Is not neutering even an option?

[Xiaohuihui]

So, I'm pretty sure my rabbit (rescued, no history) is male. He was so tiny when I got him about five weeks ago, but is now much bigger and kind of driving me crazy. He is still sweet and cuddly, but WAY more active. Like, jumping on my bed, trying to climb up my headboard, running around like a crazy rabbit kind of active. Is this a sign he is going through bunny puberty? Will he calm down eventually?

The possibility of neutering him is really stressing me out. I am living in a country where vets have a horrible reputation (basically unskilled con artists who try to get as much money out of rich pet lovers as they can) and to get to one that would even see a rabbit I would have to travel. Before I really start setting things in motion, I really just wanted to hear if it is even an option to not fix a pet rabbit. If anyone can chime in with their experiences, I'd really appreciate it.

 

[BinkyBunny]

I do know people who have had pet rabbits that were not neutered/spayed because they were for show. Having said that they had to deal with these rabbits many hormonally fueled problems. Sometimes that involved growling and even nipping or urine spraying. One person told me that the difference is night and day. Personally I have only had fixed bunnies. It may be worth making a long day trip even if you have to save up and cannot do it right away. Some hormonal behaviors can become habit though, so the longer you wait the greater the chance they may not chill out.

 

[JBun]

Baby rabbits tend to be really active, but he may chill a bit as he gets older. Really just depends on his personality. And it's not absolutely necessary to get a male neutered, especially if you don't have access to good rabbit vets. Usually the reasons people will get a male rabbit neutered is because they want to bond him with another rabbit, or he starts showing signs of being hormonal by humping things, spraying, or getting really stinky. Not all male rabbits will cause problems with their hormones, so you may be just fine with your little guy the way he is. You can really only know for sure as he gets older and the hormones start affecting him. If he starts displaying these behaviors and they are driving you crazy, then you may want to look into getting him neutered. If you're lucky, he won't display these behaviors and it won't end up being a problem for you, or him.

Also, you may want to go into your profile and include your location as being in China, just so when people are offering suggestions, they will keep that into consideration.

Has your bun been doing good since when he was sick?

 

[majorv]

Given your circumstances I would wait and see also. He's still young. After he gets through the 'teenage' phase he'll probably settle down some. Not all bucks spray, hump and act crazy, but the only way you'd know is to wait. We had one buck (and even one doe) spray occasionally, but it was usually only when they smelled the opposite sex close by.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Neutering males is more for behaviour issues that health issues. This means that males don't need to be neutered and can do fine without being neutered.
Males do tend to hump a lot, spray and can have some other behaviours that many people don't like. But, not all males do all this and it can very from rabbit to rabbit.

If the vets were you are aren't that great, then I would suggest you wait and see what your rabbit is like as he matures. If his behaviours are something you can live with, then you don't need to get him neutered. But if he does become an issue, then you can look into getting him done. You may want to find a vet now so you can get him in sooner if you need to.

I have 2 intact adult males that I don't have a problem with. They are both litter trained (at least in the cage), don't spray and are affectionate and not aggressive. They are a bit more mature (over 2.5 year old), so not as crazy as a younger rabbit. I also have a 5 month old male who is a bit of a brat, but is not showing hormonal behaviours yet, so I don't know if he will be neutered yet or not.

 

[Troller]

I think it depends on breed and personality. My Flemish Giant at 8 months old doesn't spray, never humps, and is only marginally hormonal in that once a week he might circle my feet and honk and that's about it. He's active, but not troublesome. A few months back I asked similar questions and quite a few folks who had unneutered rabbits said they had little to no issues. Now I wouldnt say half, but at least more then a quarter and from what I got it had to do with personailty and how they were handled as well as breed of course. As it stand my rabbit has an appointment for the 18th to be fixed, mostly at my wife's behest, but she's starting to have strong second thoughts on the matter since truly Conan is si docile.

 

[Imbrium]

females NEED to be spayed because of the cancer risks, but with males it ultimately comes down to a) do you want to bond them to another rabbit and b) can you live with the behavior and smell of an un-neutered buck. some unfixed males are *horrible*, particularly when it comes to pee-spraying (apparently some are quite skilled at "face shots" and can spray pee 6+ feet high!)... others aren't bad at all. I agree with the wait-and-see approach to determine whether or not you can live with the hormone-induced behaviors.

 

[DottyRabbit]

One of my old bunnies was an unneutered buck He lived until he was 8 and we had no problems with him spraying, or any behavioral problems. He was the sweetest bun. I've currently got an unneutered buck as well, but he's going to be fixed because he has a completely different temperament and can be very hormonal!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Wait and see at this point is probably best. If you can, chat with any other bunny owners near you and see if they have any Vet they know of that is competent.

 

[BinkyBunny]

Also, consider the possibility that your rabbit is female, as you said you were not sure!

 

[tamsin]

Jumping around and being active is normal rabbit behaviour, neutering is usually done for toilet training/aggression. You might find providing more toys/space will help keep him busy

 

[Xiaohuihui]

Thanks for the responses everyone! I found a British vet in Shanghai. The website even mentions rabbit spaying/neutering as a common service and there is an accurate section about rabbit care. So it is still a trek but it would be worth it. I could find out whether XHH is male or female at least! I emailed them for advice on coming from out of town.
The behavioral issues are just annoying, I could probably adjust as long as he doesnt start spraying. He is already pushing my clean-freakness to its limits! I did notice he has been much calmer today. I just came off a crazy seven-day workweek, I think he was lonely. He has been very nudge-y today and extra-interested in cuddling.

 

[JBun]

That's great that you were able to find a vet! If your rabbit is old enough, you may be able to tell yourself if it's a boy or girl, but if it's still pretty young, it can be hard to tell. If you decide to schedule a spay/neuter, keep in mind that the rabbit usually has to be a certain weight or age for the vet to do the surgery. So you'll want to ask about that when you contact them. And just be prepared for it not to solve all of your rabbts behavioral issues. With my rabbits it's helped their litter box habits to be much better, and humping almost never happens now, bot I have a female that was cage aggressive before the spay, and she still is that way now, but she's really good at using her litter box now. So it didn't fix everything, but it really depends on the rabbit.

That's so cute that your bunny missed you! It's so nice when our rabbits want to snuggle and spend time with us

 

[Trixie]

I personally think it's very important to spay and neuter rabbits, for many and all of the points already mentioned. My male was a bit jumpy and skiddish but once neutered he calmed right down and is a sweetie now and his urine smells way less. My female just got spayed so I'll let you know what changes for her, she was already the sweetest bunny I ever had but she pees at times outside her little box so I'm hoping this will help her.

Hope you find a great vet. Good luck.

 

[LakeCondo]

He may be too young to be hormonal yet, as that doesn't start until at least 3 months old. If he's that age, his balls should have dropped, but they can hide them inside [for protection, I guess]. Many vets won't spay a female until she's 6 months old & virtually full-sized, but it's an easier operation for males & they can be done when the balls have dropped.

But I'd wait & see how the behavior develops before deciding whether to neuter him. You have to accept SOME messy behavior, even from the calmest rabbit. That is their nature.