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.