Pet Information > ASK Experts > Exotic Pets > Rabbits > When is a scuffle a fight?

When is a scuffle a fight?

22 11:12:03

Question
Good Afternoon,
 I have been trying to bond two male (altered) rabbits for six months.  Each time they have a scuffle, I break them apart and wait to try again.  Now I am wondering is their "scuffles" are not really fighting and are normal for bonding.  One rabbit will snip at the other and then they will end up in a circle of bitting with tufts of hair being pulled out.  I break it up as soon as it begins.  Now I am reading that a "fight" is when there is biting on the face and open wounds.
 Should I alow them to have these "scuffles" and work it out?
 Thank you.

Answer
Hi Karen,

fighting is face biting, biting at the neck or belly, boxing the other with hands, kicking with feet, drawing blood, tearing an ear.  Somebody's got their ears back and tail raised and growling.  One rabbit just comes charging the other and takes a hunk of fur or draws blood.  Or worse they both want to fight.

The chasing, little nipping, pulling loose fur with teeth generally are done when two rabbits are trying to settle the dominance issue (who is top bunny).

It is good you are there watching, as sometimes the dominance stuff can turn into actual fighting, and that would need to immediately be broken up.  This can happen if both want to be dominant, or if the submissive one gets tired of the other one and starts fighting back.  

But if they are just doing the other things and don't appear to be fighting, you need to let it continue (and yes it is hard to watch the first few times) until one grooms the other, and then the other reciprocates.  This may take awhile.  One may groom (submissive one grooms first) and it may take awhile for the dominant one to groom back.

Sometimes people resort to what I call 'trauma bonding' for difficult pairs, where you kind of give them both something to be afraid of more than their desire to not get along.  Like a bumpy car ride in the same carrier.  Or in a box on top of the bumpy washing machine.  Or in the laundry basket together while you walk through the house, less than lightly putting it down and picking it up with them inside, placing it on tables and counters, etc.  All of these are supervised of course.  Sometimes going through a scary situation together gets them to focus on a common shared experience and helps bond them together.

Other times you as the alpha bun, places them side by side, and with a little more force than normal, pets their head and back indicating to them that you as the aplha bun, expect them to get along.  Anyone getting out of line gets their head gently but firmly pushed down on the carpet for several seconds with a "No, <their name>".  

The House Rabbit Society web site (www.rabbit.org) has lots of articles on bonding.  At the bottom of the main page search on the word "bonding".  You'll get a bunch of articles back to read and print out.

But you are very good to ask the question and be very careful about what your boys are doing.  After all you are trying to improve their quality of life instead of ending up at the vet.

Feel free to write back anytime.

Lee