Male Rabbit Problems

[BoopleSnoot]

I got a bun named Eeyore from a coworker about a year ago. It was clear she had done nothing with this bunny. He’s shy and skittish, even now. We left him in his cage for a few days and then opened it up. It took awhile for him to come out but when he did he was off like a rocket. He became fast friends with the cats, nosing their tails and then letting them chase him around. But then he started humping them. I separated them for obvious reasons. Every time I put them together he’s okay for a while but then he would hump them. Fast forward, I recently got two girls that are a bonded pair. We tried bonding with Eeyore, and the were very happy sleeping against the wall of his cage with him. So we took the chance of a meeting. It went well for a few minutes. But then Eeyore ruined it. One of the girls simply sat there and I pulled him off. He went to the other and she wasn’t having it. I put the girls back up and let him play for a bit and tried using a spray botttle to deter him from humping but it hasn’t worked. The vets in my area said he’s too old to get neutered and there was too big of a risk for them to take. He’s too shy and distant for me to work with, and he acts practically wild. I can’t even get my hands on him anymore. I’m not too sure what to do. My buns are getting an outdoor hutch soon and it is going to have to be split in half if they can’t get along.

I need some advice on what to do about it, thanks!

[Luna]

So Eeyore is around 1 year old? That’s not too old to be neutered. Are there any other exotics vets in your area that you could try? If there are any rabbit shelters/rescues nearby, I’m sure they would be able to recommend where to go to get him neutered .

[tobyluv]

One year old is definitely not too old to be neutered. One of the rabbits I have now was neutered when he was 4 years old, by the shelter where I adopted him. We often have to go outside of our immediate area to find rabbit savvy vets. The vets you spoke with do not sound knowledgeable about rabbits at all.

You can’t put any rabbits together and try to bond them unless they have all been spayed or neutered, with a few weeks post surgery time elapsing. You are risking fighting and severe injuries if you do so.

[BoopleSnoot]

Eeyore is somewhere between 5-6 years old. I’ve only had him a year. I tried contacting the girl I got him from to find out for sure but she changed her number. From my knowledge, there are not really any rabbit savvy vets, nor rescues in my area. All that I have seen are dog and cats and one horse rescue. I’ll keep searching around but I don’t want to have to drive too far because he gets very stressed during car rides. The only one I’ve seen has a vet that is almost always unavailable and a bit costly.

[Mikey]

So the girls arnt spayed and the boy isnt neutered. You really cant put them together. Not only will they breed, but they will continue to act like this until one of the girls gets upset enough that she lashes out on him and causes a fight. Note that rabbits will try to fight to the death in many cases. Unless you want a dead rabbit and/or some babies, youll need to keep him away from the girls and look for a vet who will fix them

[tobyluv]

Even a 5 or 6 year old rabbit could be neutered if you have a good, rabbit savvy vet, who approves the surgery. A vet would do blood tests first to check his liver function and also give him a good overall checkup to make sure that he is healthy.

At some point, almost all rabbits are going to need vet care – for illnesses, injuries or just routine checks. So it is important to have a vet you can count on to give the correct treatments and provide any surgeries needed. It’s best to have one lined up, and not wait until an emergency comes up. Vet care for rabbits is unfortunately not cheap. It’s really not cheap for any animals, but rabbits are considered exotics and their care can be higher, plus most low cost spay/neuter clinics don’t include rabbits.

If your females aren’t spayed, they shouldn’t be together either, if they have reached the age of puberty, which can start at 3 months. Baby bunnies are fine together, but when the hormones come flooding in, there can be attitude, aggression, fighting and injuries. And if they’re not spayed, you can’t even let them be around your unneutered male at all. It only takes a few seconds for pregnancy to occur.

[RabbitPam]

Often a vet that works with smaller animals like birds is able to handle rabbits. Also, despite the age, it is easier for a vet to neuter a male than to spay a female, so if that’s possible that could be done sooner while you try to locate a vet experienced in spays.

A male is still hormonally active for a month after a neuter, so keeping them separated is essential for the many different reasons mentioned here. Though I agree with Mikey about some dire instances, it is more likely that life in the form of loads of babies is going to happen rather than a fight to the death. Either way, you need a vet as tobyluv wisely said.

[flemishwhite]

See a vet that specializes in rabbits.  A healthy male rabbit can be neutered at any age. I get the notion that vets that don’t specialize in rabbits are wary of operating on them.  

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