need advice on whether I should neuter my rabbit or not

[crazylittlebunny]

hello everyone!

So I have a male mini rex rabbit that just recently turned 4 months old. I am thinking about getting him neutered, especially now that he is starting act out. My parents think that it’s not a good idea and say that it would be just a waist of money and that “I don’t know anyone around here that would spay or neuter their pet rabbits”. I have been doing my research on the benefits of spaying and neutering rabbits and tried to explain it to my parents but they are still not for it and just told me “whatever”. I know that I am going to be paying for the surgery on my own and I am perfectly fine with that because he’s my rabbit but I’m not sure what to do because I don’t want to upset my parents.

I also want to add that before I got my mini rex, I had a female lion head rabbit and she passed away around the ages of 6 or 7 due to uterus cancer because I wasn’t allowed to get her spayed.

So should I go against my parents thoughts and beliefs and get my rabbit neutered??

[DanaNM]

First just wanted to say I’m sorry about the loss of your female. 🙁

Neutering in males is mostly for behavioral reasons, usually things like poor litter habits, spraying, and aggression. Excessive nipping and mounting attempts can also be obnoxious. Unfortunately, unspayed/neutered bunnies are often surrendered at shelters for the same reasons that can be solved by neutering.

So if your bun is starting to act out (is being aggressive or spraying, etc.), then it sounds like neutering would really help his behavior and help him be a better and happier house pet. Neutered males tend to be more calm because they aren’t just looking for females all the time.

Neutering is also usually cheaper and less invasive than spaying, so perhaps you can work out an agreement with your parents for them to pay for it and you can save up and pay them back over time?

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Wick & Fable]

It sounds like you want to neuter your rabbit  but don’t want to upset your parents. Upsetting your parents may not be something you can change, but you can always try.

Rabbit.org is House Rabbit Society’s website which talks about the benefits of neutering. You can perhaps play to the property destruction and ease of care aspect of neutering  which helps in reducing what we view as destructive behaviors towards humans and the environment  like humping, spraying, and digging.

Ultimately  if they seem rigid about their opinion, I actually then ask you how this might impact or be impacting other care aspects? If your rabbit is sick or they have a misinformed belief about care practices, in many cases the parent’s opinions dominate because they control the money and transportation. How is everything else with rabbit care going?

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[crazylittlebunny]

Everything else in my rabbits care is going just fine. I have my own car to get to there and after calling the vet and asking what they charge, have more than enough money to pay for the surgery on my own so my parents won’t be doing either of those things. I also looked up and tried to show and explain the benefits of spaying/neutering rabbits but like I mentioned on my original post, they just told me “whatever” and dismissed it. I tried to talk to a friend about it and she basically said the same thing. He is starting to act out now (digging and ripping up the carpet, peeing and pooping outside of litter box, etc…) and I would like those destructive behaviors to stop before my parents really start getting angry that things are being destroyed.

[LBJ10]

Hmm… to me, when they say “whatever”, they mean “if you want to waste your money on that…”. If you have your own money (I assume you have a job), then I can’t see how they could be upset with you spending your money on neutering your rabbit. After all, there are much worse things you could “waste” your money on. 😉

You may check with local animal shelters with rabbits to see who they use. You might find a lower price that way, but still with an experienced rabbit vet.

[crazylittlebunny]

There are two vets in my area that will do the surgery. One vet only neuters male rabbits and charges around $80-$90. The other vet both spays ($250) and neuters ($200) rabbits.

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