Spaying and neutering your rabbits

Getting your rabbit(s) neutered is incredibly beneficial and leads to:

• Reduced aggression: both male and particularly female rabbits can become aggressive during the breeding season or when protecting young. The behaviour is caused by reproductive hormones, so neutering your rabbits when they are young will reduce the chance of hormonal aggression.
• Better companion: a neutered rabbit is generally a more relaxed and amenable pet, and will be a better companion to you, as well as being easier to bond with other rabbits.
• Friendlier towards other rabbits: neutered rabbits are friendlier towards other rabbits; however there will still often be squabbles and fights, unless the rabbits are bonded already. The ideal bonded pairing is a neutered male with a neutered female.
• Can reduce spraying: males but also sometimes female rabbits will spray urine once they become sexually mature. Neutering within the first year will reduce this behaviour.
• Protects health: Studies have proved that neutering can also help protect against uterine cancer. 80% of some breeds of female rabbits will have cancerous or precancerous changes in their uterus at two years of age. Spaying at the appropriate age removes this risk.

When to neuter your rabbits

The ideal time to neuter your rabbits is around when they hit puberty. This will vary between males and females, males will hit puberty slightly earlier than females, as well as between breeds (in general smaller breeds will become sexually mature younger than larger breeds). Between 4 and 6 months of age will be suitable for most average rabbits.

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