PLEASE HELP: Unbonded bunnies got into the same cage and fought

[Zeus/Piper]

TL;DR – I got home after being away for several hours to find my two recently spayed, unbonded female bunnies in the same pen with a lot of fur everywhere. I don’t have enough room to split them up for an extended period of time, so I added cardboard as a visual barrier. Is this enough for the next 4-6 weeks so that I can start bonding them?

——-

They were both spayed about 2 weeks ago and have only known each other for a few days (Piper was recently picked up from the Humane Society). I was keeping them in a conjoined pen in the main living area, with a 2-inch barrier to prevent them from nipping, as Zeus was getting aggressive/defensive through the original fence. This barrier allowed them to see and smell each other.

However, when I got home after being away for several hours I discovered that Piper had somehow managed to get into Zeus’ side of the pen and there had clearly been a fight, with fur everywhere. Piper has some broken skin and missing hair on her butt; Zeus has some missing hair and no broken skin.

I have read that I should separate them for 4-6 weeks in different rooms. With barely over 500 sq-ft, I only have a bedroom with no extra space and a spare bedroom that I use as a storage space (very full). The spare bedroom can also get very cold/hot, so this is not a great option. Last night I put cardboard in that 2-inch gap so that they now can’t see each other, but they can still hear and smell each other. Piper stomps sometimes when Zeus makes noise, though as I type right now, they are loafed beside each other on opposite sides of the barrier. It’s actually pretty cute and peaceful looking…

I eventually want to bond these beautiful ladies. We got Piper so that Zeus wouldn’t be lonely when I am gone to work.

Is what I did enough for the next 4-6 weeks so that I can start the bonding process after that time?

[Sirius&Luna]

Since they’ve had quite a bad fight, they really need to be able to forget each other. We classify any broken skin as a bad fight. Bunnies are quite liable to hold serious grudges against a bun that has injured them, so we want them to forget that the fight happened so you can start bonding from a neutral point rather than one of resentment.

You also need to make sure that they can’t get in to each other again. How did it happen? Have you changed the set up to ensure it won’t happen again?

Can you at least move the pens further away from each other?

[Zeus/Piper]

I have completely moved around the stuff inside each pen to prevent it from happening again. The only way would be if she jumps clear over the 3-ft fence, but she can only reach about two thirds of the way so I don’t think she’s big enough.

I think the only way to truly separate them is to move one of them into the spare bedroom and leave the door wide open for temperature control. My biggest concern is that room is pretty separated from the main living area, so the bun could get very lonely.

Would that be an issue for 6 weeks? Is it extremely important to have them out of smell and noise range, too?

[DanaNM]

I would say just do the best you can. Full separation is ideal, but of course the bun’s well being is important! If it’s not possible to separate to different rooms, you might want to take a longer break.

They might be able to clear 3 ft… you’d be surprised how high buns can jump/climb/scramble when they want to. My first bun, Bunston was a small guy, about 3 lbs, and cleared about 3.5 feet by basically scrambling over it. I would invest in a taller pen just to be on the safe side.

Then I suggest a longgggg pre-bonding period. I think you’ll have a sense as to whether they still hate each other when you start pre-bonding. If they still running the fence, trying to get at each other, thumping at each other, etc. then keep pre-bonding until they don’t.

I think the key will just be to go at their pace and take it slowly. If after a long break and pre-bonding, you try a session in neutral space and they immediately go after each other, then you will need to re-assess.

. . . 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.  

[Zeus/Piper]

Thanks for the input!

I ended up managing to fit our less social bunny, Zeus, in the spare bedroom with the door wide open. She is the aggressive one, so she can think of it as a timeout. She won’t get nearly as much attention as she normally does, so I hope that’s okay…

I was thinking that I can get them back in side-by-side pens and start the bonding process in May (6.5 weeks), or is that too long?

Thanks for the help!

[Author]

Messages