Bunnies had a Fight, Should I let them be together?

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This topic has 5sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 9 years ago by Mikey.

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- 02/28/2017 at 12:39 AM
  Abigail
  Participant
  4 posts
  I’ve been bonding my bunnies (a 9 month spayed female named Yara and a 4 month recently neutered male named Poe). They’re to the point where I’ve been leaving them in a neutral space together and they’ve been fine for a day (cuddling and a bit of grooming), but tonight they got into a fight. I separated them, and Yara’s fine. Poe has a small bite wound on his back.
  
  A couple of minutes after I pulled Poe out of the pen, they were back to sniffing each other through the bars and being super friendly. I don’t want to damage their blooming bond by keeping them apart too long, but I also really don’t want Poe to get hurt any more, and I’m not sure when it will be safe to put them back together.
- 02/28/2017 at 1:11 AM
  Abigail
  Participant
  4 posts
  Update: They were cuddling through the bars of the x-pen, so I let them be together again. They cuddled together for a little while, and then Yara decided to start humping Poe for a little bit. He was chill with it and let her. Now they’re in the litter box together eating hay. Maybe they just had a dominance issue to work out? I just feel so bad about Poe’s bite wound. I feel like I’m the one who let him get hurt, and I really don’t want that to happen again.
- 02/28/2017 at 9:54 AM
  Mikey
  Participant
  3186 posts
  How long have they been spayed/neutered? Until his wound has healed, you should seperate him to avoid it getting worse if another fight breaks out and so you can care for it to avoid infection
- 02/28/2017 at 1:06 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9064 posts
  I second Mikey on separating them until he is completely healed. I had a pair (that had been living together for 5 months) that got into a fight, I took them to the vet, and then they seemed ok (actually better than before) after the fight, but then a week later got into a more serious fight where one needed a suture on her lip. Needless to say I felt awful, but was thankful someone was home when it started, otherwise it could have been much much worse.
  
  If you keep up with the pre-bonding stuff and keep them side by side while they are separated they won’t forget about each other. Sounds like they are still sorting things out, so def make sure to supervise them more again, and wait till the bite wound is healed before continuing sessions.
  
  I understand the feeling of not wanting to lose progress, but believe me that it will be a stronger bond if you slow down and make sure each bunny is healthy and safe throughout the process. (I can imagine a situation where your girl is dominant, and your boy tolerates it just because is injured..but then he heals up and all of the sudden he wants to be dominant again…. then you have more fights…).
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 02/28/2017 at 2:19 PM
  Abigail
  Participant
  4 posts
  Thanks for the advice y’all. I was pretty sure that keeping them separated (at the very least when I’m not around to supervise) was the best thing, but it’s so hard to make sure I’m doing the best thing for my buns. Poe’s always been the submissive one (even right before he got neutered when I let them stay together for short pre-bonding sessions) so I’m not anticipating him suddenly wanting to be dominant, but it’s definitely something good to keep in mind.
  
  Yara’s been spayed for 3 months now, Poe got neutered a couple of weeks ago. They did seem fine last night when I let them be together, but I’ve kept them separated since the fight when I’m not there to supervise (so when I went to bed, and when I left for work this morning). I’m actually leaving on a short (6 day) trip tomorrow, and leaving them with a (very bunny savvy) sitter. I’m really anxious about leaving them at this stage, but I’ll make sure she knows what’s going on and let her use her best judgement. It may be good for them to have a truly neutral space so far away from Yara’s territory.
- 02/28/2017 at 5:44 PM
  Mikey
  Participant
  3186 posts
  You should wait atleast 2 months for your males hormones to drain out after his neuter. His body will naturally leak the hormones through waste and scent, which can cause your female to act out. Until his 2 months are up, it is not safe to keep them together
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