# Bonded rabbits now fighting



## Seventh (Aug 20, 2009)

Morning,

We bonded our two male rabbits at the end of last year - they spent the winter together and have gotten closer and closer ever since. A few weeks ago they were happily grooming one another and laid together when resting.

Now - with the nice weather we have been having they have been kept in the hutch and run which is always in the shade, I don't want them getting too hot and they seemed to be fine.

We had a cool spell over the weekend so I let them out to run around the garden. To say they enjoyed themselves is an understatement - it was lovely to see them playing and doing binkies on the grass and then sneakily trying to eat my carrots! 

We put them back into the hutch and run for the evening on Saturday and they have been fighting ever since. I don't know what has started this off and I don't know how to stop it. They have been sprayed with water to cool their tempers and it works for a while and then the little one will start on the attack again. They won't even share food now which has never been an issue. Instead they take it in turns with a scuffle in between.

I'm not saying they have been angels all the way through this process - they do have the odd scuffle now and again and I leave them to it - as they are both male I assume they just need to have it out every now and again, but they have never ever drawn blood before. The little one has a small cut on his nose where the bigger one has caught him but that is it. 

How do I get them to be friends again? If letting them out in the garden has caused this I just won't do it. I'll get them a bigger run and attach it to the one the have so they have more room to run around.

Any help gladly appreciated. These are the first bunnies that I have bonded.


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## Funky (Dec 8, 2012)

Seventh said:


> Morning,
> 
> We bonded our two male rabbits at the end of last year - they spent the winter together and have gotten closer and closer ever since. A few weeks ago they were happily grooming one another and laid together when resting.
> 
> ...


Have they been castrated?


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

Yep. 

My first thought was have they been neutered? If not, that would explain their behaviour. Neutering will help calm things, although hormones don't die down till 8 or so weeks after op. 

Another thought is if there are any new bunnies nearby, as some bonds can be disrupted by referred agression.

Is it the same one picking on the other? If one were ill, it could upset the balance of the bond.

As a short term fix, I would scrub/spray the hutch/run with a vinegar/water solution to neutralise, in case one of them has claimed it as their territory.

Then put them both in, and keep them there to let things settle. Keep an eye out, and be aware that squabbles can escalate into fighting, particularly at dusk and dawn, which are their most active times. 

(I am assuming that they have a suitable sized large hutch with attached run, and it's not a case of them being cramped up?)

Finally, sometimes rabbits just divorce. Sometimes rebonding is possible after a break (see sticky thread). Sometimes they have to live apart, and need new partners.


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

i would also ask if they have been neutered? if not that is most likely the root of all your problems


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## Seventh (Aug 20, 2009)

Yes they have been neutered. We had that done before we started to bond them last year. I dont know if at certain times even if they are neutered they might get a bit hormonal? 

We have separated the bunnies now and they seem a lot calmer. Do we just have to go back to the beginning and start again with them? I'm more than happy to do that if the bond they had can be re-established. My only other idea was to buy another big double hutch, get them both a female companion but I don't have enough space in the garage to fetch 2 hutches in, in the winter.


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## Seventh (Aug 20, 2009)

Summersky said:


> Yep.
> 
> My first thought was have they been neutered? If not, that would explain their behaviour. Neutering will help calm things, although hormones don't die down till 8 or so weeks after op.
> 
> ...


Hi, they are neutered and as far as I know there are no new bunnies around. There is a new cat but my rabbits seem to think they are super bunnies when cats/foxes are around and taunt them from inside the run. 
They have a large double hutch with a run attached and accessible at all times so I don't think they are cramped. In fact, when we put them on the grass in the run, they have a little teeny hutch that they use for shelter and they love snuggling up in there.

The little one seems to be starting all the trouble, being a rascal to his brother so I will check them both for signs of illness. They seemed ok yesterday when I was checking them over for cuts etc. Their teeth look good too, I made the most of having them as they don't normally like being handled.

I will try scrubbing the hutch, thank you.


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

Seventh said:


> Yes they have been neutered. We had that done before we started to bond them last year. I dont know if at certain times even if they are neutered they might get a bit hormonal?
> 
> We have separated the bunnies now and they seem a lot calmer. Do we just have to go back to the beginning and start again with them? I'm more than happy to do that if the bond they had can be re-established. My only other idea was to buy another big double hutch, get them both a female companion but I don't have enough space in the garage to fetch 2 hutches in, in the winter.


Yes, they can still get hormonal at times, but spring and autumn tend to be trigger times. But then what bunny reads the books??

Even after several years, we have to be careful with one of our pairs at feeding time, as that can trigger squabbles. One always has to be fed before the other.

Another bun will pick on his lady friend only when he sees a particual bun out in the garden (referred agression), but stops as soon as te other rabbit goes away.

There's no easy answer i'm afraid, but hopefully they will settle down again. For yours, it seems likely that the changes of environment has triggered this, so aim for as few changes as possible - and good luck.


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## Lopside (Mar 20, 2012)

I've got two bonded boys. Squabbles can break out over high value food like veg and if they catch sight of one of my other rabbits. By the sounds of it your two are suffering a bit of territorial rivalry. If it were me I would remove them from the hutch and transfer them to a dog crate inside and give them a week or so in there, until they consistently are settled. Then bleach and vinegar clean the outside hutch and when I felt they were settled try them in there. Only giving them run time about a week later and then a tiny increase in space at a time. 
I know it seems extreme but a fight can escalate so quickly. Good luck with them. Blooming rabbits are so stressful!!!


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## Radagastrabbit (Mar 22, 2013)

Hi there, I have to male (neutered) bunnies which we've bonded too, and we have a similar problem to you. They're fine when they're in the hutch, but after a run out on the lawn they fight when we but them back in the hutch.
I've had to go back to the early steps of bonding - back in a crate together. It only took a day for them to really settle down again, and they're in their hutch together now. It seems to be the increase in space that sets off the fighting. One of our rabbits is quite dominant, he picks on the other.
 good luck getting it sorted! I find if I put mine in the bath together (no water in the bath - just a place for them to chat) it's a good bonding space as they don't like the slippery ground. It makes them feel a little stressed so they tend to stick together rather than argue. lol!


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## Seventh (Aug 20, 2009)

Thanks everyone. 

I do think it was the increased space that has started this. They were fine before we let them out - I just don't like seeing them in the run all the time. To me, they should be able to run around the garden as much as they like but if they are going to turn on one another I will keep them in the run. 

Never thought having a couple of bunnies would be so stressful! It's a good job I love those cheeky faces


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

Seventh said:


> Thanks everyone.
> 
> I do think it was the increased space that has started this. They were fine before we let them out - I just don't like seeing them in the run all the time. To me, they should be able to run around the garden as much as they like but if they are going to turn on one another I will keep them in the run.
> 
> Never thought having a couple of bunnies would be so stressful! It's a good job I love those cheeky faces


Is there a way that you could extend the run so that they are used to having a big space all of the time?


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## Seventh (Aug 20, 2009)

Summersky said:


> Is there a way that you could extend the run so that they are used to having a big space all of the time?


I'm going to look into getting a couple of runs that can be linked together so they can have more space.

As for the time being, we've cleaned the hutch with with the water and vinegar mix and I've been watching them interact in the run (with the help of a squirting bottle) and it seems like the fighting has stopped. It's more now that the little one can't be bothered with the bigger one and the bigger one just wants to play and cuddle but the little one just runs away. Quite sad really but seen as there's no actual fighting I'm going to leave them for now. The hutch is below my bedroom window which I always leave open so if things escalate in the night I can be there fast and separate them again. Fingers crossed we won't need to.


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## Lopside (Mar 20, 2012)

The little ones probably feeling a bit huffy. Just keep them confined and let their ruffled feathers settle down 
Someone posted the other day on Facebook that they reckon their buns scrap during a full moon. No idea how much truth there is in that but mind fought the same day :sosp: and I should think the weather makes them grumpy. Fingers crossed youve got them sorted


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## Seventh (Aug 20, 2009)

We have progress  throughout the day the bunnies have kept their distance and seem to have established a new hierarchy. I've just been out to check on them and they are laid next to one another with no thumping or chasing. Fingers crossed we are on the right track


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