I’m new here, and have joined because my husband is about ready to be done with our rabbits.  So I’m going to launch into a longer explanation:

Two months ago, I decided I wanted to adopt a rabbit from the humane society (I raised them growing up for 4-H and missed them).  So I went and found a decent sized girl who looks a bit like a Palomino.  Someone had just decided they didn’t want her anymore and had released her outside to fend for herself.  Her name is Marmalade.  She very quickly picked up the litterbox and we really had no accidents at all.  She got free reign to our downstairs level pretty quickly.  Within about a week, she discovered the cords.  ALL the cords.  I think we’ve replaced every cord in this house at least once now.  And they’re all covered at this point.  Somewhere I read that two bunnies are less destructive than one, which leads me to Alfie…

A hobby farmer friend of mine asked if I wanted a free french angora rabbit (I’m a knitter and aspiring spinner), so I said yes.  She brought over the litter, Marmalade took to them all, but seemed to keep going back to one in particular.  So we kept him.  They bonded immediately.  They snuggled ALL the time.  Alfie is obsessed with Marmalade.  Marm is a bit more independent but likes the cuddles.

Alfie was not neutered because he was too young.  This presented a problem because it was a MESS to keep clean, and we were trying to keep them both confined to my office at night (where we’ve got a fancy hutch), and then Marmalade could have free reign during the day.  Eventually, she started to regress in her litter training, but only in my office (downstairs, she’s still stellar).  We finally got Alfie neutered, and he doesn’t spray anymore, but he’s abysmal at the litter box.  This became an issue because we have a 111 year old home, and certain urine spots were starting to eat away at the original hardwoods.  So we had to do something.

Last week, I set up an x-pen in my office, with interlocking foam tiles, their hutch, and a little fence that was about 8′ x 4′.  I put 3 litterboxes in it, along with loads of hay in each litterbox, and plenty of toys.  I then had to leave for the weekend, leaving my husband in charge of the bunnies.

I came home tonight to a disaster in the pen.  It was FULL of bunny fur.  Enough to definitely assume there had been fighting (which I’ve never seen them do).  My husband said they had been going crazy, but the bunnies are not his territory so that was about as involved as he got.  We’ve since had a talk because it turns out that Marmalade took a chunk out of one of Alfie’s ears.  I don’t know if she’s just a bull-headed problem rabbit, or maybe just stressed at her new lack of space.   

I’ve done everything backwards, I know.  I should have started with an x-pen, verified the litter box training, and then given free-reign.  I was very naive about how this was all going to go.  I nearly cried at seeing Alfie’s poor little ear.  My husband is over them.  I am hoping and praying this is just the growing pains of new animals, because I don’t have the heart to get rid of them or cage them more often.  I really don’t.  Is there any advice/words of wisdom/feedback that you can offer?  I would be so indebted!!