Hi there, welcome

I don’t think you should give up! 1 week is a very short time. I do have some questions that will help me advise.

Was either bun injured in the fight? I mean, was blood drawn? Or just fur pulled? Bunny fights are certainly very terrifying, especially when you haven’t seen one and you don’t expect them, but often they look much worse than they actually are. If no bun was injured, then you can keep going. If blood was drawn, then it would be good to take a break for a few weeks and let the buns cool off a bit before proceeding.

Second, can you describe your bonding space?

It sounds like there are some positives here (grooming is good), but you seem to be moving too fast. It can help to let the new bun settle in for longer, and also to do pre-bonding (where you swap which bun is in which cage). Basically you will want to swap cages every day or so, until it seems like the buns aren’t really reacting to the other bun being in “their” territory (they aren’t just marking all over the place). You will also start to see their behaviors sync up (they will eat at the same time, sleep at the same time, groom at the same time, etc.).

Since this scuffle happened, I think going back to pre-bonding would be a good next step. Once they seem calm around each other in that sense, you can start up sessions again.

You are right that they do need to decide their hierarchy, but it is really important not to let them fight. When you start sessions again, when they get into a nose to nose grooming stand-off, start petting them both and swap scents. Pet them A LOT. This will help them stay calm, and will help start to break any negative associations that formed from the fight. They will eventually need to sort out their dominance, but a big part of bonding is trust. They attack out of fear, so if they can learn not to fear the other rabbit, they will be able to communicate without it escalating to a fight.

Stressing is also a great tool, so I think stressing in conjunction with the petting technique is a good combo (it’s worked well for me in tough bonds).

I’ll also add that if you are doing sessions in a small space, try a larger one. I’ve found disagreements lead to circling and fighting in small spaces, as they have no where to go to escape if they want to.

OK this is helpful!

So, first thing, be sure that they cannot actually touch each other through the bars. Nipping through the bars can promote bad feelings towards each other. Hard to tell from the picture, but usually a space of about 4-6 inches between the fences is enough.

It does sound like a fight, but nothing that would warrant a full break being needed. I’m surprised the rescue would say they were bonded after just speed dating? Maybe there was a miscommunication, because if they explained the bonding process that would seem like they expected you to do more work with them at home. Did you just adopt both of these bunnies, or was one already yours?

Where are you actually doing the bonding sessions? It should be in an area that is completely separate from where they are living, and as neutral as possible (neither bunny has been there, and preferably they can’t smell their home areas). This is probably the most important part of all of it!

Ah yes, definitely do not date them in their cages. Neutral space is one of the most important elements for establishing a bond. I always imagine how I would feel if a stranger showed in my home and was like “I live here now!”… I would prob not be stoked on it!

You should try to increase the space between the cages to about 4 – 6 inches… sometimes they can be peaceful for days, then you come home to nipped noses and fur pulled through the bars.

Cages in general are not great for dating, as it is hard to get your hands on them when you need to.

Is there an area of your home (such as the bathroom?) where neither rabbit has been? I have always found larger areas to work better, as it gives them space to get away from each other if they want to (“fight or flight”… flight is better than fight!). You can set up another pen in a room they don’t go, or just use the whole room.

I will also add, doing some extra pre-bonding cage swaps would be a good idea, but I think in this case the lack of neutral space is probably the biggest issue.