Not all boy rabbits will show teenage behavior, but if you get him neutered, the chances of him spraying will stop.

I am not so sure about them becoming more affectionate (all rabbits have different personalities) but the rabbit will calm down and stop being so hormonally driven.

A single breed can have different personalities. I have a Netherland Dwarf and she is the biggest diva in the world. She thinks she owns me and the apartment.

 There are only a few that will tolerate cuddles My rabbit loves pets and will ask for pets on her own accord. Otherwise, she does not like me touching her. A rabbit is a prey animal, so when held, its first instinct is to run and get away from the person/animal. It is a completely normal reaction and the only time a rabbit should be held is when absolutely needed.

Here is a video of how to hold a rabbit:

here is also a list of vets recommended by the house rabbit society:

http://www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

If you can’t find a vet that is close to you, i would recommend making calls to vets to ask how many rabbits are seen there. A good vet will have experience in rabbits. Rabbits are considered exotics and are treated differently from dogs and cats. Many rabbits if seen by a qualified rabbit vet, do not suffer complications or death. Boy rabbits tend to bounce back from neuters faster.

Why does your mom insist on having your rabbit outside? There are many predators and diseases out there that your rabbit may suffer. Plus rabbits are very social creatures.

Some bunnies just don’t like being snuggled or picked up. And they don’t like their stuff being messed with when they are around.

I would get him neutered. My boy is neutered, almost 2 years old now, and he is “calm” so to speak, in that he likes having us around, doesn’t spray, doesn’t get aggressive with us, although he still loves to dig and chew and play. Neutering will help with the litter training, stop him from spraying, and make it so he can enjoy his little bunny life instead of having the need to mate all the time. It’s in his best interest

Honestly, it was the smartest choice I ever made. The woman I got my bunny from said she never neutered hers, and they all were fine. My bunny was mean, territorial, and didn’t like anything. It’s been two weeks since we’ve had him neutered and when I reach out for him and comes running and pushing his cheek toward my hand to pet. We adopted another bun who is 2 years old and has been neutered for many years. He is a total sweetheart, but still displays territorial boy behavior like peeing on his rival bunny’s bed.

Over all neutering your bunny ensures better mood and health

Heather, just tell your mom the benefits of getting your rabbit neutered

I definitely encourage having him neutered! The urine spraying will likely only get worse, and neutering should largely put an end to that. My bunny sprayed ME with urine constantly until we had him neutered… life is much more pleasant now!

Also, both of my bunnies were MUCH better about not pooing outside of their litter box after we had them neutered. They were mostly litter box trained to begin with, but they’d leave territorial poos EVERYWHERE. Post-neuter, there’s still a few poos here and there, but not the poo-splosion of the pre-neuter days.

Both bunnies were equally affectionate before and after neuter, but they were less aggressive about demanding love and attention. They might still “dig dig dig” at my feet, or “bump” my leg to get my attention, but they never nipped me after neutering. (My first bunny used to nip my ankles to get me to pet him! And bunnies have sharp teeth, as you’ve discovered!)

I understand your mom’s concern about having a rabbit spraying urine inside the house. I would not like that at all. For this reason, he needs to be neutered. Male bunnies can be very stinky when unneutered, but most/all of that odor will go away after the surgery.

Maybe a little info from a more official source than some people on a message board will be more convincing to your mom! The House Rabbit Society has lots of good articles on bunnies, care, and behavior. Maybe if you send her some links or print out some materials it will be convincing. Here is a link to their info on the benefits of spay/neuter. Good luck and keep us updated!
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/spay-neuter.html

HRS is a fantastic resource. Also, if you already have an established vet for your other animals, they may be of some benefit as well.

No, if you find a qualified vet that sees rabbits a lot, you are in good hands. It is your responsibility to ask the vet that you find important questions before scheduling a neuter. you have to be comfortable with the vet.

I have posted the list of recommended vets in a previous post. You may want to look at it.

I just had my male neutered last week and I can already tell he’s not as grumpy as before. He’s eating better and doesn’t “thump” at us as much when we come around to pet him. He will take food from our hand now and will tolerate being brushed a little, he wouldn’t before.

Yes, there is always a risk with surgery. But if you get a qualified vet, your chances of success are very high.
I asked how often she saw rabbits, how many surgeries she had done on rabbits, and asked her some of the questions from the site listed above, she passed all the questions

I had my rabbit neutered 4 days ago. It was the best choice as he was starting to get very aggressive and territorial. He also started spraying me my stuff around the house as well as my dog. He would chase me . He wasn’t like this the first 7 months he is 9 month now and the hormones are real. They can’t turn the hormones off. You need to use and research a good Exotic Rabbit specialist. If the vet says to stop feeding before surgery don’t use them. They need to eat all the way up until they are under anesthesia and immediately after. Anesthesia slows the gi tract and gi statis is real and happens fast. My rabbit ate after surgery but for two days he wouldn’t eat or drink much even me hand feeding and water feeding which is important so I had to rush him back due fo lack of poops and pees for 24 hours post op. They gave him more pain meds and aggressive iv for fluids. Also we had to do critical care for every 6 hours to get his system moving. After surgery the first 48 are crucial and you need to watch him . That is a scary time. Boys do tend to bounce back fast but you have fo keep trying to feed and water them. Educate your self before this. They have a list to ask the vet pre op appointment. If they don’t answer them the right way find another vet . Don’t use any vet they have to be a exotic rabbit specialist. It will change there life ans yours for the better in the long haul. Testicular cancer can happen if not fixed as well. Good luck

Hi Tricia! Thank you for sharing your experience and welcome to Binky Bunny! This is a very old thread, so I’m going to lock it now to avoid confusion. We ask that members don’t reply to old threads because the original commenters are unlikely to reply.