HELP! Bunnies fighting!

[Snowbirdy6]

I need help quick! I got my two boy bunnies separately and bonded them after they were both neutered and they loved each other right away! Like – 5 days and they were bonded! That was back in November.. so fast forward to today – they are circling and hopping at each other! Like they are trying to hump each other and can’t figure out whose boss and they just don’t stop until one runs and then the other chases.. I’ve been squirting them with water, but it isn’t stopping and I don’t know what to do, I cannot separate them.. I do not have the means.. it is a HUGE cage, but I’m not able to separate.. what do I do????!! Please help!

I’ve picked them both up and see no signs at all of injury, but this just can’t be good….

[Snowbirdy6]

now they are staring at each other with both of their faces down, like they are waiting for one to groom the other.. nothing is happening.. then one just flopped over and the other is just sitting there.. this is freaking me out.

[Snowbirdy6]

So they just ran around freaking out again and then hopped into the cage and same thing.. running.. no noises.. like boxing or something, then ran up to the top, nosed each other.. hopped at each other, and now they are both breathing heavy and sleeping together.. OMG. This is insane.. ACK!

[Snowbirdy6]

And it started again! Circling and running, and now one is thumping and grunting and running.. and help!

[Cocoa]

I think you rushed the bonding. They need to be separated. Maybe you can set one of them in the bathroom? This is what I do with my bunnies.

[Wick & Fable]

I agree the bond was rushed. They may have been really friendly and loving for 5 days, but one of the reasons bonding is spread over time is so the rabbits have ample time to establish their relationship dynamic. Although they’ve been fine since November, arrangements need to be made for separation temporarily. They aren’t going to work it out by being with each other more, or they’ll harm each other or one could be severely bullied due to this dynamic change.

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.

[Snowbirdy6]

ok, I managed to quickly reconfigure the cage and now they are separated. =( thank you

[Cocoa]

There are a lot of people here who could give you tips on bonding. I hope you are able to figure it out soon and can re bond them

[Snowbirdy6]

They look sad without each other.. they are sitting as close to each other through the bars as they can. aw.. =(

[Cocoa]

Even though they look sad don’t let them back in the same cage. It would be good to start over with bonding.

[Snowbirdy6]

No I didn’t. They are completely separated. So this means their bond broke? Completely?

[Cocoa]

You probably wont have to pre bond as long. They weren’t bonded very well to begin with so I think so. Maybe some one with more bonding experience can answer that. I am about to start bonding my first bunnies so I’m not experienced

[tobyluv]

If you live in a part of the world where spring is approaching, that could be another reason why they suddenly started circling and humping, after being together for several months. Some rabbits, even those who have been neutered for a while, tend to get humpy in the spring.

It is good that they are separated now, before any fighting or injuries might have happened. Hopefully, you can get them back together and permanently bonded soon.

[Mikey]

It sounds like their bond wasnt yet cemented if they seemingly randomly started trying to figure out which was alpha and which was submissive.

Yes, chasing, biting, boxing, and grunting all during the same fight mean their ‘bond’ was completely broken. When rabbits do that, their aiming to cause as much harm as possible. If their human doesnt intervene, one rabbit will likely kill the other.

I would keep them completely separated (like you have them now) for atleast two months. This is to help them calm down from the situation and forget about any grudges they are holding against one another. After that two months, youll want to start swapping them once a day, every day, for atleast one month (but longer can only help!). Then, after that month (so three+ months from now), you can try to restart bonding. Its a long process, but its key to rebond and cement bunnies who have previously fought.

When two of mine fought, I followed that process. Thankfully, neither held a grudge and when bonding came around, they bonded within a few weeks, back to snuggling and cuddling

[Snowbirdy6]

Well, Tex is happy.. he is eating and doing everything normally. He seems to enjoy being alone but is standoffish with my cat.. weird. He’s trying to box my poor cat. Onyx is depressed. He’s not eating a lot and sitting in his beddy with his grumpy face on. poor Onyx. He was my first bunnnn… I have two friends that want Tex. What do I do? Wait and rebond? Or separate completely? If Tex has this chance of a good home, I don’t know what to do.. like maybe finding him another home might be better because onyx is just looking so depressed. Would it be better to find him another home so that Onyx can essentially heal emotionslly and move forward?

[Mikey]

Thats kind of something youll need to figure out for yourself, sadly. Could you handle rehoming Tex without trying one last time? Could your friends actually take care of him properly, and are they serious (or was it more of a “haha, I want your bun, hes so cute!”)? Could you attempt to bond after the few months wait, and if it doesnt go well the second time, could you rehome him then?

To be fair, Onyx could be depressed because hes in pain. Rabbits do not always show pain like other animals or even humans do. When my bunnies are in pain (Bombur has chronic stomach problems often leading to painful gas, and Badger is physically disabled), they often look sad when in reality they are just trying to hide their pain. Boxing is also very physical and couldve caused some bruising and pain, even under the skin.

[Snowbirdy6]

I don’t know what to do. I am ridiculously stressed. Having the two bunnies together was a lot of work, but I could do that. Having them separated is really hard. I’m trying to work on my dissertation and I’m a full-time teacher. That’s not the rabbits fault, that’s my fault. Having them separated is just very difficult trying to give them both the amount of time out of their cage that they deserve while I’m home. When they were together, I can have them out together all the time and never had to worry about any issues. So I guess I am being a little selfish here. I want to do the thing that’s right for my rabbits, but I also have to get this dissertation done or I’ll never finish. The amount of stress of having these two rabbits separated is astronomical for me. It’s like I need someone else to just tell me what to do because I’m just too stressed out. I feel like I can’t go anywhere or do anything with anyone because I have to have the rabbits out of their cage at separate times now. Feeding them, scooping their litter, it’s exhausting. When I finally get home from work I need to work on my dissertation, I can’t because I’m trying to figure out what I should do.

[Sirius&Luna]

Maybe a good solution would be to let Tex stay with your friends for a couple of months (if you’re sure they can look after him and understand all a bunny’s needs properly), then once they’ve both forgotten each other, you could have another go at bonding them in 2 or 3 months.

[Mikey]

I honestly completely understand how youre feeling. That is how my boyfriend felt through all three of our bonding processes. It was so bad for him that he could not help (which was fine for me) because he would just instantly panic. Im sorry that youre feeling this way

Seconding letting Tex stay with a friend for a while. It will help the situation as theyll still be separated, if you choose to take him back after a few months. Or, if you realize you can only handle one bun, then Tex can settle in permanently with your friend hes been staying with Bunnies can definitely be happy solo. My Badger is a solo bun and he absolutely loves it. He doesnt feel like he has to share pets (because he cant see our bonded pair, but!) and during pellet and veggie times, he doesnt feel the need to scramble to inhale the food as fast as possible. He also has an entire pen that he can claim as his own territory without sharing (with me or my partner) if he wants to. As far as he is concerned, he thinks hes a king and hes as happy as he can be living the solo life

[Snowbirdy6]

Thank you so much. Your kind words have practically put me in tears. Tex will be visiting a friend and seeing if she can Bond him to her two bunnies. If he bonds, he’s going to stay with her. If not, I will be getting him back in a few months to try rebonding him with Onyx. Thank you all so much for the support! I truly, truly needed it.

[Mikey]

I think thats a great idea I wish your friend good luck on the trio bonding, and good luck for Onyx in settling down quickly after Tex’s leave!

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