Is Nelson Strange?

[Nelson_is_mine]

Lately I've been wondering about my dear Nel. Maybe before I wasn't paying attention or something, but in the past month or so I've been noticing a lot of people talking about neutering more than usual. They've talked about the smell an unneutered male can have and spraying. I'll have had Nelson for a year in May and I guessed he was three to six months when I got him (he was a surrender at the feed store). He doesn't smell and has never sprayed. He's never humped either. I'm just wondering if not all males spray (he's a single rabbits so there's not really reason for him to) or if maybe he was neutered in his old home. (i doubt it. He was not in the best condition when I got him.) Is there a way to tell by just looking like you can with a dog?

Sorry if this is a dumb question.

 

[trailsend]

If Nelson is neutered it will be easy to tell - flip him over and see if he's still got his jewls or not. If he was surrendered to a feed store - it's very likely he is not.

As for the smell & spraying - no, not all un neutered males spray, hump, or smell bad. but some do, andA LOT. Out of all my males, I have one that sprays like a crazy thing... he sprays everything and likes to do it to me especially. But most of my boys that are not neutered yet don't spray a lot, and none of them do in the house, only in their houses. My males all have free time in the entire upstairs of the house (except for the carpeted bedroom) and they don't pee or spray anywhere, they are so good. But sometimes males can make an awful mess and be really stinky like my Lollipop who is on top of my neuter list.Depends on the bun.

 

[Nelson_is_mine]

Pfft...never in his life would he let me pick him up and inspect down there. I doubt that he was neutrered too, but I was just wondering why he wasn't spraying or being stinky. Not that I'm complaining!

 

[trailsend]

lol, what can I say then? Maybe Nelson is a girl?

A lot of buns don't like you looking at their goods, but you really should work with Nelson so that you can. You should be able to touch and feel and look at him all over, so if anything unusual ever develops with him, or he gets ill, you will be able to notice the change and find out what it is. You could get someone to help you look at Nelsons tum, but the best way is to just be gentle and take it a little bit at a time repeatedly. I've had rabbits come to me that had never been handled want to kill me when I tried to sit them in my lap and trance them, and within a couple days, had them trusting enough they didn't even jump. It's pretty easy to trance a bun once they know they can trust you and how good it feels to be flipped over and tummy rubbed. :biggrin2:

 

[Flashy]

Not all buns are sprayers or stinky. If he is your only bun then he won't need to, because that is all about marking territory and he already knows it's his territory. I bet if you suddenly bought him another rabbit he would change.

Just enjoy the calm bunny you have, but as trailsend says, are you sure he's a guy?

 

[Nelson_is_mine]

Positive. I play with his tail a lot (much to his annoyance) and I canget a pretty good look. I know, I really should work with him. He loves sitting in my lap and will let me pet him most places (except his throat, he always looks offended when I try to pet him there. I think he thinks he's getting a chin rub and is upset when he doesn't recieve it. Or for the more obvious reason. I don't blame him. I don't like people touching my throat either.) but it's all on his terms. When I have picked him up and put him on my lap I get the butt for days. He does need work.