Bonded rabbits fighting

[Starlightbunny]

So my bonded pair Starlight and Sanford have been aggressively chasing and humping each other all day and I have no idea why. They are both spayed/neutered and have been for quite some time. The fighting was so bad that Starlight was pulling pieces of fur from Sanford.

I think the fighting is more being instigated by Starlight who is an almost 4 year old female and not so much Sanford who is a 1.5 year old male. She starts by humping his face and then chasing him around the pen and so he fights back by humping her back a bit.

As of now for their safety, I have separated them and put them next to each other in different pens. I feel bad because Starlight is looking at me like “why are you doing this to us?” Please help, I don’t know what to do. Should I try the rebonding process? If so how should I go about doing that?

[Adrian Grant]

I’ve experienced this on multiple occasions. I have both males and females that grew up in the same litter and are generally friendly towards one another, but will suddenly go on rampages trying to bite and pull fur. I’ve found that this can be the result of inadequate space, as the males would fight nonstop until I let them free roam, now they rarely fight and will often sleep right next to each other. Sometimes they might just decide their space isn’t big enough to share. Boredom can also be a reason. Try upgrading their living space and add more enrichment, such as toys, climbing spaces, and tunnels, if you haven’t already. It’s also essential to make sure they have an abundance of hay, pellets, veggies, and healthy snacks. Scarcity of any kind can cause aggression and territorial behavior. Hope this helps your buns. 🐇❤️🐇

[Author]

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