Why does my female rabbit act aggressive towards my male rabbit outside of their cage?

Question

I first got my male rabbit and had him for about 4 months and then we decided to get another rabbit and it ended up being a female. My male rabbit is 8 months and is neutered and my female rabbit is 4 months and she is not spayed. When we got the female we bought a whole new cage that has two levels and new dishes toys etc. My male tries to mount her sometimes and she doesn't care she just hops around or now she tries to mount him too and he just acts the same as she does and they never mount each others head. Lately now when we take them outside of the cage if he goes near her she'll get mad and nip at him and she never use to do this before we always take them out into the hallway its been the same ever since but he doesn't bite her back he just still wants to be near her but when their in their cage together she always wants to cuddle with him and she follows him around, so i don't quite understand why she acts aggressive towards him outside of the cage and not inside their cage.

Answer 1

I guess it's territory boundaries.

For a start, well done on getting them fixed- not enough people do that now, but I would recommend getting her spayed for two reasons-

1.) Calming down aggressive/territorial behavior, which she is displaying.

2.) Cuts the current high risk of cancer way, way down. (Unspayed rabbits have an 80% chance of getting sexual organ cancers.)

But I think the problem is, they've shared a cage so she understands that's THEIR territory- however, in the wild, rabbits have vast territories and she considers the outside of the cage part of her's- and, as they haven't shared this space together- I assume- then she thinks he is invading the space.

***

Read what I said.

She's aggressive because she's not spayed.

He's docile because he's fixed.

So HE won't bite because he won't feel aggression and territories- but she will because she's not spayed and female rabbits, when they hit adult hood (she's only just hit adulthood if she's four months, hence the sudden change in behavior) can be very aggressive to other rabbits.

To fix this, you need to get her spayed, and then she won't nip him because she won't feel like he's invading.