Help!!

[Hugh.M]

So I have two rabbit, DW who is about 9m/o and noire who is about 8m/o. I bonded them before spaying ( I know big no no but it worked) they played,groomed and cuddled regularly. I recently got sw spayed. ( I didn’t Bring noire with as I had no clue before hand that I should). Anyway I brought dubby back and had them separated for awhile but once I got them together in there room DW Immediately attacked. We’ve kept them separated for the most part apart from bonding sessions. We’ve had them sharing a room taking turns in there cages. (Cages are three inches apart.) no matter what we do dw goes for the attack. She’s ripped half noires ear off during a fight. I’m at a loss of energy and ideas idk what to do I just want them to be friends. Any suggestions?

[Luna]

When buns have a serious fight like that, they must be separated for at least a few weeks and bonding attempts must cease during that time. After enough time has passed, then bonding attempts can begin again, but you will need to start back at square one with prebonding, etc.

[Mikey]

Stop bonding them. Completely stop. Cut it out. Stop trying. Full halt. Stop.

Both girls need to be spayed. Until both girls are spayed and healed, you cannot bond them or this will continue to happen. One being spayed doesnt mean anything unless both girls are spayed as even fixed rabbits act hormonal when put around a hormonal bun.

Step one: completely separate them. Put them on completely opposite sides of the room. Do not prebond. Do not bond. They will need to be in this position until Noire is spayed and healed. This should be at the absolute least of 2 months. In this 2+ months, they hopefully will forget about their fear of one another and wont hold a grudge.

Step two: spay Noire. It can take up to six months for a female bun to stop being hormonal after being spayed. Being that they have fought, I would recommend waiting atleast 2 months before starting prebonding. During this time, follow step one.

Step three: after Noire is also spayed and atleast 2 months have passed for her hormones to drain, you can start preprebonding. Put their cages 10 inches from one another. 10 inches apart allows them to smell and see one another, but there is absolutely no way for them to fight through the bars. Being that theyve fought horrible already, I would keep them in this step of preprebonding for atleast one month.

Step four: after the one month of preprebonding has passed, start prebonding. For atleast a month, swap the bunnys cages. Noire into DWs cage at the same time DW into Noires cage. Let them territory mark as much as your nose can handle the smell. Swap them like this once a day for as long as it takes for them to stop marking. It is best that you continue this until both bunnies have completely stopped marking as it means they dont feel threatened with the other nearby.

Step five: super short bonding sessions in a small neutral space (a room or area neither bunny has ever been in before). Im talking 5 minute sessions at the absolute longest, once every few hours, every day. Do this for about a week. Continue the prebonding cage swapping while in this step.

Step six: increase bonding sessions by 5 minutes per day after competely a week of step five. If your buns get stressed or act out, go back 5 minutes. Example: if they fight at 15 minutes but not at 10 minutes, stick to 10 minute sessions for a few days before increasing the time to 15 again. Continue the prebonding cage swapping while in this step.

Important notes

One) If at any time they fight to kill again, completely stop all bonding. They will not bond, they will only try to kill one another. Youll have to deal with having two completely single bunnies who will never, ever bond together. This is a very real possibility that you have to understand as its rather common for rabbits to hold grudges, and one of your buns has been severely injured already. They very likely will not bond and you need to be prepared for that.

Two) GO AT THEIR PACE. What I wrote is a basic timeline. If at any point your rabbits act aggressively in any way, continuously acts hormonal, one is terrified, ect, go back one step. Do not force them to bond at a pace faster than the one they set. This may take over a year to cement given the damage already done.

Three) Remember that both girls need to be spayed, or else they will both act our aggressively and hormonally.

[Luna]

Only DW is spayed? Then you must get Noire spayed too if you want them to bond. Mikey has given you great advice/instructions .

[Author]

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