need help with bonding and agression

[Hapu_the_waffle]

So I have a lion head bunny named hapu and just today got a new bunny named ruby they are both female and there is no vet around here unless i drive 4 hours away and even then they wont see bunny’s so i have no intention of spaying them because I cant find a vet close that will do bunny’s anyway I need some help with bonding any tips or tricks but the main thing i’m worried about is hapu’s behavior ever since I got ruby she has been doing kinda like a growling thing and charging at me and biting me and shaking kind of like a dog would and she just will not calm down and always bites me when I try to do something she used to be really sweet but now she is just so aggresive I don’t know what to do anymore its kinda scary when a bunny charges at you full force and running so fast you can hardly see it right now I have ruby in a huge cage and hapu running around the house like she usually does ruby doesn’t mind hapu but hapu is really mean to ruby and like I said they are both females so is there anything I can do to help them get along better and to maybe make hapu stop charging at me thanks in advance

(Sorry for bad English i’m originally from France thanks)

[Sirius&Luna]

I’m sorry but you can’t bond two unspayed females. They are extremely likely to fight and be aggressive, because females are very territorial. It simply won’t work and would be dangerous to try. The aggression you are seeing from your existing rabbit is because she is unspayed and can smell another unspayed female in her territory.

It is also essential to spay female bunnies because they have an 80% chance of getting uterine cancer by the age of 4 if you don’t, at which point they need a much more risky emergency spay.

There are some members in France who may be able to recommend vets. It’s important that you find a rabbit vet in case you ever have an emergency and they need treatment for overgrown teeth, stasis, or an injury for example.

[DanaNM]

Hi there, welcome

Sorry to say it, but it is very difficult to bond unspayed females. 

EDIT (I accidentally said neutered to spayed… which is common): There are cases where a neutered male has been bonded to a un-spayed female (fairly rare), but it is even more rare to have 2 unspayed females bonded.

Especially given how aggressive Hapu is acting with Ruby just in the hose… I’m not sure it is possible, or worth the stress to try.

That said, they might still be happy as neighbors once they settle in. Hapu is charging because she smells Ruby in the area and feels that her territory is being threatened. Often with time they learn the other rabbit is not a threat and settle down.

Can you describe their set-up in a bit more detail? That might help me give some suggestions to help them both feel more safe around each other.

. . . 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.  

[DarthVadar]

Don’t lose hope! I have successfully bonded two unspayed does, and a pair that had one spayed and one unspayed. I can see why some people would say it is impossible, due to does being very territorial, but it can be done with a lot of patience and care.
Both bunnies need to get used to the new situation. Give them a week to chillax before you start pre-bonding or bonding. Putting Hapu in a pen or cage for the boding process would be very advantageous. After that, switch their cages, so they get used to each other’s smells. Do this for a few days, switching back and forth between the cages. See how they react to each other’s scent.

[Doodler]

I know you reached out for advice when you were considering getting a second bunny and there were some recommendations offered.

I am not sure how old Ruby is but I know Hapu is only 8 weeks old. Baby bunnies cannot bond. It does concern me that she is being aggressive already since baby bunnies normally get along pretty well with others.

I find it’s way too risky to try and bond unspayed bunnies and the risk is just not worth it. This is why you were advised that she should be spayed first. I totally understand that this may not be possible for you. I would be concerned that any ‘bond’ they had would not be stable and that things could become violent any second. There are a lot of people that don’t even recommend having bunnies fixed of the same gender bonded. I don’t find this to be true because personality is the most important but when hormones are involved it changes things completely.

[Hapu_the_waffle]

Ok so what i’m hearing is that it is really hard to do with unspayed female’s so I have been searching and calling and finally found a vet 5 hours away that would spay a bunny just wondering if I only spay one if that would be ok or if they would still fight if they both have to be spayed than I can do that but some really major stuff came up a couple weeks ago and I am trying to save a little bit of money and of course to prevent cancer I will eventually spay both rabbits I am a bit new to rabbits so i’m sorry if a seem like I am abusing or something but I really do love these rabbits and I would like for them to get along but if its just not possible then I am not sure what to do because they are both in the same room and I don’t want to stress them out but I also have another question the breeder I got Ruby from kept all females and all males in the same pens and they were not spayed nor neutered and were not with each other at birth she just got 3 different breeds of rabbits all 2 female one male and even though they were all from different breeders she put all of them in with the other bunny’s and nothing happened they were all ok so i’m wondering what happened there

[Sirius&Luna]

You were told before you got the second bunny that the most important part of bonding was having both animals spayed and neutered, so I’m not sure why this is coming as a shock to you. They both need to be spayed, but they can’t be spayed until they’re around 6 months old so you have some time to wait anyway.

Why don’t you spend the next few months with them living near each other and swapping them between areas, then you can get them both spayed in a few months time and start actual bonding.

Breeders generally have much lower standards of care. They might have seemed ok on your brief visit but you have no idea how they are over longer periods.

DarthVader, I think its very dangerous to advocate bonding unspayed does to unexperienced owners. It take a lot more than a few days of prebonding to bond, and spaying is essential for health anyway. It’s irresponsible.

[Asriel and Bombur]

Like S&L said, you were warned. I don’t understand why you couldn’t have researched vets near you before you got a second bunny.

Bunnies that aren’t bonded or unfixed can live in the same proximity, but in this instance you will need to have a barrier up because one is already so aggressive. You’re just going to have to live with extra work until they’re fixed and bonded. There’s also no guarantee they will ever bond. Females are notoriously territorial and aggressive, and two females are the most difficult to bond because of this.

I agree that bonding unfixed bunnies is a recipe for disaster and really shouldn’t be done.

[DanaNM]

I’m glad you were able to find a vet that can do the spay, I agree that the safest course of action (and healthiest) for your buns would be to save up and spay them both eventually.

I am a bit concerned about a 5 hour drive with a rabbit recovering from a spay. Often rabbit vets are listed as “exotics vet”, so that might help you with your search. Or make a plan for her recovery (potentially have her stay at the vets for an extra day or two?).

I can’t really claim to know what was going on with the breeder… but I agree that standards of care are often different from what we advocate in the house rabbit community. In a situation with many rabbits, dynamics can also be different.

I do think that with the correct set-up they will probably calm down living side by side as neighbors. If not, you might consider having them in separate rooms (if you have space).

. . . 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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