The 4 Good Reasons to Get Your Bunny Neutered or Spayed
When it comes to cats and dogs, responsible owners know they should get their pet neutered or spayed as soon as they're old enough. With the overpopulation of many animal shelters, there's generally high awareness of the importance of preventing unexpected litters—no matter how cute they may be. And that's without even mentioning the other benefits in terms of behaviour and health. There's one type of pet that you might not consider taking to the vet for desexing, as public awareness is much lower than it is for other animals. That creature is the rabbit. Here are the reasons you should get this important procedure done as soon as possible.
They're calmer
Rabbits who haven't been desexed are at the mercy of their drive to breed. As prey animals, this is a strong urge in bunnies, who need to produce large numbers to survive. This urge can manifest itself in aggression and other problem behaviours, especially in males. A neutered or spayed rabbit is a happy rabbit and one that makes a much better friend. Their increased calmness makes them easier to get along with, and that goes for other pets in the house, too.
It can dramatically extend their lives
This is particularly true of females, who are at risk from a range of cancers if they're not spayed. This risk is almost entirely absent after the operation is performed, giving them the chance of a much longer life. The cancer risk isn't such a factor with male rabbits, but their aggression before neutering can be the source of serious injuries, especially if they're prone to fighting with other animals.
They're cleaner
Rabbits can be trained to use a litter tray quite easily, making the job of cleaning up after them far easier. However, male bunnies who haven't been neutered have a tendency to mark their territory by spraying urine, and both sexes seem more likely to just forget their toilet manners.
You can get more rabbits!
Rabbits can reach sexual maturity as young as three months of age, which is the cause of a lot of unwanted babies and a huge strain on the already struggling rescue resources. This means that, really, it's a bad idea to keep them together at any point until they've been desexed. Once the operation has been performed, however, you can get even more rabbit companions, which these social animals will thank you for. And who doesn't want to have more than one bunny?
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