Two spayed bunnies fighting

[FNW]

Hi…

I am new here, from Myanmar. I have 2 spayed bun ( done on 31st march 20). Already bonded. They were both okay, grooming each other and very calm after spaying and get along pretty well (coz of lock down literally I spend my whole day with them except for the time tat I sleep). I started free roaming them and realized the older bun 2yr old is peeing outside litter box and even in her cage she is peeing. I started litter training again in 4ft x 4ft play pen but didn’t Seperate 2of them coz I am afraid the bond will break if I Seperate them again. I got a shock today when I saw them chasing around each other aggressively. The older one loose coz she was slow and her hair came out a lot. Thankfully no one is hurt badly. When I arrived, they were ok ald. I am observing them right now but didn’t Seperate them. I noticed the older bun started sniffing younger one’s butt n I said “no” then she stopped. A moment later they groom each other again. It’s been more than a month post spaying and I am just wondering is it normal for them to be fighting like this even after spayed? Shall I Seperate them again? It’s my first time seeing them fight after spayed though. Could that be because of stress? Myanmar rabbit community is helpless. They don’t even encourage spaying n neutering. So I can’t get advice from anyone here and vet here are hopeless. They even ask me to fast my bun before spaying. I treat myself for GI stasis of my bun. So I really don’t wanna ask the vet. Please help.!!! 😭😭😭

[DanaNM]

Hi FNW,  sorry you are going through this 🙁

I’m guessing the fighting could have been triggered by hormonal changes post-spay. Females can drain hormones for as long as 6 weeks after spaying. Illness in one bunny can also trigger fighting. So can stress in general. The peeing changes make me think that maybe that bunny had a complication with the spay surgery or perhaps picked up a UTI. It sounds like your vet is not great but you should still ask about the peeing…Is it large puddles or kind of dribbling everywhere?

It’s also possible the peeing is that bunny being territorial and marking, which would make sense along with the fighting.

Since you are home 24/7 with them and the fighting wasn’t too bad, I think you would be OK to keeping monitoring them, and maybe do some bonding sessions with them in a neutral space. But do make the peeing is not a medical issue. Make sure to check them over for injuries very carefully. Broken skin from a bite can be hidden by fur, and means the fighting is worse than you thought.

If you have to leave them alone, you can separate them and keep them side by side. As long as they are near each other it shouldn’t disrupt their bond.

. . . 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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