What should I do?

[RJ]

Hello there. I just joined in today ? I need help about what should I do with my rabbit’s behaviour Joy is a Angora mix Lionhead and he’s currently six months old. I got 4 other rabbits which is Joy’s wife named Rey (A lionhead) and their 3 babies (Tiny, Yinyang and Mok) that’s just 1 month old ?

The problem with Joy is he’s a nice rabbit when we got him but when Rey came back again (she wasn’t with us at that time) he started to act naughty and bad. They’re still good and likes to lay next to each other but at the same time, Joy likes pulling/plucking Rey’s fur so much that Rey’s fur is just so ??? Her fluffy fur is goneeeee. We tried to separate them and after awhile he’s still the same. Couple months later Rey gave birth to their 5 babies but unfortunately 2 of them didn’t survive

And like I mentioned they’re already a month old now! Long story short, Joy have been plucking out his babies fur too like what he did with Rey’s ? I saw Joy trying to pull out Mok’s fur for the first time yesterday and I was so shocked because he’s still biting on Mok’s fur when Mok’s trying to run away from him ? I immediately told him to let go ? And later after that, my family were hanging around them and suddenly Joy is doing the same thing to Tiny! We then separated Joy from the others.

Does anyone know why is Joy acting like that and what should I do to make him stop ? Because it’s so sad to see their fur (except Joy’s ?) that is once so fluffy and full suddenly missing like a spot here and there ?? I really love him but it’s so upsetting when he does that

*Thank you for reading this. I’m sorry if it’s too long and hard to understand but I hope you guys can help me ?

[DanaNM]

Hi there, welcome!

Rey and Joy are having trouble because they aren’t bonded properly. They probably got along at first because he was young and hadn’t hit puberty.

In order for rabbits to live together peacefully, they need to be properly “bonded”. In order for that to happen, they will BOTH need to be spayed and neutered.

The subject of intentional breeding is prohibited on this forum, so all I will say is that if you want them to live together peacefully, they should both be spayed and neutered, and then you will need to go through the bonding process with them (which means letting them sort out their dominance in neutral territory, with you supervising to prevent fighting). I recommend reading the bonding info under the “Bunny info” tab at the top for more detailed info.

Unspayed females also have a very high rate of uterine cancer (about 75% by age 4), so I highly recommend you spay Rey once her babies have weaned.

For now Joy should definitely be kept separate from Rey and the babies. The fur pulling is a dominance display… you should also give them a once over for any injuries you might not have noticed. Once they babies hit puberty they should all be separated as well.

. . . 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.  

[BinkyBunny]

FYI for our members – This members is from another country that may have limited rabbit-savvy info and vet care access.  

I’m not sure if I am fully understanding but do you have the male with the babies and with Rey?   I would advise separating them asap.   Joy (male), could end up being dangerous to the babies, and he can also impregnate Rey right away.  She could even be pregnant right now, as they can get pregnant within 24 hours of giving birth.  

So my suggestion now is to continue to separate Joy from the Babies and Rey.   

In this forum, we encourage neutering/spaying and breeding discussions are against the rules, so we do not have a lot of experienced members with pregnancies and newborns. Though, someone might be able to help.  

 You might want to check out http://www.rabbitsonline.net, as they may be able to offer specific guidance that can help you, as they more experienced members with pregnancy and babies.  

EDITED TO ADD:  I just posted and saw Dana’s response — Thanks Dana for your quick response in helping this member out. 

  

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