Hi bunny lovers
I am looking for some advice with bonding my two neutered bucks, Shamu and Chicken. We got them from pets at home in August and were told they were 3 months old. They lived together in the shop and in our home until they got to the hormonal stage and began fighting. This happened a few times so we separated them by putting one upstairs ans one downstairs in a large rabbit hutch (which was meant to be for outdoors but we had to bring it in as it was the ony way we could house them separately). We had them neutered in december and I movef them next to each other about a month before reintroducing them by putting one rabbit in the downstairs od the hutch and he other in the indoor cage next to it. Whilt we have an “outdoor” hutch I never put the rabbits outside. I swapped them every couple of mights.
I reintroduced them but we did it in their usual space (I know not advised) and they were okay – three days in and they were snuggling and everything. Then after a few days they started fighting. I’m not sure what happened. I did close the kitchend foor so they were outside in the yard for a while (I usually leave the door open so they can come in and not dire whether this had anything to do with it. I put them in their carey case and they were ok. Then I out them in the smaller (indoor) cage and thought that might be better as less space. No, circling, spraying, fighting. I separated them again for fear of them fighting when we were not around.
Yesterday (this is a week or two later) I had them in their carry case together all day and they played together in neutral spaces likethe bathroom and a friends house. I put them in their cage last night (they seemed ok for a while) and it was clear this morning they had been fighting.
I put them back in their carrier (small space – to re bond them and they don’t fight). I let them out earlier in my bedroom and they were fine (never been there before) and then I let them out in the kitchen / backyard (their usual area) and they were slightly aggressive again. Rather than separate them I put them back in the carrier. I am off work for a few days so figure this is a good time to work with them. They were bonded only a few weeks ago so I am not ready to give up. They seemed so much happier when they were bonded and it is so much easier for us as housing them separately indoors and giving them hours of (separate) run time each is not practical. We work full time and we got two rabbits so they woudl have company (as advised by P@H) and we didn’t realise this would be an issue.
I gave the cage a really good clean before I put them in it last night but not the kitchen as a whole (their scent will be around the kitchen on the floor etc) so wonder whether that would help. I mean it can’t hurt to clean up and it is not that I son’t clean anyway lol but I am tempted to do a deep clean today to get rid of their scent. Also tempted to try them in the living room as well as although they go in there sometimes it is not so much their territory and we often don’t let them in there.
Sorry for the long post but feel the background is relevant. I called the vet and the receptionist barely asked what was going on before simply saying separate te so they don’t hurt themselves. I am not ready to give up.
Thanks in advance.