have bonded and formed a hierarchy with minutes of being in a room together, the process of expanding the neutral bonding pen takes weeks and months.

We don’t recommended bonding in a room with a divider. Bunnies won’t interact truly if there is a divider between them, they should be in a neutral bonding pen [emoji195]


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Clair071085 said:

Hi, I joined fb group for bonding to get an idea of the separate bonding with a divider. I posted what happened with my 2 & this was the response below. I don’t think a very small enclosure is a good idea as what if a fight happened. It’s harder to separate then & also would that not stress the bunnies out more rather than splitting the room? I think that may be like stress bonding & I will never do that as I think it’s awful. Just wandered what people thought of this & if it’s a good idea to try? By divider I meant with wire in it with mesh over so they don’t nip each other. Maybe they thought I meant a complete divide where theycouldn’t see each other.

Hi Clar. This is not the way we recommend to bond in this group, please thoroughly read the group announcement which is there to tell you exactly how to do the process.

Both bunnies need be 8 week post fix. You introduce them in a small neutral bonding pen big enough in size only for both bunnies to flop. Minimum 4 hours per day. You expand the area 10-20cm every 2-3 days with no bad behaviour, all detailed in the group announcement.

We don’t recommend just letting them loose in a room even if it’s neutral. The more space there is, the more territory there is to fight over if the bunnies aren’t bonded and it can be very dangerous.

I hope neither bunnies are injured in the fights you describe happened. When you bond in a neutral pen, you can intervene in the fighting to stop it which is much harder to do in a big room. They will not have bonded and formed a hierarchy with minutes of being in a room together, the process of expanding the neutral bonding pen takes weeks and months.

We don’t recommended bonding in a room with a divider. Bunnies won’t interact truly if there is a divider between them, they should be in a neutral bonding pen [emoji195]


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This is another reply I got! I think I need to leave this group as this can’t be right can it. How can it be ok it’s so confusing as Iv never done bonding before with rabbits m. Comment listed below xx

Clair Louise Chasing should be stopped. Details in the group announcement of all bad behaviour that should be stopped. If a fight happens in the pen, you stop them with your hands with thick gloves on, wait until they calm down and then remove your hands. You keep the bunnies in the pen. I’ve said to stop the fighting multiple times - I’m not suggesting you do not intervene.

You keep intervening and putting your hands in to stop them over and over again. You keep doing this and in a few days or weeks, they will eventually start to calm down and start to accept each other in the space. You should not remove a bunny from the pen if they fight, otherwise they will begin to think if they fight, they can get out the situation.

The first few days, you can just try 15 minutes if there is a lot of fighting. Try and do a little more every day. Put the bunnies in the pen and take them out of the pen at the same time, so neither bunny can claim the neutral pen as their own [emoji195]


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Try keeping them side by side for a few weeks, swapping them over to the other side every few days.

In the New Year set up a small bonding pen in a different room and do it at a time when you can be with them 24/7 for several days. Put Morgan into the bonding pen for a couple of hours, then add Bella along with lots of bits of tasty treat food.

This info might also help

InspectorMorse said:

Try keeping them side by side for a few weeks, swapping them over to the other side every few days.

In the New Year set up a small bonding pen in a different room and do it at a time when you can be with them 24/7 for several days. Put Morgan into the bonding pen for a couple of hours, then add Bella along with lots of bits of tasty treat food.

This info might also help

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This sounds like great advice. I'm sorry it went as it did today - its very scary when they declare war on each other. Try not to be too disheartened

InspectorMorse said:

Try keeping them side by side for a few weeks, swapping them over to the other side every few days.

In the New Year set up a small bonding pen in a different room and do it at a time when you can be with them 24/7 for several days. Put Morgan into the bonding pen for a couple of hours, then add Bella along with lots of bits of tasty treat food.

This info might also help

Click to expand...

Hi, thank you so much. I will do this. Plenty time till new year for them to get used to each other. Morgan has been in the kitchen & Bella in the living room. I have the spare room to do side by side but just not another room to then do the bonding pen for several days. Iv got the kids rooms but they sleep there & they are carpeted. If they have been in the spare room for a few months then could I then use the kitchen or living room for the pen? Or would that be a no go as they have been in those rooms xx


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joey&boo said:

This sounds like great advice. I'm sorry it went as it did today - its very scary when they declare war on each other. Try not to be too disheartened

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Hi, thank you. It really is upsetting but I’m not giving up on them yet & going to do exactly what inspector morse has said to do xx


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joey&boo said:

This sounds like great advice. I'm sorry it went as it did today - its very scary when they declare war on each other. Try not to be too disheartened

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Do you think if Morgan stayed still & let Bella mount/hump him then a fight wouldn’t have happened? Iv had an idea. I could use my sons room which I coukd also sleep in & move him in with his sister & use his room with the bonding pen. If the carpet gets wreaked it’s ok as it’s old anyway & he needs a new 1 so I could change it after that xx


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Mairwen at Cottontails Rabbit Rescue has done more bonds than anyone I know if you go onto the site there are lots of examples. Yes, most Rabbits will bond eventually.

Clair071085 said:

Do you think if Morgan stayed still & let Bella mount/hump him then a fight wouldn’t have happened? Iv had an idea. I could use my sons room which I coukd also sleep in & move him in with his sister & use his room with the bonding pen. If the carpet gets wreaked it’s ok as it’s old anyway & he needs a new 1 so I could change it after that xx


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I don’t think you can accurately predict what will happen after a period of time with them living side by side. It might be that they react in exactly the same way as they did before as how two Rabbits behave with a barrier between them is not a true indicator of how they will react when they meet properly. But getting accustomed to each other’s presence for several weeks before a proper meeting can sometimes help.

Apart from the need for both Rabbits to be neutered and the use of neutral space I am not a fan of hard and fast bonding rules. Over the years, all 25 of them, I have learned that getting to know the individual Rabbits and being able to read Rabbit body language is the best method.

Telling someone ‘ we don’t approve of this or that method’ is not really helpful unless it applies to any form of stress bonding that involves putting Rabbits into a situation that causes them both fear. Personally I think that is cruel.

If two Rabbits live happily side by side but on first meeting on neutral territory after a few months of doing so they immediately go in for the full locked on fighting I take that as a clear message that these two Rabbits do not want to share their space with each other. After all, I would not like to be forced to live with a companion whom I truly did not like. A bit anthropomorphic I know, but personally I do think that not every attempted pairing of Rabbits will work.

Hopefully in the New Year if Bella and Morgan have lived contentedly side by side for several weeks/ months their next proper meeting will be calmer. It is definitely possible.

tonibun said:

Mairwen at Cottontails Rabbit Rescue has done more bonds than anyone I know if you go onto the site there are lots of examples. Yes, most Rabbits will bond eventually.

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Hi Toni, thank you for this. Iv just gone on just now for a look. I really hope the side by side can work in the new year xx


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InspectorMorse said:

I don’t think you can accurately predict what will happen after a period of time with them living side by side. It might be that they react in exactly the same way as they did before as how two Rabbits behave with a barrier between them is not a true indicator of how they will react when they meet properly. But getting accustomed to each other’s presence for several weeks before a proper meeting can sometimes help.

Apart from the need for both Rabbits to be neutered and the use of neutral space I am not a fan of hard and fast bonding rules. Over the years, all 25 of them, I have learned that getting to know the individual Rabbits and being able to read Rabbit body language is the best method.

Telling someone ‘ we don’t approve of this or that method’ is not really helpful unless it applies to any form of stress bonding that involves putting Rabbits into a situation that causes them both fear. Personally I think that is cruel.

If two Rabbits live happily side by side but on first meeting on neutral territory after a few months of doing so they immediately go in for the full locked on fighting I take that as a clear message that these two Rabbits do not want to share their space with each other. After all, I would not like to be forced to live with a companion whom I truly did not like. A bit anthropomorphic I know, but personally I do think that not every attempted pairing of Rabbits will work.

Hopefully in the New Year if Bella and Morgan have lived contentedly side by side for several weeks/ months their next proper meeting will be calmer. It is definitely possible.

Click to expand...

Hi inspector morse, thank you for all this advice. Your right some people just don’t like eachother & same for animals. I really hope the side by side might have a different outcome for them. Iv grown very attached to Morgan so I don’t know what I will do if I can’t pair them. I’d never want them to be alone without a friend. I’d never do stress bonding it’s awful. I’m making plans to get the room set up for them for side by side living & get them in there xx


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Clair071085 said:

Hi inspector morse, thank you for all this advice. Your right some people just don’t like eachother & same for animals. I really hope the side by side might have a different outcome for them. Iv grown very attached to Morgan so I don’t know what I will do if I can’t pair them. I’d never want them to be alone without a friend. I’d never do stress bonding it’s awful. I’m making plans to get the room set up for them for side by side living & get them in there xx


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If it doesn’t work in new year after side by side then your right it means it’s not going to work. The fight broke out very quickly when they got introduced. I’m not sure who started it I think Bella I was just splitting them up as quick as I could which was easy thankfully xx


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Hello everyone, that’s me got Morgan & Bella living side by side in spare room. I didn’t want to use cages because I wanted to split the room in half so they could have more space. The dividers made from old run panels that are really high like a fence so I had to screw/secure in to walls & floors. They are good as they have the metal cage things on so they can see & smell eachother. Just to add Iv safety proofed it so they can ever bite each others lips though the chicken type wire. I used the top opening bit of old run that lifts up to make a door that opens for me to get in & out of the 2 separate enclosures. Here is the issue/question I have. As you open the spare room door you go directly in to Morgan’s half of the room. To get to bellas you open the handmade door thing to get into hers. I let each bun have time each day in the garden enclosure while the other free roams the house & vice versa. Obviously there main base with food etc is in the room that they still need access to while free roaming the house while other buns outside for outside play. For Bella to get into her enclosure she needs to go through Morgan’s half & through the handmade door. His litter tray & everything is in there so if she goes in will she start using his tray etc & would this upset him is my question? When I first put them in there they both started pooing all over marking & naughty Bella has been digging all her litter all over the floor [emoji23]. There’s no way Bella can get to her bit without going through Morgan’s & will probably be curious of it. I hope this all makes sense as tried to explain as best I can. Can I let this happen or will this cause an issue for him her having access to his space/territory. I reckon she would poop all over his bit & go in his boxes & use his tray to scent mark & I don’t want to do anything wrong or upset Morgan. I could take out his litter tray & stuff while he’s in the garden so she can’t get to it leaving just the floor space? Morgan’s very happy with the new set up & keeps flopping beside the barrier & binkying but Bella not so much as she’s fiesty. She has though flopped also like this beside barrier. First time I put them in she lunged at barrier once not again but Morgan seems delighted & more chilled. Thank you for reading


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Just read this! I really don't know the answer to your question but will have a think about and reply in the morning. (Bed time now!).