Biting/New Rabbit

Question
I have had my rabbit for a few months now and I decided to get him/her a friend(not sure if its a boy or girl) I brought the new bunny home and my old rabbit started biting him. I decided it wasn't a good idea. I took my new bunny back to the pet store (very sad about that). But now, my old rabbit seems very angry. It has bitten me twice, and just isn't as playful as she (I say its a girl) used to be. I was wondering if the new rabbit was a bad idea and now she is mad at us, or what is up...Thanks for your help!
My AIM screen name is IamMobius8 if you are available on there to talk. Thanks again!!!

Answer
Dear Laci,

Rabbit introductions need to be done very carefully and in a neutral territory.  You've learned the hard way that rabbits--especially if not spayed/neutered--are extremely territorial and can be vicious fighters.  You can find several articles with tips on how to bond bunnies here:

http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-a=00062824-sp00000000&sp-q=bonding

If your bunny isn't spayed, then this is another source of aggression.  She will calm down a lot once she's spayed.  For more information:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/spay.html

Now about the recent aggression:  How long ago did you take the new bunny away?  If it's been only a day or two, it's possible that your bunny is still worked up, and may even still smell the newcomer on your clothing.  Try to clean and deodorize anything the new bunny touched, even if it means using baking soda on the carpet.

It may take your bunny several days to calm down after this perceived affront to her authority as Rabbit of the House.  Just meet all her aggressive attacks with gentle petting and loving, soft talking.  She is feeling very insecure right now, and she's probably "pulling rank" on you (the subservient human!) to tell you that she did NOT approve of the newcomer, and that she's still in a very cranky mood about it!

If she's aggressive after several days, she could be having a false pregnancy, which will keep her cranky for several weeks.  This means it's high time to have her spayed, which will really help with this problem and permanently solve the problem of very high risk of uterine cancer.

If you don't yet have a good bunny vet, you can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

And if you want to try again to bond your bunny (once she's spayed), I'd suggest you contact your local rabbit rescuer (via the www.rabbit.org site) and set up a "blind date" with several eligible neutered bachelors.  Letting her choose her own mate is critical to success, though even a good first date doesn't mean you won't have to do careful bonding at home once the newlyweds come home.  Your local rabbit rescuer can help and coach you.  But it's definitely worth it to see two loving bunnies cuddling together!  :)

Hope that helps.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana