Should I spay my rabbit?

Question
Hi Julia,

I have a 12 month old Holland lop rabbit. I did some research and I decided I wanted to get her spayed. She is healthy but she is just very aggressive and territorial. She will bite if you reach down in her hutch to grab something. My rabbit lives in my backyard in a large hutch with a playpen attached and I take her out and play with her almost every day. When I first got her she would run free in my yard and she would never leave my side. Now she wants nothing to do with me. I guess this is just part of her hitting maturity.

I have heard that spaying a rabbit calms them down and protects them from cancers. My rabbit is not with another rabbit so breeding is not a problem in my situation. I decided to call the rabbit vet in my area and she said that they have neutered many rabbits but they have only spayed one rabbit. She said that spaying a rabbit is VERY high risk and she wouldn't recommend putting my rabbit through the trauma. I was very disappointed to find this out because I have only heard good things about spaying rabbits.

I was wondering if you had any advice for me. Do you think spaying is a good thing for me to do with my rabbit? Should I find a different rabbit vet in my area that is maybe more experienced?

Answer
The vet is correct; it is very risky to spay a rabbit. Females can turn aggressive when they get to breeding age. Many of them can be coaxed back to being more loving with time and patience. It is up to you as to whether you want to find another vet and have it done. I do not recommend it. Did you get the rabbit from a breeder or a pet store? We try to "breed out" aggressiveness in our rabbits.