Lost Bonding after Nautering

Question
I have 2 rabbits, male and female.  I had the male first then had him spayed before introducing a female.  She was too young to neuter at the time.  They bonded well and have been extremely close although she is very nervous and was particularly so with him in the beginning.  They were certainly bonded, grooming, snuggling, eating together etc.  I have just had the female neutered (just over 6 months old).  She has been caged within their usual room (they have a large spare bedroom in the house as their main area) but when I tried to re-introduce them after one week it was as if they'd never met before.  She's terrified of him and he is chasing her everywhere and spraying where she's been.  He doesn't chase her until she runs away from him but he can't move an inch in her direction without her fleeing, hence, it's a constant chase.  I've got her caged again in their room and put them together under supervision but it's not getting any better and she's EXTREMELY frustrated being caged.  They happy enough with each other through the wire.  I'm so sad that this has happened to such a happy pair and don't know what to do next.  The chases never result in any kind of fight or violence.  If she stops he stops too.  Should I just leave them alone to sort it out???  I really don't know what to do next.  I'd be so appreciative of your help.

Thanks
Diane


Answer
Hi Diane

A few ideas here.. first if your doe was just spayed a week ago you really need to give her more time to heal.  Ideally they should have 30 complete days to recover.  It is a horrible and painful surgery and even though she may be acting like she feels better her little body is not fully recovered.

I would keep them caged next to each other and give them both separate times to play.  After her recovery you will have to let them figure out who is boss again.  She is probably terrified after what she went through.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with chasing.  It helps them figure out who the boss is.  Often times after surgery the stress is so much that the bond is lost.  It can be re-established.  If you need to start in neutral territory again you may need to do that.  However since they are just chasing and not fighting or displaying fighting behavior I would just keep an eye on them if it were me.  If they show any signs of aggression at all, try spraying them in the face with a water bottle to settle them down.  Sometimes chasing can last a few hours or a few weeks but its just part of the grand scheme.  Once the dominant bunny realizes he is the boss and the other one submits to this fact then they should be happily bonded again.

Good luck and if you have any more questions or concerns please let me know.

Thanks

Pam