Falling Out

[kendall]

Theo- male holland lop

Calliope- female dutch rabbit

They have both been spayed/neutered for 5 months.

Soooo, today my pair had a bit of a scuffle. I didn’t see very much of it, but there is a lot of fur on the floor. It didn’t last very long, but one of my bunnies is definitely more distraught than the other. They have only been bonded a few months and have been doing very well other than me finding a very small clump of fur on the floor in the early weeks. Nothing seemed to occur again until today. Calliope is sitting outside of my closet (where Theo is) and seems worried, but I am letting Theo calm down a bit since he must have gotten the short end of the fighting stick. I am trying to figure out my next move.

Can I just put them back together (I am guessing no)? Do I have to completely restart the bonding process? Are there signs I can look for next time to prevent this?

They seemed really happy together and I don’t know where this came from. Any help is appreciated!

[DanaNM]

Can you fill out the bonding template to give us a bit more info?  Did you thoroughly check for injuries? Sometimes bites can be hidden by all the fluff.

Are you able to supervise them 24/7 for a few days in a neutral space (or maybe a pen outside their main area) to make sure things are OK?

. . . 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.  

[kendall]

Spay/Neuter
Are your bunnies spayed/neutered? Yes, Calliope was spayed in June, and Theo was neutered in September.

Housing
Please describe your bunnies’ current housing set-up (living together, as neighbors, etc.). They currently live in my room together. Right now I have them separated so Theo is in my closet and Calliope is in the rest of the room.

Bonding background
Did you allow the bunnies to “settle-in”? Yes, I have had them for a few months.
How would you describe your bunny’s reactions towards each other (answer for each bunny): shy, scared, curious, calm, aggressive, excited, affectionate, etc.? They are very close and they love each other’s company! I don’t know what set them off.

They have been bonded for about 2 months now and it was going extremely well. I really don’t know what set them off, I am so confused as to why this happened.

I did check for any injuries but I will do a more thorough check just to be sure I didn’t miss anything! I don’t have time to supervise them full time until Tuesday, but I don’t want them to lose their bond. Would they lose if they are only together every time I am home?

[DanaNM]

What did you do to bond them? I guess I was just wondering if things moved a bit too quickly since the bond is very new. Some scuffles can happen, but you really shouldn’t see fur flying in bonded pairs. Before the fight, did they cuddle, groom, share food, share litter box, etc? And just generally seem very happy together?

If you separate them when you can’t supervise but allow them to see each other (so side by side) they won’t forget each other, and that is the safest bet. Then you can just keep them together when you are home and marathon supervise once you have time.

Some bonding sessions in a neutral space (and maybe a car-ride together) might be all that’s needed to re-cement them.

One thing that can upset bonded pairs is an illness in one bunny, so keep an eye on them for anything unusual. The bunnies know what’s up before we do, and a bunny that has health issues often won’t bond fully.

. . . 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.  

[kendall]

Yes, they did move a bit quickly when I bonded them, but they showed all of the signs of being happy together like grooming, sharing food, and cuddling. They seemed like they genuinely enjoyed each other’s company and when they were separated they seemed to really miss each other.

I put them back together in a neutral space and they did really well in there all morning. I moved them into my closet so that they have a smaller space to get used to each other again even though it’s not neutral. They act like nothing happened so I am a little confused. Currently, they are grooming each other and themselves, sharing hay, and I was going to feed them in a bit to make sure there’s no tension there.

I will definitely do a thorough health check to see if I can rule anything out! Thanks for the heads up.

[DanaNM]

Finger’s crossed it was a fluke and they are all good from here on out!

 

. . . 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.  

[Author]

Messages