Spaying and Neutering

Baby Zoe was not the tidiest of bunnies.

If you go to your local city or county shelter, you may notice that most rabbits available for adoption are younger rabbits. Often they range from a few months to 1 or 2-years of age. Very rarely have I seen a senior rabbit at one of these shelters. 

There are several reasons why a rabbit may end up in a shelter - stray, hoarding case, owner surrender, etc. One of the main reasons an owner may surrender is that they have found out that their sweet baby bunny has turned into a bit of a monster (see photo above). Some of these traits include the following:

• Not using the litter box
• Aggression and biting the owners
• Growling and/or boxing
• Spraying urine
• Fighting (if there are two or more bunnies present)
• Honking and Circling
• Fur pulling and nest-building
• Mounting

The first five actions listed are territorial behaviors, while the last three has more to do with reproductive urges. All of these behaviors are determined by the hormones that are produced at about 4-months of age.

Photo by Ty Lim|Shuttershock.com

For most people, the driving reason for spaying and neutering is reproduction. There are a couple of reasons why this concern should be a priority for all owners.

1. Determining sex. It can be surprisingly difficult to sex bunnies, especially babies. Even veterinarians can have problems. I've met many owners who were suddenly faced with a surprise litter ("I was told they were both girls!").
   
   When I encounter baby bunnies, I will take a quick look to see if I'm holding a boy or girl. I'm looking for either a slit (female) or a cone (male). Rarely does it look obvious. Usually about 8-weeks, the genitalia becomes more defined. However, I'll usually continue checking a few more times for the next couple of weeks until I'm sure.
   
   This is why if breeders or salespeople in the pet store tell you the baby bunny you are holding is a male (or female), I would take it with a grain of salt.
   
   
2. Lots and lots of babies. It really doesn't take a long time for a couple of intact rabbits to become a problem. Litters can be 1-14 kits with the average being about 6. Gestation is 28-31 days and females can become pregnant again immediately after birth. In one year, you can find yourself caring for hundreds of rabbits. This accelerated reproduction rate is typical for prey animals to ensure their species survives predation.
   

Overpopulation is a serious concern. Every year, city and county shelters, along with local rabbit rescues, have to deal with hoarding cases. Most hoarding cases deal with several hundred rabbits. All of those bunnies need medical care, transport, food and shelter. Both shelters and rescues have limited money, space and knowledgeable volunteers available to foster. It can take years for rescues to find homes for every bunny and some bunnies spend their whole lives in a rescue, becoming sanctuary bunnies. This does not include the  thousands of rabbits that are surrendered to local animal control for a variety of reasons every year or the countless rabbits living (or dying) as strays on streets and parks. The euthanasia rate for healthy, adoptable bunnies is high. Rescues are always overwhelmed.

In this environment, it would be inhumane to purposefully breed your bunny because you want to see babies or you want to show your kids the miracle of life. Ask yourself, if my bunny had 14 babies, do I have 14 good homes lined up? Will these bunnies be taken care of or will they end up as snake food or even people food? Worse, will they be abused? If it doesn't work out, can I take the babies back? Am I prepared to take care of 14 extra babies plus the parents?

Is it right for 14 other healthy and adoptable rabbits to miss their chance at a good home (and potentially be euthanized) for my baby rabbits? These are important and valid questions to consider and answer honestly. Save a life and spay and neuter your bunnies.