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Q: Is spaying or neutering my rabbit really necessary? A: Oh, you betcha! All the bunnies here at NTRS are altered before adoption. Spaying (females) or neutering (males) is necessary for three basic reasons: 1) Health 2) Behavioral 3) Overpopulation Prevention |
Health
Spaying female rabbits (especially before the age of three) virtually eliminates the risk of ovarian, uterine, or mammalian cancer, and in male rabbits, testicular cancer. If we can prevent cancer, we should do it. See, unspayed female rabbits, up to 85% will develop the above reproductive cancers. Losing a rabbit to cancer is devastating, especially if it is preventable through spaying or neutering. Females should be spayed around six months of age, and males can be spayed around 3 ½ months of age. For the love of your bunny, please spay or neuter early.
Behavioral
We all know how humans act when hormones are in action. So like dogs or cats, rabbits can be a little to a lot of mischief before being spayed or neutered. Spaying or neutering your little fur kid(s) will make them calmer, more loving and dependable once the urge to mate has been removed. Rabbits are less prone to destructive (chewing, digging) and territorial (biting, lunging, circling, and growling) behavior. Urine spraying ceases and litter box usage becomes more reliable after spaying or neutering. Wow! Did you catch all of that? I need a drink of water. Let me go on, the transformation after the operation will not be immediate. It will take a few weeks for the hormone levels to drop.
Also, rabbits are very social creatures and enjoy the company of other rabbits…just like humans. However, unless your rabbit is altered, s/he cannot have a friend of either the opposite or same sex due to the risk of breeding, and sexual and aggressive behavior triggered by hormones. It should also be noted that males can still impregnate unspayed females for several weeks. So, keep the fur kids in a separate space until the hormones are under control <wink>.
Overpopulation Prevention
Lastly, but very important, spaying or neutering your rabbit helps prevent the already growing problem of rabbit overpopulation. Unwanted rabbits are often abandoned in fields, parks, or on city streets to fend for themselves where they are most likely to die within 24-48 hours from predatory animals, extreme weather conditions, starvation/sickness, or being hit by vehicles. House rabbits do not have the same instinct as their wild rabbit cousins because they have been domesticated. Abandoning them to the outdoors is like killing them yourself.
No-kill rabbit rescues and sanctuaries (such as NTRS) are overflowing and filled to capacity with unwanted rabbits. When purchased from pet stores or breeders, an estimated 90% die from improper care or are abandoned at animal shelters across the country, most to be euthanized or bought for snake food.
Wrapping Up
Altering should be done by an experienced rabbit savvy vet. For those in the local area, please refer to the list of NTRS Recommended Rabbit Veterinarians. Do not allow a veterinarian with little or no experience with rabbits to spay or neuter your rabbit. For a state-by-state listing, visit the House Rabbit Society’s Veterinarian Index and be sure to ask the appropriate questions to be sure your rabbit is in competent hands. We at NTRS want to educate you with the truth, not opinions.
Remember a question will open up the truth,
Miss Maddie
~ Information courtesy of the House Rabbit Society and House Rabbit Network.
Spaying female rabbits (especially before the age of three) virtually eliminates the risk of ovarian, uterine, or mammalian cancer, and in male rabbits, testicular cancer. If we can prevent cancer, we should do it. See, unspayed female rabbits, up to 85% will develop the above reproductive cancers. Losing a rabbit to cancer is devastating, especially if it is preventable through spaying or neutering. Females should be spayed around six months of age, and males can be spayed around 3 ½ months of age. For the love of your bunny, please spay or neuter early.
Behavioral
We all know how humans act when hormones are in action. So like dogs or cats, rabbits can be a little to a lot of mischief before being spayed or neutered. Spaying or neutering your little fur kid(s) will make them calmer, more loving and dependable once the urge to mate has been removed. Rabbits are less prone to destructive (chewing, digging) and territorial (biting, lunging, circling, and growling) behavior. Urine spraying ceases and litter box usage becomes more reliable after spaying or neutering. Wow! Did you catch all of that? I need a drink of water. Let me go on, the transformation after the operation will not be immediate. It will take a few weeks for the hormone levels to drop.
Also, rabbits are very social creatures and enjoy the company of other rabbits…just like humans. However, unless your rabbit is altered, s/he cannot have a friend of either the opposite or same sex due to the risk of breeding, and sexual and aggressive behavior triggered by hormones. It should also be noted that males can still impregnate unspayed females for several weeks. So, keep the fur kids in a separate space until the hormones are under control <wink>.
Overpopulation Prevention
Lastly, but very important, spaying or neutering your rabbit helps prevent the already growing problem of rabbit overpopulation. Unwanted rabbits are often abandoned in fields, parks, or on city streets to fend for themselves where they are most likely to die within 24-48 hours from predatory animals, extreme weather conditions, starvation/sickness, or being hit by vehicles. House rabbits do not have the same instinct as their wild rabbit cousins because they have been domesticated. Abandoning them to the outdoors is like killing them yourself.
No-kill rabbit rescues and sanctuaries (such as NTRS) are overflowing and filled to capacity with unwanted rabbits. When purchased from pet stores or breeders, an estimated 90% die from improper care or are abandoned at animal shelters across the country, most to be euthanized or bought for snake food.
Wrapping Up
Altering should be done by an experienced rabbit savvy vet. For those in the local area, please refer to the list of NTRS Recommended Rabbit Veterinarians. Do not allow a veterinarian with little or no experience with rabbits to spay or neuter your rabbit. For a state-by-state listing, visit the House Rabbit Society’s Veterinarian Index and be sure to ask the appropriate questions to be sure your rabbit is in competent hands. We at NTRS want to educate you with the truth, not opinions.
Remember a question will open up the truth,
Miss Maddie
~ Information courtesy of the House Rabbit Society and House Rabbit Network.
