How to stop my adult male rabbit from attacking younger males?

Hi Kian! You have some great questions. Even when keeping just one rabbit, I don't recommend leaving a buck unneutered. When male rabbits become sexually mature, they can act aggressively. The hormones can trigger territorial and dominance aggression. The most common signs of sexual maturity in a male include circling you, mounting you, or trying to bite you. Unneutered males can also frequently spray urine. I do urge you to have Fluffy neutered before four months of age. I hope this helps!

It doesn't say how old your rabbit is, but if you got her as a baby then she has likely become sexually mature. In female rabbits, this can cause them to become aggressive and not like to be handled. The best and easiest way to solve this problem is to get her spayed. This will remove the hormonal influence on her behavior and help her to settle down. Once she has been spayed you can start working with her and getting her used to being handled and patted again. Keep these sessions short and positive, and use a bit of her favorite food (a little bit of banana is a favorite of my bunnies) to keep it a positive experience.

Unlike cats and dogs, rabbits do not "go into heat" or have estrus cycles. When a female rabbit (doe) is mated by a male rabbit (buck), she will ovulate, or release eggs. Does reach sexual maturity at 6-8 months. Larger breeds may mature later. Bucks are mature at 6 months. Again, larger breeds will mature later. If a doe is not ready to mate, she will squeal, run or fight with interested bucks. When ready, she will be very receptive to any advance by an interested buck. You can keep up to 10 does with one buck. He can mate daily but that is not recommended, so the most he should be bred is 2-3 times per week. You will need to separate him out from the does once his job is complete. Gestation is about 1 month.

Sorry you are having this issue. She is most likely being territorial as she is becoming sexually active. Females can get very territorial and aggressive when they reach this stage. My honest recommendation would be to have her spayed - that will diminish any sexual drive and that may help decrease territorial behavior. I suggest you read these articles. They may help you try to correct this behavior. I still recommend spaying her..... http://rabbit.org/faq-aggression/ http://www.wikihow.com/Socialize-Your-Rabbit Hope this helps. Best wishes!

This unfortunately happens sometimes where their bond is broken around the time they reach sexual maturity. It is wise to keep them seperated, because the mounting seems like aggressive behavior. However, I would have a vet double-check the sex of these two. I have seen many rabbits that were mistakenly identified as females, when they were actually males. This would also explain the mating behavior. You should also consider having them spayed/neutered at this age. I prefer to do this surgery around this age and it's quite safe when in an experienced surgeons hands. They will often cease the aggressive/mounting behavior after this procedure is done; and it saves from having a litter of unwanted bunnies...which is a big problem. I hope that helps and you can get this problem sorted soon.

If the rabbits are unfamiliar with one another, the larger ones are very likely to try and dominate the smaller ones. Yes, there may be some sexual dominance taking place but I assure you if the ages you stated are correct they are not capable of breeding yet. If they are small breed rabbits, they usually are not capable of breeding until at least months, with larger breed rabbits closer to 7-8 months. If you are noting any aggression, I would remove the older ones from the younger ones as to avoid any injuries or deaths from occurring. I know, rabbit fighting sounds a little ridiculous, but I have seen rabbit injuries from fights. They usually aren't deadly or anything, but can require veterinary care.

Thanks for reaching out about Mr. Magoo. It is unusual for rabbits who are castrated to become aggressive after living together for some time. Environmental stresses can shift hierarchies and start aggressions. Adrenal tumors can produce testosterone and lead to aggression. Not all rabbits get along, forever and they might have to be separated. An examination with a veterinarian with experience in rabbit could probably help you. Good luck.