Rabbits Playing or Fighting?

[lexyconnolly]

Hi, I noticed my male rabbit (pistachio) seemed bored and wouldn’t play with his toys so I did research and found out he would be happier with a friend. I adopted a female rabbit (hazel) who is around the same age and kept them separated by a gate so they could still see each other. My male rabbit kept nipping her through the gate but apparently thats just how they play. He also began chewing and playing with his toys more so I thought he was happier with her there. Its been a few days so today I tried letting them meet outside of the enclosure by putting them on opposite sides of the living room. My male bunny immediately began chasing the female around very fast and I thought he was going to hurt her so I put him back in the enclosure. I was just wondering if this behaviour is normal? Are they playing or fighting? I really do not want to chance my male rabbit hurting my female rabbit. I got a video of when they first met but couldn’t get the rest because unfortunately I panicked. I am also very new to this website so I apologize if I wrote this in the wrong place.

 

[Preitler]

Your male is neutered, or the female spayed, right? How old are they?

Rabbits don't really "play", like you would know it from cats or dogs. What they do has purpose, or instincts behind it. Their social interactions aren't really "play".

 

[lexyconnolly]

Your male is neutered, or the female spayed, right? How old are they?

Yes he’s neutered and she is spayed. The male is almost a year and the female is 6 months

 

[Blue eyes]

Bonding rabbits can be a tricky thing and it usually is a process. Unfortunately, putting them on opposite sides of a room and seeing what happens is not the ideal way to allow them to begin the process. Rabbits don't play the way you'd see dogs play with each other. They don't "play fight" as that is predator behavior. Nor do they chase each other for fun.

To start the bonding process, it's best to find a neutral location (one that neither rabbit has been in before) so that they don't feel the need to "protect their territory." That space should also be on the small side.

For now, separate them and keep them separate until you've had the chance to read more on the process. Find out what signs to watch out for, when to intervene, etc. The risk of allowing them together before you are prepared is that they will get into a serious fight. If that happens, then they may refuse to ever get along with each other.

Here's a link (from my website) to get you started:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-bunnies.html