Bunnies unbonded? Will they ever get along again?

[gale]

We got our girls fixed about 10 days ago. They are 2 yrs old and are sisters-they have been together since birth. Right after surgery the vet made sure to keep them in adjoining cages so they would be able to see and touch each other. He said to keep them separated for 10 days total but able to see and touch so I divided our hutch (about 4' x 2') with a piece of wood with a big hole in it with chicken wire stapled over the hole. They can easily see each other, touch noses, and definitely smell each other. Tonight after their last meds dose I took out the divider to see what they would do and they immediately started fighting. Maybe it was a bad idea to do it in the hutch and also right after they got meds since both of those would be stressful situations. Tomorrow we planned to let them out of their solitary confinement but now I'm nervous. There isn't any way to make their yard completely divided. Do you think they'll get along while they are in a big area (the yard they're in is about 6' x 10')? We got them spayed because they would have the occasional spat plus one was having multiple false pregnancies. Now the very behavior this was meant to stop seems to be worse and I'm wishing I never had it done. Or am I worrying prematurely? One is more dominant than the other but I'm not sure who was doing the attacking.

I know it's early days, but if they can't get along our only solution is to rehome one, and my kids will be really upset if we have to do that. We don't have the space or $$ to build another yard and hutch so they can be separated. I also don't want to give one away after spending $200 getting her spayed. Oy.

eta: they also fought at the vet's. They stayed there a few days after the surgery (it's over an hour away and I couldn't pick them up the next day) and while the tech was cleaning their cages she let them together in a big area and they fought.

 

[dragynflye]

from what i've read, it's pretty common to have to completely rebond rabbits after spay/neuter. start back at square one, like they've never met before. use neutral territory, ect. since they were bonded before, it should go pretty smoothly.

 

[gale]

ok thanks. We got these two together so we've never had to start from the beginning. In fact that is the reason we bought two at once because I don't have any desire to try it. I don't have time to mess with this day after day. I don't have any neutral space to try it and we only have this kennel that is rabbit-safe. So we will have to just give it a try and see what happens. I have to admit I'm not very happy about having rabbits at all right now.

 

[elrohwen]

After a spay they will smell different, which sometimes causes bunnies to unbond.

Do you have a bathtub? They make the perfect neutral space to work on bonding. Hopefully since they were bonded before it shouldn't be that difficult to get them together again. Just don't put them together in one cage right away because a fight could result in very expensive vet visits. They really need supervision right now.

 

[gale]

I can't bring them in the house-dh would flip out. I'm going to let them out in the big kennel for just a little bit every day. My only concern with that is how to catch them to put them back in the hutch. They can get under and behind the hutch and it's not possible for a person to get back there. So I may have to use other means to get them out which will be stressful to us and to them.

 

[gale]

Well they lasted about 30 seconds and we had to put them back in the hutch. I guess we'll just do this every day and see if it goes any longer.

 

[elrohwen]

Kudos to you for trying to work it out!

Another helpful thing is to stress them before bonding. I used a laundry basket and shook them up in it (together) for a couple minutes. Often stressing will make them huddle together and forget about fighting.

Also, remember that their hormones can be in their systems for a month, so they may need more time to settle down.

Is there anything you can use to block off behind the hutch so they can't go there? Having places to hide can make a bunny territorial if the other tries to come into the small space. You can use just about anything to block it off so that they must stay in the central area.

 

[gale]

thanks for the encouragement. I have to say my dd was shocked at how vicious the fight was (she didn't see the one the other day). I used some pieces of wood to block off behind and under the hutch today. I can just keep doing that each time.

 

[gale]

Just an update. No joy today but when we put them back, we put them in the opposite sides of the hutch so they will maybe smell or smell like the other rabbit. We will do this every couple of days. We'll keep at it though. I read it could take a while. Maybe in a couple of weeks when the hormones start to taper off it'll be better.

 

[gale]

Not going well. We had a slight injury today (tip of the ear-no bleeding) so that's it. I'm not going to put them together again, at least until a month or two has passed after surgery. However, I can't make them live in a little hutch all summer. And I decided I cannot make my kids choose one to keep-that would not be right. So I think my only option is to save up for more fencing to build an adjacent kennel and buy a small single size hutch. Luckily I put the $400 vet bill on my CC so I can save cash for this. I had planned to pay off the bill in the next 2 mos but that won't be possible if I have to spend another couple hundred making another pen. I am not happy about it but I am more at peace with my decision to keep both bunnies. But every time I look at pictures or video we took of the two of them lying together, grooming one another, etc I just want to cry.

 

[Violet23]

Don't get discouraged! I know its hard, it was hard trying to bond my two when they didnt like each other at all. They kept taking chunks out of each other! It took about 6 months for them to finally bond, but I also took it pretty slow, and I was in school at the same time so I couldn't work with them every day. Anyways Im just saying it might take a while, but its definately worth it in the end. I did the cage switching as well, with bunny dates in the bathtub and in a kennel in the car.

 

[dragynflye]

i think it is awesome that you are still trying to make it work, and that you are finding ways to keep them both even if they don't bond again. i know it's hard, but don't loose hope.

 

[gale]

thanks again. I called the vet and they suggested not trying it again for a while due to how viciously they fought. We are now in the process of buying another kennel and I need to figure out a hutch. I don't want to buy one already made because the ones around here are awfully cheap so I will probably make one again. It just might take some time so in the meantime, whichever rabbit goes in the new pen (they will be switched off) will have to have a lean-to of wood for shade.

I have to admit that when I thought we'd have to rehome one, I was really stressed out about the whole thing, but when I decided that wasn't going to happen, I was a lot less stressed. I am upset about them not getting along but apparently not nearly as much as worrying about having to choose which one to keep. I'm glad I decided that we can't give up either one.

 

[gale]

I wanted to add a pic of our girls (in happier times).