Help please…dont know what to do

[Karpat24]

Hi everyone, I’m new here!

Ive had a sibling pair of rabbits for 3.5 years now and they have lived happily in my large aviary since I got them. The male, Finn, is bigger and more dominant but generally they get on fine. Over the last few weeks though, hes been getting more dominant and Ive had to tell him off a few times for chasing Lily. Last week Lily stopped eating and i had to take her to the vets. She got antibiotics and ive had to syringe feed her and encourage her to eat since. Shes better but not right yet and he keeps attacking her. I had them separated for a couple of days just with a wire gate and reintroduced them today. It seemed to go okay but they were keeping their distance. However i just found him chasing her again so separated them again. Shes stressed with being ill and being apart from him. What should i do? Im in Scotland and its night time, so they are apart now for the night. Any help or advice appreciated. Thank you x

[DanaNM]

An illness in one rabbit can sometimes upset the bond. Maybe she was starting to get sick and he picked up on that before you did?  I’m assuming both are castrated (spayed/neutered)?

For now it would be best to keep them separate but as neighbors until Lily is 100% back to normal. If they are neighbors Lily will be comforted by his presence but he won’t be able to harass her.

Once she is healthy again you can work on re-bonding them.

. . . 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.  

[Karpat24]

Thank you so much DanaNM. Thats really reassuring. I was getting worried that Lily was getting stressed because she was separated from him and getting myself all confused about what to do. I’ll keep her in the part of the aviary she feels comfortable in just now then. Can I just ask another question……since all this happened she has just been peeing and pooing on the floor (in the shavings) Would this be through stress? And if so, how do i get her to use a litter tray again? Thanks x

[Karpat24]

O, I forgot to say…yes they are both neutered. I got them from a rescue when they were 6 months old and neutered X

[DanaNM]

It is probably due to stress and the bond being upset. Illness can also cause a loss of box habits. Having any sort of bedding outside of the litter box can also confuse things. What type of flooring is under the shavings? Also FYI pine shavings should not be used with rabbits due to the aromatics in pine. (compressed pine pellets are safe though).

Do you know what set off Lily’s illness? What was the antibiotic prescribed for?

. . . 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.  

[Karpat24]

I put a different litter box in to her when I separated them. I’ll go out today to get the same one which is covered. She might prefer that. I have vinyl flooring under the shavings but she’s used to that. In the other part, it’s just outdoor slabs under them. Its a product called easibed I have down…more like wood chippings but I’m not sure what it’s made from. I will check for that thanks. The vet wasn’t sure what the infection was but her temperature was quite high but it’s now right back to normal. Her urine was really smelly and is a lot better now so I think it might have been that. She seems a lot more like herself today. I’m just paranoid about her eating, she’d lost a bit of weight. It’s just such a struggle syringe feeding her. It stresses her right out xx

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