Re-bonding two males

[Sneevius]

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 </style> Hello, everyone!

 This is my first post and my first bunnies, two nine-month-old lionhead neutered brothers, Noodle and Mochi. My boyfriend and I got them a week ago and they were a happily bonded pair, they grew up together, they’ve never been apart, and we were told they’ve never fought even before they were neutered, but (and you knew there was a but) coming into our home and out of the exercise pen we set up for them has caused them to start fighting (hair pulled out but no bleeding/injuries).

 I’m thinking it could be a couple of things, like trying to establish dominance of the new, larger-than-they’ve-ever-had territory of our apartment or stress from all the change and taking it out on each other. After the first fight we were seriously scared they might hurt each other so we separated them for a day (in which Noodle did a lot of sulking and thumping) and then decided to move the pen into our bedroom and reintroduce them after taking them for a car ride to stress them. We confined them to their pen because most of the fights happened in a larger area and we wanted to encourage them to spend time together; they got along fine for that first day, generally ignored each other but no fights, and gradually built back that bond till two days later, tonight, when they were doing plenty of grooming, cuddling, and serious relaxing on their bellies which made me so happy to see!

 BUT then out of nowhere another fight with hair flying. I’m so confused! Obviously they have affection for each other and can go long periods of time without fighting but are we going to have to put them in separate cages near each other and have play dates in neutral territory? They already love each other it just seems like a little thing between them gets blown out of proportion and starts a fight. I’m worried that we may never be able to trust them alone together; our apartment is not big enough for two separate pens of the size they deserve, we eventually want them to have free run of the apartment but not if we can’t leave them alone.

 Thank you so much for reading my post! I’m sorry it looks so funny, I don’t know what to do, it doesn’t look like that when I preview it. I’ve never posted on a forum before

 

[jerseygirl]

Welcome : )

I think you are right thinking it’s related to the stress of the changes they’re going through. I tend to see when mine are upset for whatever reason, they (mainly her) will nip at the other. Sort of like take it out on whatever or whoever is closest. There might be sights or sounds spooking them and this is their reaction.
What you did after that initial fight was spot on. A car ride and confinement in the pen is really good to help get a bond back on track.

Did the second tiff happen when they were in the smaller area?

For their set up, have you introduced any new things into their area (hidey boxes, litterboxes) that they didn’t have previously? Or reduced number of litterboxes they had? Sometimes it can be an item in the habitat that is a trigger for these fights.

It may help them to spend a week just in the smaller space until they feel more secure in the new environment. Then introduce them to larger spaces after that.

Aggression can also be a symptom of an underlying health issue, so keep that in mind. I believe sometimes a rabbit might be act oddly toward the one that is ill and that can sometimes be the1st clue to something not being right. So it’s not always the aggressor that is harbouring some ailment.

Keep us posted on what helps.
 

*Sorry, edited my post several times.

 

[Sneevius]

Thank you for responding

They had two fights in our living room the first day they started fighting (which I broke up but I didn’t separate them because I didn’t know it was serious), then had one in the pen they were sharing, then I broke them up, stressed them out, and then they had another in the smaller area (their pen) again.

We haven’t introduced anything new (except that it’s all new to them) but when we moved them back together again that meant one litter box left behind so next time we put them together I’ll try adding it in; great advice, thank you!

Is it ok for them to spend a whole week in the pen? They should be getting at least 3 hours of running around time right, or does that only apply to cramped cages? Also, would it be ok to let them out one at a time to the larger space so they can get more exercise or would that just confuse them about the territory and all that?

Ooh, I didn’t know that about health issues! That’s really great to know! But in their case I’ve seen them both start fights so I don’t think it’s that, but they do get a free vet visit soon anyway and maybe that will help.

Thanks again for responding! And for the welcome

[Monkeybun]

A week in the pen won’t hurt them, it may even be good for them, that they see each other all the time and get used to the new area together

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