their fighting >.<

[Jacob]

hey i have two bunnies both 2 months old both male and they have been happy together for over a week but just had a massive might y have they just stared they are still young no balls yet and how can i stop this they share a pen is it safe to put them both in there when i go to work will they hurt each other or worse please help

[TH004]

You may get more answers to this on the “bonding” forum. I have tried to bond my rabbit, but it never worked. I would be very careful. Rabbits look cute, but can be vicious and really hurt one another. It could be that their hormones are coming in and they are trying to fight it out to see who is the top buns. The bonding forum will have people who know how to handle this situation safely.

[Jacob]

thank you i will post it there to

[Beka27]

I deleted the thread in the bonding section as this doesn’t really relate to bonding per se. Also, please don’t post the same topic twice. If necessary, a forum leader will move the thread to the designated section. This one is okay here tho.

The short answer is that unneutered rabbits will often fight. This does not usually occur until a bit later (4-6 months), but at 2 months, it’s not unheard of. Since they are still too young to be neutered, you’ll need to get a second cage or pen so they can be housed safely. After they are neutered (once their testicles drop at 4 months), that is when you will start the bonding process and you are more than welcome to start a bonding thread so we can offer tips, advice, and encouragement.

The final question, have they been examined by a rabbit vet yet? You need to get confirmation of their sexes. Bunnies are often sexed incorrectly at such a young age.

[Jacob]

the vet hasnt seen them just but they yet are book in to be desexed soon thank you for the advice hopefully they stop fighting. cus i let them out when im home how can i stop them fighting when their out

[Beka27]

You’ll have to have them out separately from now on. They can get badly injured in just a few seconds. It’s too risky if they’re already fighting.

[Roberta]

2 Months is really young to be fighting. How are they currently housed and what are you feeding them ?

[Roberta]

I am in Australia too Jacob. I’m in Perth and we have some people in the Eastern States also. Where are you ?

[Jacob]

i live in the rockingham area

[Jacob]

they share the same hutch and snuggle together all the time they get just a little carrot rabbit feed rabbit pellets tomarto strawberrys apples and straw im introducing new food slowly so they dont get sick

[Roberta]

Eeek, Strawberries, Apples, Tomato…. That’s like raising a 3 yr old on a diet of Mars bars…………. All those things are treats like candy…
They need unlimited hay for their teeth and innards, a small amount of pellets probably a small cup a day between them although as babies they can have a bit more. You need to start introducing some greens soon about 12 weeks. Bok Choy, Parsley, Basil, Kale, Nasturtiums, Fennel, umm check the list on the home page.. you got the introduce slowly part right. Some of the aggression could be from them not getting enough nutrition and fighting over resources. A very easy mistake to make, but you are now in a place where you have support and help so lets get things back on track. I also have contacts down your way so I will try and get you some Rabbit Savvy vet contacts and general moral support in the area. You might want to go to Rabbit Rescue on Facebook as they have several foster carers down your way who are also happy to help with advice.

[Jacob]

haha ok i didnt realize i guess they are way to spoilt. should they have two food bowls and i was told not to give them leafy foods cus it can give them the runs

[Roberta]

That’s OK, There’s lots of bad advice out there and some good but incomplete. Usually you hold off on greens till they are about 12 weeks but you don’t give them treats either. First get yourself some NIC cubes or Xpens to create separate play areas until we get the fighting sorted. That way they can see each be close to each other while we try to rebuild their bond. Go to the home page and download the food list. If you can’t find it let me know and I’ll drop in the link. Don’t feed them pale lettuce like iceburg etc. Bok Choy, Parsley, Basil, Cos lettuce are good. Potato peels, tomato seeds and quite a few other things that look safe are poison. Meanwhile unlimited hay, good pellets that aren’t too high in fat or calcium and lots of fresh water. Not any of those pellet mixes that have lots of mixed grains etc as they are not good for them.

[Roberta]

Is it one of those two story hutches where you can raise the ramp and separate them ?

[Jacob]

wow i didnt even know they were poison jet loves cherry tomartos no more for him. im going to get them desexed asap aswell and getting two hutches so they have their own teratory. i have them booked into baldivis vets do u know if they are any good for bunnies? also they may have stoped fighting i think for now theo is groominng jet and vica vers is this permament or a temperary truce?

[Jacob]

no its not im getting a new one tomorrow

[Roberta]

Grooming is good… Because of the treats one or both may have had sore tummies. Still get the second hutch its always handy to have a spare. I would get them some lovely flat leaf parsley and offer them a little to start. If you have had the over a week now they should be closer to 10 weeks as buns should not leave Mum till atleast 8 weeks unless absolutely necessary. Once they start on greens they will need atleast half a cup full each twice a day whilst small then a cup full each twice a day when bigger. You will need to calculate it on weight once you know how big they are going to get. Mean while I will check out Baldivis Vet.

[Jacob]

awesome thank you so much yah i think jet is older than the pet shop said but theo is only 8 weeks old i didnt realize that was to young

[Roberta]

Well, If you have had Theo for over a week and he is only just 8 weeks then he did leave his Mum a little bit young and nutritional issues could be a real concern. Also as sexing bunnies has run many of us afoul it would still be wise to separate them until your are positive they are both the same gender. I have two oops litters to prove that even the best can get it wrong (and I’ not talking about myself). Still there may be a reason the buns had to leave their Mum early, it happens and as long as they are eating on their own and getting the right diet they should be fine. You are halfway between my two main Down South contacts one in Armadale the other in Collie but I have the word out…

[Jacob]

awesome thank you so much what should i do for tonight jet is chasing theo again and its not playing and i only have the one pen for now?

[Roberta]

Bathroom, make sure there is nothing Theo or Jhet (whichever you put in there) can get into or chew on, make sure they have plenty of blankies on the floor and a box to sleep in. Just a square box with a hole cut in the side or something along those lines where they can feel secure. Plus water and plenty of hay.

[Jacob]

thank you

[Jacob]

one more weired question is it possible to be alergic to one breed of rabbit and not another?

[Roberta]

Yes, however it is also possible to be allergic to environmental elements such as the kind of hay or bedding. As both buns look to have the same kind of fur it is unlikely they are the cause. Remember… we are heading for wildflower season and airborne allergens will be rife and possibly their hay could contain regional pollens. What type of hay do you feed them?

[Jacob]

i dont know what the type is i just got it from the pet shop i got jet its yellow and strawey lol im going to the pet supplys wearhouse tomorrow and getting them some propper food and hey

[Roberta]

The yellow straw type is fine thats what mine have and they love it. They have meadow hay occasionally but it can be very dusty so its just and occasional treat. Just check the fat and protein levels in the pellets and make sure they are relatively plain without to many added goodies. I would download the HRS food lists from the Binky Bunny Homepage as soon as you can.

[Roberta]

Also always make sure all their greens, fruit and veg is washed well before you give it to them.

[Jacob]

will do thank you

[TH004]

I am highly allergic to hay. I have found that having a bedroom-sized air filter (mine didn’t cost too much from Bed Bath and Beyond) helps tremendously! So does having someone else feed the hay. We also keep hay in the litterbox, to avoid more dust. Just some thoughts to help the allergies!

[RabbitPam]

Hi, Jacob, it sounds like Roberta is giving you plenty of good advice here. I just want to reiterate the necessity of separating them for now until a month after one (preferably both) is neutered. They will not really bond well until their hormones have died down a bit, and at this age they will get worse in the next couple of months before they get better.

I urge you to read the Bunny Info. sections (drop down menu from the top green banner) for all kinds of great suggestions on habitat set ups, diet and foods, and bonding techniques. You can learn about how to bond ahead of time and be prepared to start after the neuter.

You want to get established with a rabbit savvy vet, often listed under Exotics. I think you guys are already networking about that. (Please, no negative statements about vets you don’t like here. It’s against the rules.) A baseline check up of both bunnies is important for their health, gender confirmation, and establishing with a vet you like. You can even schedule the neuter way in advance once the vet sees them and has an idea of when they will be ready. Get a price quote and save up for it, too. It’s really important to have done, for health as well as an easier time bonding.

Check out that food list and the diet pages. They’ll really help.

And again, try to get a second cage or construct a second habitat for one in an xpen or nic cubes. They need at least 3″ apart. If it turns out that one is a female after all, cages close together can still result in a OOPS litter. Bunnies are determined that way. 

[Jacob]

Yah I’m getting a new pen today hopefully and am taking then to the vet this arvo for first check up and sexing. I have downloaded the diet list and am also getting some of that this arvo. I did read up on bunnies befor I got them but clearly not enough haha. And I won’t post anything bad about vets or anything

[Roberta]

Hi Jacob,
No responses yet but I found this one online and they state they routinely treat rabbits. I also think its closer to you… Even if you are happy with Baldivis it is good to have emergency back up. http://www.malibuvet.com.au/

[Roberta]

Oh the cherry tomatoes should still be OK for a treat but get the seeds out first.

[Author]

Messages