Should I neuter a well-behaved bunny?

[AmandaCat]

My mini lop Louie is almost two years old. I had planned to get him neutered when he began to show aggressive behavior at puberty, but he never did. He never charges or bites, and I’ve never seen him spray. He’s curious and calm, really just a great bun.

I want to eventually get a second bunny, and my plan had been to fix Louie and then get a fixed bunny from a shelter later. Now I’m reading that fixing rabbits can actually change their personality and make them more skittish. I don’t want to make him go through surgery, and I don’t want to risk his personality changing.

Can an unfixed male live with a fixed bunny without issues?

 

[Hermelin]

You have nothing to worry with fixing him, none of my bucks had a personality change after being neutered. Instead they became calmer but still had their quirky personalities

But the first 8 weeks they was different because of the hormones pumping in their bodies.

 

[Preitler]

Well, I have that combination as free range house bunnys, intact buck and spayed girl.

I took him in from the outdoors when he was 2, perfect free range house bunny, in puberty (up to over 1 year) that would have not been possible since he did spray a lot, pee was dripping off the ceiling of his hutch and when I let him out I had to dive for cover since he barreled out like a pee propelled rocket . Grown up he ventured into the house sometimes, behaved excellently, so I thought "why not" when I ran out of hutch space.
After a year or so I thought he looked lonely and got one of his daughters spayed as cuddlebun.

All in all, it works well. Most of the time. Now in spring he tries to hump her for quite some time each day - doesn't bother her much, keeps hopping away unfazed - and he also sprays her about twice a week, not so much to mop up but anyway. Most of the day he's behaving, they eat, sleep, cuddle, groom together, they spent some hours sleeping apart too during the day. It's just some months in the year when hormones kick in and he can't help but following her around with his nose on her back.
Which isn't that big a problem, she's really ok with it and keeps hopping away so he never cactually mounts her, but from all that running in an awkward pose, a lot of it on asphalt, he tends to get sore hocks during that times of the year, need to cover all solid floors with rugs and cardboard and fence off the asphalt areas of the yard.

I would say it's worth a try, you can still have him fixed if it doesn't work out. If he is a PITA to a less resilient doe you would have to act.

Can't say Dotty got skittish or so, I don't think personality changes that way. She's better about that than her mother, but there is less drive in her than in my intact rabbits, quite laid back and a tendency to get chubby. She's a great digger though.

 

[zuppa]

That's what I have now, I have a very sweet mini lop 9 months old he never had any problem, he sprayed a little but only his toilet, he has a corner toilet with a high side so only there. He never bites or any other type of aggression, he's absolutely sweet loves cuddles etc, I have him since birth and when he was born I knew I will keep him he's very beautiful. Very active, very clean, I've got him a fixed female 2 weeks ago they bonded nicely from day 2 and I keep them together in a large cage until I can let them out, but he just keeps humping her she's no complaints, I made a hiding place for her she's not annoyed and they do everything together, sleep, eat, groom each other.. But. Their cage is all covered with blankets because he sprays all around and like 2-3m around, this very minute I need to clean it but just sitting with my laptop instead because it looks horrible I just hate it all his walls and everything everything in there is sticky and stinky, including both of them. I thought I'll give them time maybe he'll stop after a couple weeks but I don't know honestly I am thinking about separating them, maybe I need to fix him first. He was so tidy and now I don't want to touch them both are so sticky. And I can't let them out because he'll spray all around so they have to stay caged. They are both small size and it's a large cage and I build some shelves too, but it wasn't my plan to keep them in there 24/7.

Maybe yours won't do that but mine does and he was always always very well behaved.
Put my mask on and going to clean them now, wish me luck.

 

[Leo the Lop]

He doesn’t spray now because there are no other bunny around to spray for. He very well may start separating after you bring another bunny home. That’s been my experience with male buns.

 

[Donna Standar]

My male bun sprayed terribly before he was neutered. Then he didn't do it at all. Then I moved his cage beside hers and the one baby they had and he will sit beside her cage and pool out urine. Looks more like clear water, not urine. But it's a pain in my butt cleaning up constantly. I just had her spayed and I was told in two weeks she can resume normal activities. I'm hoping to re bond them again. I'm hoping once they're together again that will stop.
His personality hasn't changed either. He's a lovebug

 

[MakoCheese]

My mini lop Louie is almost two years old. I had planned to get him neutered when he began to show aggressive behavior at puberty, but he never did. He never charges or bites, and I’ve never seen him spray. He’s curious and calm, really just a great bun.

I want to eventually get a second bunny, and my plan had been to fix Louie and then get a fixed bunny from a shelter later. Now I’m reading that fixing rabbits can actually change their personality and make them more skittish. I don’t want to make him go through surgery, and I don’t want to risk his personality changing.

Can an unfixed male live with a fixed bunny without issues?

I would not fix a rabbit at all, it makes their personality too different. I breed rabbits so mine are never fixed, but I’ve had one that’s fixed and he would just hide in the back of his cage all day. Fixing them dose not really make them less aggressive, it just makes them more fearful. Some people I know fixed their rabbit and at was not less aggressive at all. I don’t recommend it.