Hi I got 2 female rabbits arround three months ago and everything’s been going well. In the last they’ve started mounting a lot and chasing in circles. I’m planning to get them both nuterd but I think there still a bit to young. Do I separate them or just keep a eye on them? They’ve not fought yet but I’m worried they will
Should I split them up
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If I would have to take a guess - they are about half a year old and puberty is in full swing? Also, with days getting longer, it's that time of the year too.
It's rather normal behaviour as they sort out their hierachy, in my opinion the important thing in this situation is that the way we keep them does not mess everything up. They need space, actually structured space with ways to get away from each other and stay out of sight if they feel like it. When they have a struggle for dominance and the loser can't leave the scene because they are in a cage without raceways (without dead ends) and hiding spots (not just a hidey house, but a part of their enclosure) that can be seen as affront and escalate things. Hidey houses need to be big enough and need to have 2 openings minimum.
They have escalation steps: evil eye, humping, shrort chase bursts and fur plucking from their behinds, serious chases and fights. In 10 years of keeping rabbits I've only seen does from different groups that got together accidentially actually give long chases and fight, not with ones that lived together. It can happen if the personalities absolutly don't match, can't tell how likely that is.
Currently I have 2 pairs of intact does, well, Red actually got spayed at age 7 due to an emergency, but that didn't really change anything. Each pair has two rather big, complete hutches, connected with a tunnel. If they feel like it they can avoid each other, mostly it's just Red (8) getting away from her super dominant mother Fury (11).
If you want to keep the does together I would not seperate if their environment can be adjusted (cardboard boxes do a reasonable well job) and if they don't actually fight. Rabbits aren't just the cuddly things we see, they can have very strong opinions about certain things.
Mine are all mother-daughter pairs, so things were a little easier for me.
If I would have to take a guess - they are about half a year old and puberty is in full swing? Also, with days getting longer, it's that time of the year too.
It's rather normal behaviour as they sort out their hierachy, in my opinion the important thing in this situation is that the way we keep them does not mess everything up. They need space, actually structured space with ways to get away from each other and stay out of sight if they feel like it. When they have a struggle for dominance and the loser can't leave the scene because they are in a cage without raceways (without dead ends) and hiding spots (not just a hidey house, but a part of their enclosure) that can be seen as affront and escalate things. Hidey houses need to be big enough and need to have 2 openings minimum.
They have escalation steps: evil eye, humping, shrort chase bursts and fur plucking from their behinds, serious chases and fights. In 10 years of keeping rabbits I've only seen does from different groups that got together accidentially actually give long chases and fight, not with ones that lived together. It can happen if the personalities absolutly don't match, can't tell how likely that is.
Currently I have 2 pairs of intact does, well, Red actually got spayed at age 7 due to an emergency, but that didn't really change anything. Each pair has two rather big, complete hutches, connected with a tunnel. If they feel like it they can avoid each other, mostly it's just Red (8) getting away from her super dominant mother Fury (11).
If you want to keep the does together I would not seperate if their environment can be adjusted (cardboard boxes do a reasonable well job) and if they don't actually fight. Rabbits aren't just the cuddly things we see, they can have very strong opinions about certain things.
Mine are all mother-daughter pairs, so things were a little easier for me.
Thanks for the advice They spend most there day out there cage but I was away for the week so they had been in there cage more than usual. They seem to be calmer today so I was wondering if that would of mabey made things worse?
They spend most there day out there cage but I was away for the week so they had been in there cage more than usual. They seem to be calmer today so I was wondering if that would of mabey made things worse?
skipidragon
Well-Known Member
Mounting is dominant behavior. It doesn't mean it's sexual. You might reconsider getting them fixed. Go do a vet check to be sure. Yes they do circles, but until the fight you'll never be able to tell. Do they still groom each other. Could one of your females be a male? Vet check.
Aspen’sbuns
Well-Known Member
If you’re going to desex them, I wouldn’t seperate! My two girls did this. As long as it doesn’t escalate, don’t seperate!
I have 2 bonded females, ones a lil over a year older than the other and the other lil over 2 to 3 yrs old. Both hump each other and both chase each other around and around in circles, neither desexed. They have never got into a fight while being with me. It seems that in certain areas of free roam one mounts the other in those areas, and the other the same in different areas from each other they will mount each other, I'm assuming one is claiming those spots and telling the other to move along this is my spot. Wouldn't worry about mounting or circling each other unless they for some reason get into a major fight.
