House rabbits are spayed for 2 reasons: Preventing reproductive cancers and behavior. The risk of cancer is high (up to 80%), but does vary by breed a little bit. Changes within the uterus can begin as early as 3-4 years of age.

Let’s assume that Jumping Jack is actually 8 years old. Does it matter at this point? Some would argue that the risks outweigh the benefits at this age… others might not. It all depends on the rabbit’s current health. They would definitely want to do bloodwork prior to any kind of surgery if it is a senior rabbit. Keep in mind though, shelters/rescues can and do spay senior rabbits. Now what if she is 6 years old? The benefits would probably outweigh the risks… still may want to do bloodwork though just to be sure.

If you choose not to spay Jumping Jack, there is always the risk of her developing cancer. The risk increases with age. And it’s very possible she already has tumors even though there are no outward signs yet. Uterine cancer tends to grow slowly. So just keep that in mind.

As for having a friend… it’s typically not recommended. Unspayed females are hormonal and territorial. They tend to want to fight with other rabbits regardless of gender. However, if she had a neutered male bond mate before, then it may work. Some people say unspayed females will mellow a bit with age. Perhaps their hormones diminish as they get older? Keep in mind though that just because she liked her previous mate does not mean she will appreciate a new one. She may be happy as a single bunny.

I agree with LBJ10, I think whether she is 6 or 8 makes a difference. The competence of the vet also makes a big difference. There is a very good chance she already has cancer, and spaying could remove it all and give her more years. We recently spayed a 6 year old bunny at the rescue I volunteer at, and she did have cancer throughout her reproductive tract. They think they got it all though and she’s been doing great.

It may be possible to bond, it might not. But to me that is a secondary reason, with removing any cancers being the main motivation in my mind.

I think I would start by calling around various vets and gauging their confidence with spaying. Getting some bloodwork done could tell you if she has any conditions that might make her ineligible to spay, or anything else going on.

Usually breeders separate babies from mom around 8 weeks.

I think at 7 years I would call around and see what the vets are like in your region. If they do a lot of spays, they will likely be comfortable doing it after doing some blood work.