Too old to spay + Neutered male?

[SpottyBunny]

I searched lots and lots, and most of the threads related to this seem to be about neutered males and females that are going to be spayed in the next little while. 

So, how about females that shouldn’t be spayed because of age? 

Lily’s definitely an elderbun (over eight) and I’m convinced the benefits outweigh the risks at her age.  She was a long-time daycare veteran, and I brought her home in November 2013.  I would like to bond her with my soon-to-be-neutered male closer to the end of the year.  She’s not territorial and she’s only ever caged when we’re not home.  She enjoys human company and loves to be groomed with brushes, and stretches out whenever we pet her.  Best yet, Lily’s not aggressive or skittish in the least bit. 

All I know about him is that he’s at a good age to be snipped– so he’s likely young and mature.  He’s affectionate, curious, and runs in circles for human attention whenever someone walks by his pen.  He thrives in a heavily social environment, which we are able to provide, but only in the way humans can. 

He has the second bedroom to himself, and she can hop by his door any time she pleases.  They have NIC cubes separating them, with furniture in front of it to block the view.  When it’s just the gate, I sit by to make sure no one takes a chunk out of the other.  That’s when he goes predictably bouncing, hopping, girl-crazy while she sits and stares .

I know that I need to be aware of territorial issues, fighting, and false pregnancies– but a fairly happy bond seems to be possible in a few circumstances that I’ve seen.  I would definitely get as many protective measures as possible when attempting.  Worst case scenario, once he’s neutered, I would allow them to live side by side (separated by a gap if necessary) so that they have at least a little interaction.

Has anyone done this with success?

I am not interested in finding him a companion his age at this point.   I’m most interested in hearing from anyone who’s had success or attempted it. 

[Sarita]

I think because of Lily’s age she might be easy to bond spayed or not – rabbits usually are pretty mellow at this age. I’ve never done this but I think it would be worth trying.

[SpottyBunny]

Thanks for the encouragement. 

Neuter is planned for next week.  I explained my concerns about two unfixed bunnies living in the same tiny house, and the receptionist said she would make me an appointment asap– but would have to call me back tomorrow to confirm a time and date.  The vet is from the HRS website.  Fingers crossed! 

[Stickerbunny]

Just be careful as he will be fertile up to four weeks AFTER the neuter. And they CAN mate through the bars of a gate, so watch out for more than just them taking chunks. All it takes is one second of humping to impregnate a female (seriously, it happens lightning quick and once started, it’s not possible to stop it in time). A pregnancy at her age would probably be very stressful for her. But, as long as she’s mellow enough and her intact scent doesn’t bug him, could work.

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