Hi, I've only just signed up, I did look through to see if anyone had brought this topic up but couldn't see anything.

I have got two male rabbits, I was told they are about 3-4 years old and I believe are from the same litter. One is very timid and when they first arrived he used to get very scared of sounds, like planes, police sirens and even the seagulls flying over head, now nothing seems to bother him much and when he feels like he'll even bully my sisters cat back into the house and up the stairs!

The other has always been the protector and nothing has ever seemed to faze him.

Just lately the bigger one is trying to mount the little one and it's really scaring the little one - he squashing himself right up again the wall and cowers away. The big one has always done it occasionly but it's never been this bad.

I've tried banging the hutch to make him a bit scared of the noise and that didn't work. I've tried seperating them and that didn't work, and the little one refused to go back in the hutch after. I've tried making the big one run around the garden to wear him out so he just goes to sleep and that didn't work.
Because I spray the rabbits with rabbit body spray I don't think the "spraying with water" technique would even faze him. So I was just wondering has anyone had this problem and how did they solve it? I really can't afford another hutch and I will look at putting one in a new home if worst comes to worst, it's just odd how they are fantastic out in the garden, share food nicely and the big one still does protects the little one if they feel threatened, for example, I caught the little one and he gave out a squeel and the big one came running over and bit me to make sure I wasn't a threat. They don't fight, they have the odd argument when they both try and fit in the tunnel only wide enough for one... it's just in the hutch it's a nightmare and I'm totally clueless what to do... does anyone think this may be a faze and he'll stop after a while? Like mare's coming into season?

Sorry for the essay,
Sarah xx

Hi Sarah,
I have two (neutered) males that I've had for over 3 years. There is a bigger one, Hoss, and a dwarf, Wascal. I have to keep them separated for their safety. If I put them together, blood is drawn within 30 seconds.

I have a big pen in my basement, and on alternate days one is out for 24 hours, while the other is in his cage inside the pen. They will approach each other through the bars of the cage, but that's as far as I allow them to be now.

I also have a spayed female, Beli, who gets along with Wascal, so they are out together. I have tried everything to get them to bond, but nothing works.

Lisa

Get them both castrated it will help a lot to calm down their hormones. It will take about 6 weeks after the castration for all hormones to go but it will help a lot. The mounting is for dominence and it will keep happening as long as the hormones are there.

__________________

As Kammie said, get them both neutered and once the hormones die down the humping should pretty much stop

__________________

thanks for your help guys. There will be a trip to the vets some time soon. When I went to let them out this morning they were both cuddled up together.

Its very dangerous keeping un-neutered males together, it only takes one fight and they can be fatal... they also can castrate eachother I would seperate immediately and rebond once they are done.

__________________
There are 33,000 bunnies young, middle aged, old, large and small all looking for a second chance and loving home, can you help? www.rabbitrehome.org.uk



If tears could build a stairway, And memories a lane,
I'd walk right up to Heaven, And bring you home again.

They are fine together, they went in together tonight and there was no problem... they shared out of the same bowl and are now cuddled in the sleeping arean together, so fingers crossed it has just been a "funny five" and we are actually told to keep them together as the little one stressed when he's in a seperate place for any long length of time.