Fighting and bites

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 8sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 17 years, 1 month ago by bunnytowne.

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- 12/22/2008 at 1:20 PM
  bunnytowne
  Participant
  7538 posts
  Well I noticed fur all over the floor the other nite when we got home. Then the next nite a big red bite on Cottons nose . Well just under the nose like on the lip part where it seperates under his nose.
  
  I am worried about them. They sit side by side and groom each other when I am home. When I hold andn groom Ruby Cotton sits and looks so sad. I have been holding him lately. HE is letting me hold him getting used to it.
  
  It was suggested that they had more than a little tiff if Cottons nose ws bit. And suggested I seperate them. So I have.
  
  Ruby got out of the bathroom and came to the door gate. They both growled and grunted and boxed at each other thru the gate. Mostly Cotton’s doing.
  
  Does that mean they don’t want to be together? At first Cotton looked at the gate and dug at it like he wanted Ruby to come back. Then she got out and this happened.
  
  I have no idea what is going on with them. I dont’ want Cotton to be sad without her. Should I wait til his nose heals and try again?
  
  Could this be due to me comign home late 2 nites in a row which is unusual for me? Or jealousy? I dont’ want them to seriously hurt each other.
- 12/22/2008 at 1:26 PM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  Well, you need to be very concerned that any bite wounds don’t turn into abscesses and it makes me wonder if he looks sad because he is hurting from the bites. Have you checked to see if there are any other bite wounds…
- 12/22/2008 at 2:28 PM
  bunnytowne
  Participant
  7538 posts
  Hi Sarita I figured this belonged in bonding or behavior. Anyways
  
  I am washing it with povodone iodine and putting neosporin on it. And they are seperated. Cotton is exploring behind the curtain and chewing on some paper I left on the couch. Little rascal.
  
  HE seems real calm now.
- 12/22/2008 at 10:04 PM
  Colin
  Participant
  107 posts
  Our two rabbits are more restless (and more likely to fight) if they don’t get to come out of their cages at the regular time.
  
  Are both of them altered? If not, I wouldn’t leave them together when you’re not there to supervise. Be sure to check thoroughly for other wounds. They can be surprisingly hard to find.
- 12/23/2008 at 1:00 PM
  bunnytowne
  Participant
  7538 posts
  The only time they are in their cages is at nite when we go to bed. Otherwise they have free roam of the living room.
  
  Hey Ruby is 8 months old. Could it be her still being an adolescent ????
  
  Hubby reminded me that Ruby had pulled Cottons hair off his lip b4 too. I had forgot about that. That was about a month ago. I will just keep them seperated. No more bonding. Cotton seems quite content by himself.
  
  Ruby misses being in the living room with us. She has never been alone always had a bunny friend or littermates. I will have to make the effort to give her some affection and company.
  
  I don’t know what else to do. Guess the bond messed up somehow.
- 12/24/2008 at 8:05 AM
  Colin
  Participant
  107 posts
  Is it possible to keep Cotton and Ruby in separate cages that are next to each other? It seems to help with our two buns if they’re always in sight of each other – when they’re in their cages and out for playtime. You just have to be sure they can’t stick their noses through the cages or xpen. After the tempers die down, they realize how much they miss snuggling and grooming each other. I know it can be hard to find the space for it, but hopefully you can do this when you find the screws to put that other cage together.
- 12/24/2008 at 1:59 PM
  bunnytowne
  Participant
  7538 posts
  They fight between the bars. unfortunately.
- 12/24/2008 at 5:28 PM
  Colin
  Participant
  107 posts
  Do you mean that they try to get at each other through the bars? As long as there’s a gap of a couple inches between the two cages so they can’t actually touch each other, I would imagine they’d eventually accept that the other one is there to stay.
  
  I’d say give them a week or two apart, then try taking them for a washing machine ride together. If that’s not an option, even carrying them around the house in a box together seems to help – just wobble it a little every now and then.
- 12/25/2008 at 8:12 AM
  bunnytowne
  Participant
  7538 posts
  Dang I just put everythign down and I lost it I hate retyping everything. OH well
  
  I like wiggle the box hheehe funny.
  
  Cotton is happy by himself getting all my attention. Ruby didn’t eat so yesterday evening I put them together. Cotton bite and chased Ruby poor girl. And that is after they groomed eaach other. Go figure. I put her on the table while I finished my food.
  
  Then I supervised them playing. They did good. Lay side by side. Looking happy. AFter about 2 hours I put Ruby back in the bathroom.
  
  This morning I saw she ate a lot. Thats good.
  
  Today I will give her lots of one on one. Then Cotton too.
  
  I guess I will just keep things they way they are now. Seperating them and giving them playtime together too.
  
  Cotton seems to be happy getting all my attention without Ruby running up for pets too. HE would get mad and run off when she did that. I would just keep petting her. I guess maybe thats why he chased her when I wsn’t home. I saw her hair all over b4 she bit him. I assume she was tired of him chasing and pulling her hair out so she let him have it.
  
  Who knows.
  
  The screws for that cage haven’t been found yet. There is 1 screw found though. It was screwed into the bar. So I will take the bar with the 1 screw to the hardware store to get the right fitting screws. Since we can’t find them. That should work.
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