Is it always necessary to neuter a rabbit? He is an only \"child\" so there is no breeding concerns. I always heard that they bite or become aggressive if they are not neutered. Petey is 6 months old and doesn\'t really show any of those signs. He does, however, chew every piece of paper in sight.
Also, we acquired him when he was 3 months old and even then he hated being held. My daughter would love for him to be a lap bunny, but he wants nothing to do with it. We can\'t even clip his nails properly because he hates being held. I wish we could have started holding him when he was very young.
Will neutering alter this also maybe? Any other positive things about neutering?
There are a number of good reasons for neutering Petey...
Besides the health benefits (neutering eliminates testicular cancer and decreases the incidence of prostate disease),
neutering Is good for you too...
Neutering makes male rabbits better, more affectionate companions. Altering rabbits can reduce hormone-driven behavior such as lunging, mounting, spraying, and boxing.
Petey might not be inclined to lunge or box with you, but the spraying thing...that\'s going to happen. Because I breed my rabbits, that is something I put up with, but \'Eau d\'Buck\' is one fragrence I\'d gladly do without.
Charlcie Gill
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com
Good points! Thank you! He is scheduled for his \"pre-neutering\" exam the day after Thanksgiving. I only let him in 2 rooms to roam at this point, and he consistently pees on the bed in the second room. I assume he is marking his territory. I\'ve tried putting a litter box in both rooms, and yet he still pees in that other room. He only pees in his litter box in his bedroom. Maybe neutering will help that too.
The lunging I could do without also. I always thought he was just being playful, but lately he has added a little \"love nip\" when he lunges. Hope it doesn\'t turn into a \"bite\"!
Thanks again.
Good luck with Petey! I just went through neutering with my 8 month old lop. He handled it just fine so I hope all goes well for you. I never had problems with him peeing or lunging so I hope that gets resolved for you too. Again, good luck!
Does the \"spraying\" smell really musky? I think my rabbit has done this. I thought HE was SHE until a few weeks ago and HE is about 9-10 months old. Is neutering generally routine for male rabbits? It is very expensive in my area. I have debated for a while if I should do it. \"Honey\" (my rabbit) is very gentle at this point and is kept as my classroom pet. I would really like to have him neutered if it is safe. Putting him to sleep makes me nervous. Let me know how Petey does.
For a rabbit kept as a pet, neutering is best. It is a relatively safe operation. The rabbit recovers rather quickly.
Ultimately, both you and your pet will be much better off.
Charlcie Gill
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com
Say I know nothing about neutering, which I really don\'t I mean I know why it is done and sorta what it involves, but I bought my pet from a petstore and they really couldnt tell me anything about the rabbit. I doubt that Maxis was, but is there a way to tell if Maxis has been neutered?
Rabbits are neutered for a number of reasons, but primarily, it tends to extend life and also minimizes aggressive behavior as well as territorial marking: i.e., spraying. (Hmmmm....Eau d\' Buck...not my favorite.)
Neutering involves removal of the testicles. Since I\'m guessing Maxis is a year-old at
least, they would be very noticeable if you turned Maxis over to have a look.
I recommend making an appointment with the vet. He or she can give Maxis an initial exam and tell you for sure if he has his \"equipment\".
Charlcie Gill
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com
Will someone let me know about how much a male rabbit neutering should cost? I feel like it is expensive in my area, (I got a quote from a vet that was more than I paid for my dogs!) and I would be willing to go somewhere else if it really is too expensive. I\'m also not very confident in the vets we\'ve seen...they don\'t seem to know much. Has anyone any had any complications??
Petey\'s surgery was 2 weeks ago and it was $75. He recovered beautifully and had to go back 10 days later to have stitches removed.
Unfortunately, as of yet, I\'ve noticed no change in his marking his territory (he peed on my son\'s bed just yesterday!!!), and he\'s chewing like C-R-A-Z-Y! It may be a little to early yet, I don\'t know.
My vet explained that other than the anesthetic (which is a little harder on rabbits), this surgery is usually a breeze for bunnies. Good luck!