HELP!!! Bonded male rabbits suddenly fight!!!

[Sophia_o.c]

I have 2 bonded male bunnies and they just started fighting like crazy recently and I don't even know why? I just got both of them neutered last 3rd of October 2021 and before that they have never like NEVER BEEN IN A FIGHT WITH EACH OTHER,,and just now all of the sudden,they started fighting and there was fur flying everywhere is there a problem with them? I mean the past weeks after I got them neutered,they were just fine and happy with each other even after the heal healing process and I don't get why they suddenly fought?they are now 5/6 months old and I'm really worried! Why are they like that all of the sudden? One of my bunny even got wounded from the fight the wounded one is grey and the fluffy one is dash,,and I put dash in a carrier to separate them from each other in the mean time,,and p.s Grey is older than dash,,and they are practically best friends and siblings but suddenly fought real BAD

 

[Catlyn]

They were neutered early october..
Were they siblings from the same litter? Never separated at around 4 months?
If so, my guess would be that your bucklings' hormones had not completely dissipated in a month's time. In most instances, it takes at least 6 weeks, some even 8. If rushed or done wrong, the bond can break. (I learnt it the hard way).
Considering how young your bucklings are, it might also be that their 'baby bond' has worn off.
Keep them completely separated for another month and try reintroducing then. It might still fail, rabbits are quite the devils and are sure to remember the disagreement.

 

[JBun]

Like Catlyn mentioned, you will need to wait at least another month for their hormones to completely fade before trying to rebond. Then go through a proper bonding process to have the greatest chance of them rebonding.

https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-bunnies.html
http://cottontails-rescue.org.uk/information/bonding-bunnies/
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Bonding_rabbits_together
Also check both rabbits over thoroughly for any other wounds, especially the belly area. If any wounds are deep, past the skin surface, you'll need your rabbit to be checked by your vet, as stitches and antibiotics will likely be needed. Any surface wounds need to be checked regularly while healing, for any signs of infection(redness, swelling, discoloration of the scab) or a lump forming(abscess). If any of that occurs you'll need to take your bun to your vet. Or if in doubt about any wounds, consult with your vet. And make sure both rabbits continue to eat, drink, and poop normally so GI stasis doesn't occur.

 

[Sophia_o.c]

They were neutered early october..
Were they siblings from the same litter? Never separated at around 4 months?
If so, my guess would be that your bucklings' hormones had not completely dissipated in a month's time. In most instances, it takes at least 6 weeks, some even 8. If rushed or done wrong, the bond can break. (I learnt it the hard way).
Considering how young your bucklings are, it might also be that their 'baby bond' has worn off.
Keep them completely separated for another month and try reintroducing then. It might still fail, rabbits are quite the devils and are sure to remember the disagreement.

Oh that's right,,they are siblings from the same litter since they was small and has never been separated ever since.Even during the neutering process,they stayed together! that is also under well supervision hehe but do I really have to wait one month to rebond them? So does it mean that their "bond" is now broken? It's really worrying and sad to see them like that because my buns literally mean the world to me and seeing them fighting each other really is heartbreaking.I mean they literally do almost everything together and the thought of separating them makes me feel guilty but if thats for the best, I guess I'll have to wait another month and separate them in the mean while thank you guys! As this is my first time adopting bunnies,I don't have much experience and also Dash and Grey are both free roamed rabbit so does that mean I can't let both of them out to roam around?

 

[Catlyn]

Yes. You have to keep them separated for their own safety.They should not be let to roam together, even if under supervision. It only takes a literal second for them to go tumbling and tossing without discriminating between you or themselves. Do your best to keep them in separate rooms with an additional layer of door in between these two. As i said, i learned it the hard way. If you're interested, here's what happened.
Little bit of a blood warning though.



Last year's August i rushed with bonding my boys when Lümi was neutered only for a month and Storm for two, since we "had" to move fast.

I thought it would be fine since Lümi was the kissiest cuddliest buckling (then around 7m/o). I forgot to think about Storm (then around 6m/o) being the big bossy buck that he is.

And look what it got the white boy into, only because i couldn't stop him from slipping through the door fast enough. He got a visible amount of ear bitten off.

Lümi regained his usual self but failed to permanently bond with the other ever again, mostly due to Storm rejecting him, (second attempt a month later failed with a fight), nine months later he went unexpectedly.
Despite seemingly hating one another, Storm still got mighty depressed when his housemate left.
We found him a teen girl, got her spayed and waited two months.
(note that randomly choosing an intact one to buddy up with a fixed one is not really a good idea, as it might often fail and the rabbit would have no safe return, like my bohs had it, but my country has no shelters to pre-screen fixed partners from)
Might've been a rare case but Iris gave kisses on their first date. They've been together for three months now with a super solid bond. Look at the goofery Storm had committed! Iris was totally fine with it.

So definetly, if applicable at all, cease your itch for doing stuff fast.
The time won't run from you. In some cases, slow and steady just results in a higher chance of being permanent and stable.

Stay safe and keep us updated on how your buckling is healing.

 

[Sophia_o.c]

That's such great news! How are your buns doing? I just separated them and how long should I wait until starting the rebond phase again? Actually, my mom wasn't on the same page as me because at first, i had to persuade her to get my buns and when she heard the buns starting to fight recently,she was not delighted and told me to put them in small cages separately.How do you rebond them tho? I think I'll have to wait for Grey's wound to heal first before bonding them? I heard that if you put their cages side by side,It'll be a prebonding phase.So,how do I bond them? I've read and done lots of research about rebonding them but I'm really scared to get any of them hurt during the process.Not to mention that their first fight was really intense as both of them kept circling and bitting off each other necks and fur? Does that make sense? Hehe but I'm just genuinely really scared!Will they bond properly and be best buds again? Will they miss each other during their time apart? Oh and luckily,there isn't much problem occuring when they fought,I mean both of them are pooping,peeing, drinking, and also eating but their attitude kinda changed a bit? Like they are weirdly really quiet ,just basically resting and wanting to spend time alone.They seem to hop fine and there are no bad injuries as I've scanned them properly.What should I do? I'm really worried

 

[Sophia_o.c]

Oh and can I ask? Do rabbits coat/fur lighten over the years? Or when they age? I mean when I first got them(when they were 1 months old),their coat was different and darker! And due to the fact that when I took dash and he's a mix angora,I didn't know that I should brush their fur everyday which led him to getting lots of matted fur and so I cut and shaved his matted fur and within a few weeks,his fur grew back really fast! But for some reason the coat is just really really lighter and looks different? And Grey even is going through the molting phase I think? Because there are random spots of fur having patterns like on his ear and head? Haha I don't know if that makes sense but yeah.Is it due to them aging?

 

[Sophia_o.c]

Okay so my rabbits fought real BAD because when they fought,they were on each others neck and one of my buns also got hurt in the process so I think their bond is broken.They are both neutered and came from the same litter and has never been separated.So,today I just tried to use the force bond method and it seems to work?!? And I'm just wondering how long should I keep doing it or can I leave them to force bond overnight or leave them together for 3 weeks? They seem to already be comfortable with each other during the first day of rebonding them? Should I wait first before letting them free roamed again? Please help!I've done lots of research and it seems like I should leave them together in a cage for 3 weeks then let both of them free roam when it looks like their bonding well and not fighting each other.What should I do?

 

[Catlyn]

Whoa hold on.
I answered the question on when to try bonding again. Jbun gave you links on proper bunny bonding. Did you misread some information that needs clarifying?
Can't say if they'll miss eachother or not, probably seething with rage right now.
Do not keep them in two small cages, nor side by side. Just keep them apart, in different rooms. It shouldn't bee much of a problem since they were freeroamed.
Also, you got them at only one month old? Amazing that they survived, usually to be taken from their mum that early means quite a bit of trouble adapting.
And hey, since there's a baby bond they broke, i would say that the old dark fur was their baby fur and the ones you see now would be the most similar to how they will stay as adults. Some rabbit colours can change over time due to specific genetics, but i don't know about that. SableSteel would know.

 

[Sophia_o.c]

Whoa hold on.
I answered the question on when to try bonding again. Jbun gave you links on proper bunny bonding. Did you misread some information that needs clarifying?
Can't say if they'll miss eachother or not, probably seething with rage right now.
Do not keep them in two small cages, nor side by side. Just keep them apart, in different rooms. It shouldn't bee much of a problem since they were freeroamed.
Also, you got them at only one month old? Amazing that they survived, usually to be taken from their mum that early means quite a bit of trouble adapting.
And hey, since there's a baby bond they broke, i would say that the old dark fur was their baby fur and the ones you see now would be the most similar to how they will stay as adults. Some rabbit colours can change over time due to specific genetics, but i don't know about that. SableSteel would know.

Wait is a month old too young? I took my buns from my mom's friend house and when I took them,they were already separated from their mother,,oh and don't worry I think I'll keep them apart from each other. Can you explain more please? I'm still new in adopting bunnies as this is literally my first time and I've done lots of research before getting my buns but I only know the basics! Also I'm planning on getting one more bun(a lop bunny I think) some time in the future and adding them with my current bunnies,dash and grey so should I adopt a male or female rabbit? I'm thinking of adding another male rabbit but I'm afraid they won't get along well and I heard that the price to spay a female rabbit is even more expensive than a male rabbit?!? In my country,when I neutered both of my buns,it costs me $47 which is Rm200 in Malaysia and does the price vary even more pricey if it's done on a female rabbit?

 

[Sophia_o.c]

Whoa hold on.
I answered the question on when to try bonding again. Jbun gave you links on proper bunny bonding. Did you misread some information that needs clarifying?
Can't say if they'll miss eachother or not, probably seething with rage right now.
Do not keep them in two small cages, nor side by side. Just keep them apart, in different rooms. It shouldn't bee much of a problem since they were freeroamed.
Also, you got them at only one month old? Amazing that they survived, usually to be taken from their mum that early means quite a bit of trouble adapting.
And hey, since there's a baby bond they broke, i would say that the old dark fur was their baby fur and the ones you see now would be the most similar to how they will stay as adults. Some rabbit colours can change over time due to specific genetics, but i don't know about that. SableSteel would know.

Uhm can I ask? How long exactly do I have to keep them apart from each other? They are now placed in different rooms. Should I wait a whole month first then reintroduce them again or how? PLEASE HELP?!?

 

[Watermelons]

Sophia you have had 2 fantastic members give you this advice already. Why are you not following it? They have answered that already.
Please re read all the posts made by Catlyn and Jenny.

 

[YamJam22]

Okay so my rabbits fought real BAD because when they fought,they were on each others neck and one of my buns also got hurt in the process so I think their bond is broken.They are both neutered and came from the same litter and has never been separated.So,today I just tried to use the force bond method and it seems to work?!? And I'm just wondering how long should I keep doing it or can I leave them to force bond overnight or leave them together for 3 weeks? They seem to already be comfortable with each other during the first day of rebonding them? Should I wait first before letting them free roamed again? Please help!I've done lots of research and it seems like I should leave them together in a cage for 3 weeks then let both of them free roam when it looks like their bonding well and not fighting each other.What should I do?

We just went through this with my two bonded, female sisters (Holland Lops). They were as close as could be and then they got spayed. We also made the mistake of letting them interact before their healing was fully complete and their hormones had fully calmed down. Some vets recommend 8-12 weeks before reintroducing them. We had a similar experience in that they were fine for the first 10 days and then they started fighting...we did exactly what you did...put them back together again fairly quickly and watched them and they seemed fine...until they fought again...and again.

We finally said enough was enough and accepted the fact that they were no longer bonded. It took us THREE MONTHS to get them properly rebonded again. From now until they are rebonded you need to keep them apart unless you are taking them on a bunny-bonding "date." We were able to use metal cage tiles to create a wall down the middle of their pen (where we keep them at night). There are many ideas about bunny bonding, but one idea is that it is good for them to be able to see each other, smell each other and touch noses without being able to fight, which makes sense to us. EVERY NIGHT we switched which sides the bunnies slept on so as to not give either one a sense of "their territory." During the day, we let them free roam in different areas of the house and we used baby gates to separate them. This was hard and sad and frustrating. They would even be at the gate touching noses like they wanted to be together...but DON'T BE TEMPTED. You have to take the proper time to rebond them or you will just end up back at square one.

For months we took them on bunny-bonding dates. We would put both of the bunnies together in the kitchen, which was a neutral space and also has a tile floor which makes it hard for them to get up any momentum. We literally sat there with them the entire time ready to separate them if needed. We gave them treats. We did lots of "fake grooming" which is when you get them close to each other and pet them a lot so they feel like the other bunny is grooming them. It genuinely works and they calm down. At first, they may not go near each other in the room, but be assured they are VERY AWARE of each other. We took them on several dates a week (3-4). We started out doing 15-minute bunny dates and eventually extended these to almost an hour. After 6 solid weeks of no fights we put them back into their regular space and watched them closely. We just slowly eased them back into it. They were VERY tense again once we put them back in their regular space and it was like taking several steps back.

I'm super happy to say that at this point, they have not fought in over 3 months. That said, we STILL keep the divider in the cage so that they sleep separately. Definitely do NOT put them into a small cage together and leave them alone. They might seriously hurt one another as there is nowhere to run. GOOD LUCK!!

 

[Catlyn]

Wait is a month old too young? I took my buns from my mom's friend house and when I took them,they were already separated from their mother,,oh and don't worry I think I'll keep them apart from each other. Can you explain more please? I'm still new in adopting bunnies as this is literally my first time and I've done lots of research before getting my buns but I only know the basics! Also I'm planning on getting one more bun(a lop bunny I think) some time in the future and adding them with my current bunnies,dash and grey so should I adopt a male or female rabbit? I'm thinking of adding another male rabbit but I'm afraid they won't get along well and I heard that the price to spay a female rabbit is even more expensive than a male rabbit?!? In my country,when I neutered both of my buns,it costs me $47 which is Rm200 in Malaysia and does the price vary even more pricey if it's done on a female rabbit?

That is some bad rabbit husbandry on your mum's friend's part. But hey, everybody learns all the time. As far as i've heard, in most places it is illegal to rehome rabbits under 6 weeks of age. I might be wrong since animal welfare laws vry across countries. The general reccommendation i've read is two months old, that would be the average time when a baby would be fully weaned and independent. I've kept safe with getting buns no younger than 3 months of age.

Absolutely keep them in separate rooms for a month. No compromise on that, trust us when we say that it is better for you all.

Please, no. Do not adopt a third one into the mix, not now or later. Not a boy, and definetly not a girl. Are you aware that two neutered dudes can still not get along if they see that they have a girl to appeal to?
You have your hands full with just two rabbits as it is. Getting two boys to love one another is very hard, so how would you get a third one, and why? Trios and anything up that is something that a beginner should never try.

Do not take a burden bigger than you can handle. Well-cared for rabbits can easily live 10+ years. They would most likely go whereever you go. Moving to independence with one rabbit is hard enough, two is an extra struggle. But unless it's an already bonded bunch, a trio would be just overkill. Currently being a minor, you have to consider, if you feel like moving out in the next 10 years, where are your rabbits going to be? Who is going to care for them and get their yearly checkups and vaccines? Would your parents be willing to bear the burden? If not, would you be able to afford it?

Yes, females cost more to alter because their anatomy and procedure for desexing is a bit different to that of bucks. Does also have a more invasive surgery because of that. It would only make sense that the vet would charge more for a doe.

Uhm can I ask? How long exactly do I have to keep them apart from each other? They are now placed in different rooms. Should I wait a whole month first then reintroduce them again or how? PLEASE HELP?!?

Do read and re-read the posts above. Jenny is an excellent person for bunny advice. I've also shared what i know from experience and reading through experienced members' replies.

 

[Catlyn]

From now until they are rebonded you need to keep them apart unless you are taking them on a bunny-bonding "date." We were able to use metal cage tiles to create a wall down the middle of their pen (where we keep them at night). There are many ideas about bunny bonding, but one idea is that it is good for them to be able to see each other, smell each other and touch noses without being able to fight, which makes sense to us.

In Sophia's case, this advice would be for naught. No 'bunny dates' during their extra month of calming from hormones. These two rabbits need to 'forget eachother' which means no sights, no playdates and as little smell swap as possible. Otherwise the separation would be for naught.

 

[Catlyn]

I'm still new in adopting bunnies as this is literally my first time and I've done lots of research before getting my buns but I only know the basics!

I'm sorry, but the issues and information that you're providing us with isn't quite accurate to your statement of 'having done a lot of research' beforehand.
Baby bonds and when would be too early to adopt a rabbit are so basic things that just a simple google search can give you 80% accurate results.
What sort of websites or books did you use for your prior research?

 

[Sophia_o.c]

I'm sorry, but the issues and information that you're providing us with isn't quite accurate to your statement of 'having done a lot of research' beforehand.
Baby bonds and when would be too early to adopt a rabbit are so basic things that just a simple google search can give you 80% accurate results.
What sort of websites or books did you use for your prior research?

Oh I'm sorry,,I'm just really worried.Again,I'm really really sorry.I guess I'm still immature and young (I'm still a teen) and have a lot to learn in the future.Sorry!