Bunny Brothers fighting

[DingoAndBaby]

Hi all.
New guy here.

We adopted two Netherland Dwarf brothers from a litter of 8 six months ago.
They were neutered in early fall, and have always gotten along. They have been together all day, everyday since birth. They share a two-story hutch and during the day they have a 4’x5’ play area to hang out in.
A few times a day our kids play with them, often taking them out and letting them roam around the TV room where they sit on the couch and explore little spaces. A few times a day they can be found licking one another and cuddling. Good boys.

But, for the past 2-3 days, they have been chasing and nipping one another. Big tufts of hair get pulled out. It’s usually the one guy bugging the other, but we’ve seen both of them be the aggressor.

Could this be play?
Would bonded brothers suddenly be trying to assert dominance?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

thanks!

[DanaNM]

It sounds like something has disrupted their bond. Sometimes this happens with bunnies that were together from birth but maybe haven’t gone through the formal bonding process. Have there been any changes in the household, such as new pets or people? I would check them very thoroughly for injuries to see if anything worse has happened without you noticing.

Your best bet is going to be to work on rebonding them. You’ll want to separate them when you can’t supervise, and then work with them to a neutral space while supervising them. If the fighting hasn’t been too serious, they will probably sort things out pretty quickly and go back to being bonded. Be sure to prevent fighting and stop any bad fur pulling (nipping is OK though).

Also just as an aside, 4′ x 5′ is not really enough exercise space, but it sounds like they also get to roam around in a larger area daily, so that’s good. Ideally you want them to have access to 50 sq ft minimum for several hours a day so they can get up to full running speed. Maybe while you are working on bonding them again, one rabbit can be in the hutch and the other in the 4 x5 area? Then you can alternate who’s in which spot daily.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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