# Fighting Female Bunnies



## Smoggy (Jun 10, 2012)

I am hoping you can help please -Wehave two female house rabbits and got themat 8/10 weeks old from a reputable petstore. They are exotics - lop eared, semi dwarf, semi harlequin, beige. They are sisters named Meadow and Willow and were bothspayed at 6 months. They have reached sexual maturity nowand are roughly a year old. Both bunnieshave a 'free range' lifestyle...They live/sleep inour living room which opens into a dining room (converted playroom)They also have the run of the garden which we have bunny proofed. Webought a large second hand hutchoutside so as they canshelter there if they wish.

Recently they have begunto fight (almost two weeks ago), at first it was hard to see who was chasing who and both bunnies had lacerations to head and body, I am certain now however that it is Willow who is the aggressor. I have been conversing with our vet and she has only come across spayed female fighting in one other bunny couple and this pair are separated to this day. She says however that she knows lots of female couples which are happy together. 

As soon as our Bunsstarted to fight I separated them, one had to sleep in the outdoor hutch and one inside alternating and also one in and one out at all times during the day.We introduce them to each other every day to try to keep the bond alive and as long as they are supervised and in a confined space this goes very well, they have startedto groom each other but its mostly Meadow grooming Willow. We unite them mostly on their little bed (a wooden dolls bed which they have adopted)in the kitchen where they feel insecure and seek each others comfort, the floor is tiled and they hate that. Bringing them onto neutral ground in this wayseems to work well...

As a result, todayI have decided to try moving them into the kitchen. I put a bit of carpet down under a counter...their bed, baskets, chew stuffand litter tray...It is working well so far, although they are still a bit jumpy & have circled each other a couple of times.I feel that at night we should continue to keep them apart as I am still concerned that fighting may begin again. I am hoping however thathousing them on neutral ground for a while and letting them into the garden separately (they were fighting out there as well asindoors)that in time their instinct to try to dominate and fight forterritory might pass. 

Meadow and Willow werea very loving pair, together much of the time (less as they got older) butthey have always slept together in the middle of our carpet anddolls bed and lovingly and constantly grooming. Willowhas lost a lot of weight and they both are possibly depressed. Willow doesn't show much of an interest in the garden anymore and I haven't seen her frolicking and running around or grazing for a while. Meadow seems quiet but is OK, if they get a chance in the open...fighting begins with thetail sniff, a chase, then fight with fur flyingeverywhere, they thump, tails are up and I have heard some squealing in pain during one fight. It is all so distressing andtheir 'routine' has been turned upside down to say the least. I dread having to separate them permanently, I feel thiswould be tragicand I cant imagine finding an owner who would give one of them a life with completefreedom in safely...I amagainst caging any animal.

They are great characters, like cats in many ways. They lick my face and groom myhairand tolerate our children very well (the kidsare continuously coached in handling them and have a special affinity with animals) We have learnt that the Buns prefer not to be held but are very affectionate with us in general. Is it possible do you think for us to work this out without having to keep them separated? Have you come across this type of fighting before? I would appreciateyour advice or guidance...


Thanks for taking the time to read this.


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## LakeCondo (Jun 10, 2012)

It sounds as though Willow wants to dominate & this isn't going over that well with Meadow. Maybe each needs a stuffed toy to thake the brunt of any aggression.

Why is it that Willow has lost a lot of weight? Was she overweight before or underweight now?


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## Smoggy (Jun 10, 2012)

Hi I have tons of stuffed toys and will certainly give it a go introducing one to each of them. I havn't noticed the bunnies trying to mount eachother for some time and i agree that Willow seems to be trying to gain dominance and Meadow has simply foughtback. I can tell now that of courseMeadow is nervous of Willow, she has been taking the trauma very well considering. Willow was a normal weight before thefighting, i assume the weight loss is due to the disruption, stress, frustration... The Buns have never been separated untilnow, they have never been locked intheir hutch, this must have contributed to her loss of appetite. I will however take her to vet shortly to rule out a medical issue... She has definetly lost weightshe feels lighter andi can feel her bones now unlike before. She is eating however and ihave been observing her as best i can. Its hard to tell by looking at her that anything is wrong.


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## Smoggy (Jun 15, 2012)

Good news on The Buns...
There has been tremendous excitement in the house and i would not have had the courage to let bunnies together again if not for advice from a breeder on an 'irishrabbits' forum... 
The kitchen continues to go well but now the Buns are wandering boldly back into the living room having mastered the slippy floors and this is where Willow trys to show who is boss. There was one mouth full of fur yesterday morning but with loads of coaching and encouragement we've made so much progress... 
Willow gives Meadow the sniff and that sends her running, so then there is a chase but that seems to be what it is reduced to now. Meadow is really nervous of getting bitten but is sticking to her guns and is not going to let Willow evict her! 
I plan now to let them settle back into the living room...their old stomping ground and will move their food back in soon. I will tackle the garden next. They have been fighting just as much outside unfortunately...Willow is marking everything she comes in contact with and is on the prowl. However I do think that she is responding to 'be nice', 'no fighting' and then loads of praise when a connection is made without aggression...And they are grooming, relaxed and affectionate together at times in the living room despite the nerves! Heirarchy is being established but please God with a lack of 'blood' at long last! 
I may let them out into the garden later and see what happens, the dreadful wet weather we've been having hopefully will be a bit of a distraction! I long to see them grazing together again!... 
The vet was very pleased with the girls and although she has cautioned me about letting them sleep together again and about keeping them apart while fighting...I have been working hard at trying to unite them, researching and taking calculated risks which seems to be working well. 
The bond is very strong between them and my vet agrees that due to this it is likely that i will get ample warning if serious fighting sparks up again.
I will continue to cross my fingers, keep at it and be careful!


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