Spaying ?

Question
Dear Sir,

I have two male rabbits approximately one year old, and both are not spayed. Both of them gets along with each other, however recently one of the male rabbits starts to mistaken that the other is a female and even bites the fur on the other's back of the neck just to prevent it from escaping.

The 'attacked' rabbit currently suffers lost of fur and dandruffs on the back of the neck area, what should I should? Would spaying them helps? Is there anyway to train the rabbit who is so dominant?

Answer
Hi,

I would strongly consider getting them neutered (females are spayed), if you have good rabbit vets around where you are.

Your one rabbit is not confusing the other for a female, it's not about sex.  When it's two rabbits of the same sex, it's about establishing dominance.  WIth 2 or more rabbits, one always will be the one in charge.  In some pairings you will see a female dominating a weaker male and mounting the male.  It's not about sex.

Getting rabbits neutered and spayed, decrease their hormones, so yes, it often reduces such hormonally-controlled behaviors.  The only thing I will tell you with two males paired together, you should not get any female rabbits.  Two males can get along okay without any females around.  Once a female is around they will fight each other because both will want to be the top male to be with the female.  Even if they are both neutered.

You can't train this behavior away.  You will need to get them neutered, and then it will take 4-6 weeks after the neuter for all the excess hormones to go down.  These displays of dominance will go down, but they won't go away entirely because that doesn't get rid of the fact one rabbit is always the dominant one.

to find a good rabbit vet (not all vets are) go here:

www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

and find a House Rabbit Society recommended vet near you.