They’re moody teenagers!

[bigorneaux]

Hi there, I’m in need of some experienced bunny owners to calm my nerves and to give me the straight facts on my bunnies.

My partner and I acquired two male bunnies last month. They’re both male and are around four months old, they’ve been penmates all their lives and up until 8pm last night, were the bet of friends. As you can see, there was no sign of any differences between them, they were happy baby bunnies with Dinky, the wee ginger lionhead, the established dominant. Tribbles was the laid-back submissive who’d do anything for a slice of banana and a nice patch of sunlight to have a nice stretch out in. http://i50.tinypic.com/mh4jg7.jpg

However  Last night I’d left them while I went and showered, which was nothing unusual, I left them alone all the time and when I’d come back they’d be together eating, sleeping, or tugging on a newspaper together. They were great together and were as close as bunnies can be. When I came back into the room last night, however, there was circling, boxing and fur everywhere. I think at about 8pm, Tribbles decided his testicles should take over. I separated them and put them in different cages (I say different cages, they have a two-storey cage and I just blocked the stairway between them both off) and let them cool off overnight. I hoped it was just a dominance spat that had gotten a little out of hand.

This morning, they didn’t run to the front of their cage like they normally would to say good morning to me, rather Tribbles sat in a meatloaf with his head in a pile of hay, and Dinky tugged on the cage bars with his teeth and dug at them with his paws. I figured they were still a little shaken up by staying alone all night or something, so I went and prepared their little bunny salad breakfast as usual. Warily, I let them out, confident that I could supervise and that it probably was just a dominance spat that they might’ve gotten over by now. 

When they came out, they ignored me completely, sniffed at their salad, stared each other down, Dinky became a Pez poo dispenser and Tribbles threw in a few swipes before running and sitting in the corner of the room. Even when I tried to tempt them back into their cages with slices of apple, which normally they would jump at, they turned their noses up at me and decided that pooing everywhere and ignoring me was the best course of action. After five minutes or so of me trying to at least interact with them separately, one would become wary of my intentions and went to attack the other bunny. 

So, they’re back in their separate cages, Tribbles flopped on his side asleep and Dinky staring out of the cage watching TV. Overnight my baby bunnies have become moody teenagers who are too cool to hang out with mum and to eat dinner together.  Luckily I had booked them in to get neutered last week anyway, and on Tuesday they’ll be going under the knife. I know to de-scent everything before I bring them home again and I know to keep them separate for about six weeks until I reintroduce them.. However, I’m very worried. It’s probably really dumb of me to be fretting, but I’ve never really been an optimist. Now they’ve had a couple of fights, despite being best friends until yesterday, when I try to rebond them will they remember their fight over their previous friendship? And what will they feel about me now they’ve decided, even as the keeper of the treats, that I’m not to be nuzzled any more? In fact, will they ever become best friends again with each other and me?

Sorry about the essay, I figured it was important to get everything out in one go, haha. Please, experienced bunny mamas and papas, calm me down! 

Edit: I forgot to add, I’d read on a pet forum that you can induce a “temporary” bonding to help rabbits get over a fight by dabbing a little honey on their noses to encourage them to groom at the same time/each other. I did this when I let them out this morning and they haven’t bothered! So now to further support my moody teenager story, they’re not even washing their faces.

[RabbitPam]

Hi, not to worry. You’ve already done what’s needed, which is schedule their neuter, and I’m very pleased to hear it will be happening this Tuesday. You’re exactly right about the timing, though it may even calm down after 4 weeks rather than 6. Never heard of the honey thing. (banana maybe.) If you want to keep them in touch with each others’ scents during the month, you could get 2 stuffed animals to put in with them and switch out, so they can smell each other and take out any residual aggression on the stuffies rather than each other.

Yes, they may be bonded well eventually again. No, they will not avoid you from now on. What people don’t realize – and it’s why you don’t need to keep siblings together in the case of rabbits – is that once hormones kick in there is not lasting bond from earlier times. All bunnies need to start fresh with the onset of hormones and they don’t associate littermates with friendship. So essentially you never lost their bond, it needs to start from the beginning after the neuters are healed and the month has passed.
The good news is once that’s behind you, you should have calmer, happier bunnies that will establish their dominance style and be bonded eventually. During the month you can give them separate, individual attention that will help each one to stay close to you as well.
My first thought was that one of them might be ill, and that caused a scent change and the fight, but now that you said they just saw the vet and got the appt. for next week, I doubt that’s the case. Instead, just keep the appointment where the vet will confirm both are healthy and will do the procedures. It’s only a couple of days now, and you are well on your way to having a newly bonded pair. Hang in there!

[bigorneaux]

The stuffed animals idea will definitely be put into practice I think using banana instead of honey will have the desired effect, when the time comes to rebond them I’ll use that when they’re comfortable with each other again. Bah, I wish I wasn’t such a worrier. Thank you so much for the reply, you’ve really put me at ease

[LittlePuffyTail]

That’s very normal for them to have a falling out at this age. That’s prime hormone time. After their neuter and their hormones have settled down, I’m sure you will be able to bond them again. In the meantime, there is lots of bonding info here on BB to read while you wait.

((((((Well Wishes)))) for 2 easy neuters and a (((((Speedy Recovery)))))))

[bigorneaux]

Uh-oh.. We went to the vet this morning, got them both checked over, and then discovered their testicles hadn’t dropped yet!

Oh well, we’re booked in for next month now. Just got to keep them separate for a bit longer.

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