Hello all, new to this site so am hoping you can help with the following!

We bought female two bunnies in april but unfortunately one died due to an unexpected frost a while a go. A week later we bought another one and slowly introduced the two-they fought and we kept seperating them (resulting in a large hand bite for me!) but then we were advised to leave them and they stopped fighting after just half an hour and were fine for months.

Then about 6 weeks ago we woke up to find that one had chunks out of her and left very scared. We seperated them and were advised to try having the 'attacking' rabbit spayed.

We have them in seperate but joining hutches and every day replace the wood, that keeps them seperate, with some metal so that they can see each other and get used to each other again. (bit reluctant to leave the metal in over night in case they remove it with their teeth?)
We swap them over every now again so that they can get used to the smell of the other rabbit and not get too territorial on one hutch.

We have tried introducing them in their run but they keep fighting badly. We have tried to leave them for a while like we did before (despite them fighting) and althouh they do seem to calm down, the spayed one keeps chasing the other scared rabbit!

I have read many things about cars, spraying with water and washing machines but am wondering how we can do this with them fighting as soon as they see each other?? And should you put them in a box/cage or something? I am worried about trying this in such a small confined space? And if I am driving how can I stop it from going too far?

I am hoping desperatley that I won't have to fork out again for another spaying, will this ever work?

Please advise as I so do not want to keep them seperate as they used to get on SO well.

Thanks in advance, Katy

I'm afraid spaying is your only option imo.
If I read it right you have one spayed doe and one intact, if this is the case then you probably won't ever be able to bond them as the spayed rabbit will almost always attack the intact doe when hormones kick in. If they are both intact then I would recommend yo getting both does neutered and then try bonding once all the hormones have settled (6 to 8 weeks).
Also when bonding make sure that you bond in a small neutral area (like the bathroom or a separate pen that neither rabbit has been in as does are extremely territorial so will protect "their" stuff.

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Thanks for your reply, slightly annoying situation as it was the advice of a vet that said spaying one could work!! I see you said about the hormones settling down after 6-8 weeks? Is this how long it takes after being spayed? So, do you think I would have a chance of re-introducing them after this time or is spaying the other rabbit really the only option? I have had a lot of negative feedback for spending £60 to have one done and don't really wish to turn it into £120 if there is a chance at all?

Thanks

Yes 6 to 8 weeks after the op hormones will settle
As I said unless both are neutered I don't think it will work, the one that isn't neutered will still have her hormones. Also about 80% of does develop uterine cancer so neutering will prevent this.

Unfortunately there have been many cases where vets misinform rabbit owners as a lot of information is fairly new and many vets just don't know
Did your vet advise you on vaccinations and panacuring?

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I am yet to meet a vet that knows anything about bonding! You must have them spayed not only for bonding but for their health. Then let them recover and hormones settle and bond them on neutral ground.

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