Any hope for these rabbits? Fixing?

[ruby-100]

I have 2 rabbits, 1 year old.
They run away whenever anyone gets close to them.
If you try to touch them, they may well bite you.
We tried all the tips about letting them move around you without trying to touch them, treats, bonding etc.
Basically my kids have given up taking care of these creatures since they get nothing in return.
They snap and charge at each other. Mounting also. (the rabbits - not the kids)
In short, they seem irredeemable and on the way to a shelter (if I can find one that will take them).
I could try to find a vet that will "fix" them.
Question is what kind of chance is there that "fixing" them will make the difference and turn these monsters into friendly pets?

 

[DoubleTrouble]

Male or Female? What ages are your kids, like are they young or a teen? Are your kids loud? Do you or your kids chase the rabbits/ try to pick them up? Rabbit aggression comes from fear, so they fear you or your kids. However, I do have good news! I am not sure if they are in a cage/ pen but if they are you can start by staying near it, being quiet and calm. Once they seem to "get used" to that, then you let them out of the cage. Do Not attempt to touch them, stay on their level, stay quiet and calm. Do this for a little bit till they get used to you. Then you can slowly start having food (aka their pellets) near you so they associate you with good things (FOOD!) Then you can move the food onto your lap, so they should hop on. Still refrain from petting them or even touching them, stay quiet and calm, try not to move. Then you can try hand feeding them. After they are comfortable with hand feeding them, you can start petting them. Please don't chase, pick them up, or be loud around them as that will take you back to step one. It will be a long process, but once you see the results of a loyal sweet bunny, you'll know it was worth the wait. You can also feed them a bit of banana every time you open the enclosure so they associate you with treats! I know you said you already did this, but try to remember that you won't gain their trust in a day, they see you as a predator, so keep that in mind.

 

[Blue eyes]

What are the rabbits' sexes? You have 2 intact rabbits that probably got along just fine as babies. Once hormones kick in, rabbits need to be fixed/neutered in order for them to bond with each other. Right now they are acting purely on hormones. It sounds like you are lucky they have not yet injured each other. Rabbit fights can be vicious and bloody. In short, 2 intact rabbits, typically, should not be housed together.

That's difficulty number one - having 2 intact rabbits that aren't getting along.

The second difficulty is their behavior toward you and your kids. Again, this is hormone-driven. Hormones can make a rabbit aggressive (lunging, biting), territorial (spraying urine, charging), and generally cranky. This is only exacerbated by the presence of the other rabbit.

Many rabbits, unfortunately, wind up in shelters because buyers weren't informed of the effect hormones can have on rabbits as they mature. Owners saw two sweet baby rabbits and naturally assumed they would easily get along and remain docile. This simply isn't reality for rabbits and it's a shame that sellers don't explain this.

First step is to separate the two rabbits so they cannot be aggressive towards each other. Second step would be to get them neutered/spayed. Their sex will determine how long they need to heal and for hormones to dissipate after surgery. Hormones can fluctuate for a few weeks after a neuter, so be patient.

While that is all being done, you can decide how you'd like to proceed from there. Knowing the sexes of the rabbits will help us advise you. Attempting to bond them back together is one option. That will require a bit of research on your part to understand the complexities of bonding rabbits. Another option is to house them separately -- out of sight and smell of each other.

It will be after they are healed that you and your kids could also begin the process of building a bond with each of the rabbits. It is clearly frustrating right now because the rabbits are hormonal and not acting rationally. What fun is it to have a pet one cannot ever interact with? But the fixing can certainly make a difference and restore hope to the process.