# two sister rabbits fighting ***need help and advise***



## katie harris (Oct 20, 2010)

i just got my rabbits re sexed as we thought by the way it was acting that it might be a male. but the vets have confirmed on neutering them that they are indeed both females.

if they are bother sisters why would one be attacking the other and chasing them all the time? it got so bad that the one being vitimised was getting very scared of even a touch and we separated them.

will they be any better now that the more agressive one (also she is very agressive to us) has been neutered, or will we have to look to permanant separation or possible rehoming of the one of them?


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Some does can be evil towards their sisters. I would leave them 6 weeks for hormone levels to drop them put them in runs next to each other for a while and once they get used to each others sights and smells start introductions on neutral territory.It may work but rabbits are very complex animals so I dont think you will know until you try.


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

I had 2 litter sisters tear each other apart (i'd kept them back, one was a good show rabbit & the other as a breeding Doe). They were 10 weeks old & had never been apart. Cuddled up together the night before, came down in the morning to a blood bath :gasp:. Needless to say the one that came off worse was the one i was going to show (i now couldn't show her as when a rabbit gets scar tissue the fur above will grow back a different colour, if fur is white you'll get black fur growing & if black fur you'll get white fur growing). As the standard for Dutch states that there should be no coloured fur on white & no white in coloured i couldn't show her (she was very nicely marked too which was annoying). So i learnt a valuable lesson, don't keep any together past about 8-9 weeks :2thumb:. They don't see themselves as sisters, they see it as i'm more dominant than you are so will fight you :whistling2:.


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## rmb87 (Aug 10, 2009)

Im not sure neutering just one will make a difference, it would need to be both then try again very slowly. Rabbits are buggers to pair up sometimes. Maybe if it didnt work out you could put their runs next to each other so they arent completely alone but also cant hurt each other?
edit: Dont know if im reading it right and if both are neutered or not!


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## samurai (Sep 9, 2009)

Shell195 said:


> Some does can be evil towards their sisters. I would leave them 6 weeks for hormone levels to drop them put them in runs next to each other for a while and once they get used to each others sights and smells start introductions on neutral territory.It may work but rabbits are very complex animals so I dont think you will know until you try.


I'd do this but keep them seperate and introduce a neutered male to each of them (preferably from a rescue). I personally wouldn't reintroduce them to each other as often once they've shown their dislike for one another they often won't tolerate each other again. Neutered male and female combos are known to be the best. You could give it a try but be prepared incase they fight (2 people, gloves, some thing to wedge between them to break them up) and make sure its done on neutral territory. When i've introed rabbits they tend to mount each other a lot at first and do a bit of chasing each other around before settling. Having distractions such as vegetables, hay, visual barriers around can be helpful but not so much clutter that you cannot split them easliy if things go badly. I think if they go in for a fight straight away then best to leave them apart (but not alone ) 

Also i think if you have the space and money to keep them, then keep them as there are so many rabbits in rescue centres 

Good luck


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## katie harris (Oct 20, 2010)

cheers for all the help and advise, they have both been neutered now and are doing fine, the no so nice one is still a bit of a buger lol but im sure with perserverence will get better. ill wait until we have our garden sorted and then introduce them again, but if they still dont get on, we have a large garden so will be building two separate enclosures/runs for them, they will be able to see eachother just not terriorise themselves lol

thanks


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## giant snail (Oct 25, 2009)

i wouldnt trust any vet to sex any of my animals maybe cat or dog they are useless.

so they may be boys. but its rare that females fight but once you get an evil female they are always like that! i have a few of them! really nasty.

i would separate them as de sexing them doesn't always work.

its just like kids. some will fight others dont. :lol2:


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## katie harris (Oct 20, 2010)

giant snail said:


> i wouldnt trust any vet to sex any of my animals maybe cat or dog they are useless.
> 
> so they may be boys. but its rare that females fight but once you get an evil female they are always like that! i have a few of them! really nasty.
> 
> ...


yea we will look at permanant separation probally tbh, shes 50/50 sometimes she can be OK and other times she is a nasty little bitch lol


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