Aggressive Grooming

[radiatorbunny12]

BACKGROUND:

So have had my spayed rabbit for over a year now. She was bonded with another male which went well but unfortunately he died early December, which we found out (through a PM) was due to a genetic weak heart. Although we didn’t want to get another rabbit so soon, we got another male a few weeks later so that our other rabbit is not alone outside in the shed we have for her (spacious, sheltered, insulated with large attached run – relevant just so you know they are very spoiled rabbits, but still it’s dark and winter and lonely as I wouldn’t see her outside as much as inside). Anyway we had to get him neutered and are currently waiting for his hormones to die down a bit. They are living side by side with a gate between them, but the bars are spacious enough for them to fit half their faces through. 

ANYWAY on to my question!

My female rabbit definitely  wants to be the boss so is putting her head down on the floor right up to the bars looking for him to groom her. And he does… but nothing like I’ve ever seen. He is very aggressive (or so it seems)! He bites and pulls more than licks. I don’t think he’s pulled any fur out but it looks like it’d be sore to me. But my female always goes back for more and only seems perturbed 1/4 of the time in which case she pulls back. The rest of the time I can’t tell how she feels but she doesn’t purr. 

Anyway today he was doing this and actually dug her!! Dug her face with his paws! Now he does dig at the edges of the gate where I come in and out and he is a bit of an escape artist so seeing him digging wasn’t a big deal… but he literally dug at her face. It was quite amusing and didn’t seem to hurt her but definitely not behaviour I’ve heard of before.

Any ideas? and how to proceed? 

[tobyluv]

Until a month or more has passed since your rabbit’s neuter, you should make sure that your rabbits can’t physically interact with each other. That would mean having a double gate between them. This biting and digging is too aggressive and it could turn into a real fight. Rabbits can severely injure each other when fighting. Plus, a rabbit can hold a grudge. If there has been fighting/ injuries, intimidation or just too much aggressiveness, that could lessen the chance of a successful bond in the future.

[radiatorbunny12]

Thanks for the advice

[Author]

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