Neutering Male Rabbits and unreceptive female behavior

[Laurel Sassafras]

Hi. A friend and I just rescued a very sweet, about 1 yo un-neutered male rabbit. He's got a great temprament, and we've had him for about 3 days.

We originally figured that he would not be breeding, because he has no female visitors (and we assumed that female wild rabbits don't find captive rabbits good sperm-donors). Thus, we thought we would not be in a hurry to neuter him without reading about the health implications.

For the past 2 days he has been trying to mount my arms and legs. He also tries to hump the back of my head when I'm sitting on the couch. His penis is exposed making me think this is mating behavior vs a show of dominance.

I do not appreciate this behavior, so here are my questions:

1. Should a male rabbit be neutered even if he does not have access to females?

2. What sort of behavior do receptive female rabbits display. How can I replicate this to dissuade Puppy from mounting my arms?

If he's actually trying to assert dominance, what behaviors can I replicate to show that I am dominant and don't appreciate the mounting?

3. What's the best resource for bunny care?

If these have been covered in another thread, please refer me there.

We had an extended conversation with the pet shop, but did not pick out a book. Please don't assume we are irresponsible owners because of these questions.

thanks,
Laurie

 

[Laurel Sassafras]

 

[mdith4him]

I think asking questions is a sign of a very responsible pet owner

I would definitely recommend neutering him even if he will never be around a female. You'll find that the mounting will stop, he won't develop the habit of spraying, and may use his litter box better. Besides putting him back in his cage when he tries to mount various parts of you, I don't think there's much you can do to dissuade him from mounting. They're pretty persistent! A loud "NO" or a loud hand clap might help.

This website is a great resource for bunny care/info. Check out the Library section for a TON of articles on various aspects of bunny parenting You can find it here: http://rabbitsonline.net/view_category.php?id=5

binkybunny.com also has several good resources in their info section (not to mention their great store!).

 

[Laurel Sassafras]

Awesome! Thanks! I have an appointment set up already, so I guess Puppy soon will be puppy sans testicles.

 

[Laurel Sassafras]

I think he already may spray. He uses his litter box well for urine, but not for droppings.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

If he is not spraying now, he might no develop that habit. I have 2 intact bucks that don't spray and are good with litter habit (pee is pretty much 100% with poops being a bit less, but still pretty good).

Males don't really have the same health issues as females. While they can still get cancer, it is easier to notice since the bits are on the outside. Males also don't have the risk of getting pregnant, so you don't have to worry about that. Neutering can still be good even if you don't have a female or want to bond.

You don't need to try to be a female bunny. You can give him a toy or something that he likes to hump so he can focus on that rather than you. My Tesla has a bed that he likes to hump and that keeps him pretty busy.

It sounds more like he is wanting to mate rather than dominance. If he is humping stuff you don't want him to (like you), you can gently push him off and give him something that is ok to hump. He probably will still try to hump you, but should learn that you won't allow it.

Once he is neutered, it may take a few weeks for some of these behaviours to spot. He should stop humping everything. Spraying should also stop.

Responsible pet owners do ask questions and want to learn. I have had rabbits for almost 7 years and am still learning. You should question things and some people don't know much about rabbits or the info isn't something that you need (like some advice for breeders is not what a pet owner needs).