Female rabbit suddenly attacking male, both fixed

[Theragite]

I read through some posts but many were about rabbits not being fixed or introduced properly. I first got Indie the male at 3 years old and bonded him carefully with a year old female called Bounty. They’re both fixed and until yesterday were joined at the hip and have been for a few months. I changed their room around which I do subtly every now and again because the female particularly gets bored with one set up for too long and gets destructive. Indie’s always excited too. They were cuddling up when I went to bed and I woke up to them fighting and Indie’s fur all over the place and him huddled in the corner looking terrified. They were happy and content during the day so I thought things were returning to normal until tonight when Bounty kept lunging at Indie and initiating attacks. She was shaking with anger. She ended up with a bite to the nose in return and I separated them. They’re now separate between a puppy pen as a divider. What could have brought this on and how long should I wait to restart the bonding process? Indie has been the dominant one but Bounty is very pushy and I had guessed maybe eventually she’d try it on. Indie won’t have a bar of being submissive.

[Sirius&Luna]

Are there any new pets or any other changes in the house?

It could just be the fact that you changed the room around, but that does seem odd if its something you do regularly.

The other thing to rule out is illness – sometimes when bunnies that have been bonded for a long time suddenly start to fight, it’s because one of them is ill.

In fact, my own bonded bunnies had a fight recently, and the next day my female started showing the signs of stasis so I think she was extra grumpy because she felt unwell. (We also had other complicating factors of another bunny in the house, but i’m sure the illness was the main cause).

If you can establish that there’s no illnesses, then I would keep them apart until they seem calmer. Shaking with anger sounds like it’s not going to blow over i’m afraid! Once things seem to have settled down a bit, you could try some stress bonding, or neutral area. What worked for you when you initially bonded them?

[Theragite]

Bounty is very confident and had no trouble settling into the new place. So once she seemed happy I introduced them in neutral space and they bonded quickly over six days. I introduced them both to the room that Indie uses and they hit it off. I changed it around so that there was a hiding spot underneath some furniture and it seems as if Bounty tried to claim it. So when Indie went in there she became territorial. I took it away and tried again without the hiding spot and she was still aggressive. I’ll separate them for a week or so and redo the bonding. Is a week long enough?

[Deleted User]

I would say give her a week to settle down with no contact, and then allow them to meet through bars only. If she still shows aggression separate them and leave it 2 weeks with no contact, then try again through the bars only. That is what i would do but I am no expert in bonding.

[DanaNM]

I’m so sorry this happened, I had a bond break on me once after 5 months and it was heartbreaking.

Since someone was injured and they fought again, you need a long break to allow them to forget the fight. I would separate them completely for 3 months, as much out of sight and smell as you can. The restart pre-bonding and bonding.

I would also get them both examined at the vet to make sure there are no underlying illnesses and no injuries you can’t see.

Were you able to see what initiated the fight (perhaps a request to be groomed that wasn’t fulfilled)? What was their bond like before? Did both groom? Snuggle? Share food? etc?

. . . 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.  

[Theragite]

I had them separated but because of the setup I have I had to put them back in the same room but in separate runs which has a gap between except for one small area. At first Indie nipped at Bounty through the bars but has calmed down now. I will keep them separate for a while. They got on great. The night before they fought I was taking photos of them cuddling together. Indie was and always will want to be dominant and is quite a stubborn yet sensitive wee man. Bounty is very affectionate but super pushy.

I suddenly realised also that Bounty may not have been long desexed when I got her so she may still be calming down from that. She is very pushy and energetic.

It seemed to be sparked by Bounty wanting claim of a new bedding area that I’d set up and Indie who will not back down from being dominant objected. When I initially tried them together again Bounty was all ears up and alert when Indie approached the particular place and lunged at him. He’d attack back and it was all out war.

I will wait to see if Bounty slows down. She eats like a horse and Indie prefers to graze and leave things till later so she ends up bullying her way in and eating his share of everything. She eats SO much lol!! He had no tolerance for being told what to do so that was that. He seems happier but she is itching for company. I will try rebonding after a month or so perhaps.

[DanaNM]

Hmmm yeah hormones could be at play for sure, especially in a new bond. I’ve heard it can take up to 6 months for female hormones to drain!

I don’t think a week is long enough unfortunately, since someone got bitten seriously and they are still trying to fight.

It would be best if they are unable to see each other, so if you could add something to the barrier it will help them calm down and forget the fight. In separate rooms would be ideal, but if that’s not possible, add cardboard or something to block their view of each other.

1 – 3 months is usually recommended, but if they are in constant contact, I would aim for 3 months minimum. Then you can start pre-bonding and see how they react. If they keep trying to fight through the bars, then they probably still remember the fight.

So sorry again, it must be so sad and stressful for you all.

. . . 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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