unhappy bunnies please help

saltnpepper · Mar 21, 2014

Hi there, me and my partner recently took on two young male rabbits. They got on really well for the first two Weeks, but over the last couple of days started fighting, the smaller of the two has been hassling the other, sniffing his bum a lot and trying to hump him - this has led to several BIG fights and now the larger one seems to be constantly angry and wont let the other come near him, he's stomping his feet a lot and has gone for him a few times.
Really unsure how to deal with this, we've separated them, and set up a make shift camp for one in the shower room (we only have one cage) they're booked in to be neutered in a weeks time, but we're worried this wont be enough, and want to know if there's any way to break this dynamic, afterall we only got two rabbits so they'd have some company + its heartbreaking to see how sad its making them (especially when they got on so well to start off with).
I'm also concerned that my own behavior might have had an effect on them, as I had been shouting at them when they were naughty.
since the fights the smaller of the two has been acting out a lot more, he loves to dig out the litter tray and I'm wondering if this too is a way to mark his territory.
my main question though, is how o get them to be friends again - we really want them to share the same cage and don't really have the space (or money) for an extra cage. I can see the sense in keeping them apart, but also don't want one of them to feel that that is HIS space.
Any help or advise would be massively appreciated
Thank you

Tauntz · Mar 21, 2014

Do you have room for an xpen? It is an inexpensive "cage." I have two bunny girls that use an xpen. One of your rabbits could stay in the current cage & the other have the xpen. Hopefully after the spay & hormones settle down you can rebond your two. These are just my thoughts, hopefully more experienced members will be along soon to give their helpful advice.

saltnpepper · Mar 21, 2014

yeah we were thinking about getting/making one of those at some point - cant find the xpen brand for sale in the uk though, is that an american product?

JBun · Mar 21, 2014

Xpen is just an abbreviated term for exercise pen. It is just a collapsible pen generally made for dogs, but can be used for rabbits as well, as long as the bar spacing isn't too wide that a rabbit could slip through or get it's head caught. Generally 1 1/2 in spacing is fine except for young rabbits and very small rabbits. You want something at least 24 in. high, though that might not be tall enough if your buns are good jumpers. Something like this.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00H8HPBKW/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Unfortunately fighting is a pretty common thing to happen when young rabbits start to mature, especially males. You will need to keep them completely separate now, until at least 3-4 weeks post neuter, but sometimes it can take up to 6-8 weeks for the hormones to completely fade with some rabbits. Generally though, for most rabbits they have faded enough by 4 weeks, that you can start to reintroduce them then. The reason that you really have to keep them separate until the hormones have faded, is because males are especially hormonal, and all they will pretty much think about is trying to mate(regardless of the other rabbits sex). Because of this, the humping and hormonal behavior really starts to irritate the other rabbit and this will then lead to a fight. If you were continue to let them be together, even to just play, the continued encounters and possible fights can not only risk serious injuries, but also could affect your chances of bonding them later on. You don't want either bun becoming afraid of the other rabbit or building any resentment.

Once you have two cages or an xpen, then if they seem to get along between the bars and there aren't trying to get at each other through the bars, then keeping them in their separate pens next to each other will help maintain some sort of relationship until the hormones have faded and you can officially start bonding. If they do show signs of agitation towards each other in their separate pens, then it's best to have them in separate rooms until ready to bond. When you do start bonding, be prepared for some humping, as it's also a behavior used to establish dominance, but typically doesn't happen too much after the initial sorting of the pecking order.

These links have some good info on rabbit bonding.
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/bond.shtml
http://www.wheekwheekthump.com/2013...rs-guide-rabbit-bonding-everything-need-know/

Tauntz · Mar 21, 2014

Oh, sorry. Yes, xpens or exercise pens are used allot in the US. Not sure about availability in the UK. I'm sure the UK must have an equivalent to the xpen.

PaGal · Mar 21, 2014

X-pen is short for exercise pen. Basically a metal pen people set up for use with animals. Some people buy them so if they have puppies they can keep them confined.

Not all buns will get along so before deciding on two bunnies it's best to be prepared if you have to keep them separate for life.

Although they say the easiest bond is between neutered male/spayed female, males can be bonded such as Chris's three boys. Having them both neutered may help the process but keep in mind it can take several weeks for the hormones to completely be gone.

Your male is digging because it's what a lot of buns like to do. You can provide him with a dig box which is a box filled with digging material. You can use a cardboard box and simply fill it with paper. You can also use a telephone book with the cover removed. If he's making a mess with the litter you can replace his current litter box with one with taller sides. Plastic storage boxes work well for this. If needed you can cut one side down so it is short enough for the bun to easily hop in.

There are plenty of threads on RO dealing with bonding rabbits.