fighting dwarfs

Question
Hi there, I have 2 female dwarf bunnies (~ 4 months old) they were the best of friends, snuggling & sleeping together until recently. Now they are nonstop circling, chasing, mounting, and some biting. They have never behaved like this.... I separated them during the night, tried spraying them with water to diffuse the tension and nothing seems to be working. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks so much!  

Answer
Hi Kathleen,

it's a two part thing: they hit sexual maturity, and a dominance issue.

Sexual maturity makes females more territorial and prone to fight other females in their immediate area (friends or not).  Combine this with the fact that bunnies in groups have a top bunny, that has to earn the dominance (the mounting, small nips and chasing are all part of this).

Best thing to do is keep them separate until they can be spayed.  You will need to wait at least a month before attempting to re-bond as tehy need that time to use up the existing hormones in their bodies.

You also need them spayed by a good rabbit vet.  You can check

www.rabbit.org\vets

for a House Rabbit Society recommended rabbit vet in your area.

Feel free to write back with any questions and/or to let me know how things work out.

Lee