How to get two brothers to rebond after they started to fight?

[Potter_Boys]

I’ve got two five-year-old rabbits who I’ve had since their birth, both neutered, but about a year ago they began to fight after moving into a new cage. We took them to the vet and got a clean bill of health so I know that there is no medical reasons for their fighting, but I just can’t get them to rebond. I’ve done so much research on trying to get them to bond but I can’t find much on rebonding. I’ve followed all of the bonding advice and I’ve managed to get them to the point where they get along very well in supervised playdates outside of the cage, but when together in the cage for more than a couple of hours they begin to fight again (they are currently separated in two different cages but are visible to each other). I just want to know if there is any advice y’all could give me. And if there is maybe anything specific I should be trying for rebonding that I might not find in bonding advice for a new pair.

I also had something more specific I was wondering about. I’ve read that introducing a third rabbit can sometimes help a pair that’s been having trouble bond. I’m hesitant to try this because I feel like there is too high of a risk it wouldn’t work then I’d have trouble with three fighting rabbits and not just two. I’m looking for anyone who has tried this so I can get some information on whether or not it works and how exactly they went about doing it. If I did decide to do this I would adopt an older spayed female because I’ve read that male/female bonds are much easier, but I also would be worried about the males fighting over the female and just causing a bigger rift. If it didn’t work I’d be able to separate all three of them into individual cages so that’s not a huge worry for me, but I just really hate the idea of having multiple rabbits and having none of them get along. I’m on my last hope and desperately looking for more advice on how to get them to rebond and any advice y’all can offer on other methods such as introducing a third rabbit (or anything else y’all have tried).

Thank you!

[DanaNM]

What is the space like that you’ve been doing bonding sessions in, and how long have you had them together in the neutral space?

Also, how bad was the initial fighting? If there were serious injuries, then it may be very hard to re-bond them.

That said, it sounds to me like they just need more time in the neutral space and a slower transition to the non-neutral space. Usually you want buns to spend at least 48 hours in neutral space with no fighting or aggression, and lots of positive behaviors (cuddling, grooming, food sharing, litter box sharing) before you move them to a new spot.

I also think that having space is very important for all bunnies, and especially bonded pairs. If they are in a cage, they may simply be fighting because they don’t have enough space. How big is their set-up?

I probably wouldn’t go for the trio in this case. I have heard of it working, but it also can lead to three single rabbits, or the new rabbit bonding with one of your boys and having one boy left 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.  

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