Why Spay and Neuter?
Two unfixed, dumped bunnies can breed and lead to hundreds of bunnies in just a few years.
"Like rabbits" is a popular phrase for a reason. One breeding pair of bunnies and their offspring can result in hundreds of rabbits in just a couple of years! Spaying and neutering, and adopting and never buying bunnies from breeders or pet stores, are the only ways to prevent overpopulation in rabbits. Spaying and neutering is also important for their health, because unfixed bunnies are more prone to several types of cancer.
"Como conejos" es una frase popular para una razón. ¡Una pareja reproductora de conejos y su descendencia podrían dar como resultado casi cientos de conejos en sólo algunos años! Esta superpoblación hace que dos conejos abandonados puedan crear una colonia muy rápidamente. Muchos dueños terminan con demasiados conejitos y pocas opciones. La esterilización y castración son la única forma de prevenir la superpoblación de conejos. También es importante para su salud: el cáncer es muy prevalente en conejas que no están esterilizadas.
Spaying
Spaying your bunny is not optional. Not only can female bunnies carry two pregnancies at a time and birth litters of up to 12 bunnies every 30 days, but reproductive cancer is basically inevitable if they are not spayed within the first few years of their lives. Unspayed female bunnies have up to an 80 percent chance of developing reproductive cancer by age three. Female rabbits can typically be spayed by the time they are six months old. Opting for pre-surgery bloodwork and choosing a rabbit-savvy veterinarian are important steps to take prior to any surgery.
Neutering
Male rabbits can be neutered usually by the time they are six months old. Neutered rabbits have longer life expectancies than their intact counterparts, are protected from testicular cancer, and will not worsen the overpopulation crisis. Opting for pre-surgery bloodwork and choosing a rabbit-savvy veterinarian are important steps to take prior to any surgery.
Behavioral Benefits
We all remember being hormonal teenagers. Male rabbits can spray and female rabbits can be territorial. Fixed rabbits are easier to litter box train, and are less aggressive and destructive. When Benito, a RVA SBS Alumni, first arrived to his forever home, he would urinate everywhere. As soon as he was neutered, Benito learned how to use the litter box and now keeps his space meticulously clean. Many people who rehome their bunnies do it because their bunnies aren’t fixed, so they have become overwhelmed with the resulting hormonal behavioral issues. Spaying and neutering is a simple way to ensure the health and happiness of your bunny AND you!
