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FORUM HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Bonded.. I think?

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    • NikersJ
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        I am a newer bunny mom of two boys, Timbit (13 weeks) and Chip (10-11weeks). I had them bonded within a day or two of introducing them in a neutral area which was extremely easy.

         I have noticed Timbit is starting to mature by the signs of leaving droppings everywhere along with spraying the carpet around his hut, as well as beginning to mount Chip. He would go for about a day mounting Chip, then it would stop and go back to normal. 

        Yesterday Timbit began mounting Chip again and I noticed a clump of Timbit fur with blood and a skin fragment. I immediately began checking him everywhere and realized Chip had bitten off part of Timbits genitals. 

        I had cleaned Timbit up with diluted hydrogen peroxide and have been carefully doing so a couple times per day to prevent any infection. Even though this is the most violent incident between the two buns, Timbit has been acting completely normal, as if the bite never happened.

         I am taking him to the vet tomorrow as I am worried he wont properly heal to cause further complications. My biggest question is, do I need to separate them or is there any other advice I should take into consideration? Im not quite sure how to process this situation. Please send feedback!


      • Azerane
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          Hi there As you are finding out, baby bonds are not considered true bonds. Most baby rabbits get along with almost any rabbits, baby or adult. As they start to mature and hormones kick in, they can chase, nip, and fight, quite severely. A vet visit as you are doing is certainly in order to ensure there’s no infection etc.

          As for Timbit and Chip, it is best for both of their safety that they are separated now until 6 weeks after they are both neutered. Separating them now will prevent further fighting which obviously is best for their safety, but also makes it more likely that they’ll be able to be bonded again in future. The more fights they have, the harder it will be to bond them, some rabbits that fight too much, never end up being able to be bonded again. 6 weeks is the recommended time post-neuter to allow for adequate healing and for hormones to dissipate well enough that it doesn’t interfere with bonding. Until then, you can house them next to each other (with a few inches between so that they can’t bite each other through the bars), and can also do pre-bonding work which includes swapping them between cages, swapping items (toys, food bowls etc) so that they stay familiar with sharing scents etc.

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      FORUM HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Bonded.. I think?