My Little Girl is now a Boy!!

[cottontails]

Hi,

I recently posted a topic asking aboutspaying my bunny, well that bunny turned into a boy after a tripto the vet to get a vacine for myximatouxis. So I am now wondering if neuturing will help my bunny keep his poops in a tidy pile! And also will it in general lessen his natural smell.

I know neuturing is normally done because a male is aggressive which is the complete opposite to my bunny as he is very affectionate, (we often have grooming sesions). Will neuturing erase his affectionate side!!!-which is only ever directed at me..........(is it common for males to become sexually atracted to their owners)

Thanks

 

[HoneyPot]

cottontails wrote:

Hi,

I recently posted a topic asking aboutspaying my bunny, well that bunny turned into a boy after a tripto the vet to get a vacine for myximatouxis. So I am now wondering if neuturing will help my bunny keep his poops in a tidy pile!
YES

And also will it in general lessen his natural smell.
YES again if he has beenusing his scent glands a lot to mark his poop and territory.

I know neuturing is normally done because a male is aggressive which is the complete opposite to my bunny as he is very affectionate, (we often have grooming sesions). Will neuturing erase his affectionate side!!!-which is only ever directed at me..........
Probably not. He will still come to you for pets and cuddles.

(is it common for males to become sexually atracted to their owners)
Yes, yes it is.

Thanks

Nadia

 

[Haley]

:twocentsIn my experience, neutering not only lessened aggressive and territorial tendencies, it did also help with litter training. My boys used to spray randomly and poop more often to mark an area. I found they were more well behaved after the surgery and generally less messy. Another thing I noticed was that their smell lessened, as they were no longer marking things with their urine and odor.

All three of my males are neutered and I would highly recommend it. I know some people have experienced a behavioral change, but mine all stayed the same. If anything, they became more relaxed and docile after the surgery. Also, if you ever do decide to bond him with another rabbit, it is very important for him to be neutered prior to introductions.

If his behavior is not a problem, you could just hold off and see how he matures. If he's still young, his attitude may change as he matures.

Hope this helps a bit!

-Haley

 

[cottontails]

hh2420 wrote:

If his behavior is not a problem, you could just hold off and see how he matures. If he's still young, his attitude may change as he matures.

-Haley

His behaviour isn't really a problem but I was told he is fully grown and therefore past the maturing stage so I have nothing really to hold off for!!!:bunnydance:!!

 

[Haley]

Hmm. I guess its up to you. Is he having litter training problems? Neutering would probably help. And again, if you ever want to bond him, its best to have him neutered now.

With regards to his behavior, it shouldnt change any after the surgery.

Good Luck!

-Haley

 

[cottontails]

Its his overall smell that worries me-as I still live with my parents they are pushing me to get him nuetred as they don't want my room to smell quite as much!

 

[Haley]

Neutering did cut down on the odor of my boys. They are marking their territory less, and spraying less. If you are having trouble with his natural odors, I would go ahead and do the surgery.

In addition, what kind of litter areyou using? When I first brought home Basil, my first house rabbit, I was just using cedar in there and it was terrible.Not only is it unhealthy forthe rabbit, it doesnt absorb odor like other alternatives. I now use yesterdays news cat litter or woody pet. These greatly reduce any odor in their litter boxes.

Another trick is to add a little bit of vanilla to his water. I have never tried this, but I know other have had success doing this to cut down on odor.

-Haley

 

[cottontails]

I am in the process of trying the vanilla thing and because I live in Ireland there isn't much of a choice when it comes to litter, I use the only safe one availble,........a wood based cat litter!

 

[Greta]

I know this is a bit off-topic, but it does have something to do with neutering: I've been seriously considering neutering my two year old boy, Butterscotch, who loves me to death and insists on spraying me a few times every morning to remind me of his love (and the fact that he's my master!). Is he to old to neuter safely? Also, how would the neuter affect his personality? He currently follows me everywhere, and I don't want him to stop!

 

[Haley]

Greta, Cottontails had the same misgivings about the neuter (read above). I have three males, all whom I had neutered. In my experience, it has been nothing but positive.

2 years oldisnt too old to neuter. My eldest, Basil, was 2 when I had him neutered. He was my shadow and I was worried (like you) that this would change after the surgery. It didnt. If anything, he became more lovable and snuggable (Plus the added bonus of no more gross sprays)!

Just make sure you have a rabbit savvy vet who knows what hes doing. Its a very simple procedure. Youre able to take them home the same day and they recover pretty quickly.

Either of you feel free to PM me if you want...

Hope this helps!

-Haley

 

[cottontails]

Thanks for the boost of confidence from everyone I am going to book an appointment for this week today!

Wish Coinín luck!:elephant::elephant:

 

[naturestee]

Greta, it depends on the vet. He might not be too old, although I highly recommend getting a blood panel done (especially for liver and kidneys). Anesthesia is generally safe for healthy rabbits under two. Rabbits that are 2-5 or so should have full check-ups and blood work done to make sure they are healthy enough. But they usually do just fine.

Check out this article. It explains the risks of rabbit anesthesia and dispels some of the common myths.
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=671&S=5&SourceID=43