Spraying and humping after being neutered

Question
My white, pink-eyed bunny (Buddy) has been spraying and humping. I've had him neutered twice (one testicle didn't drop until about 10 days after the first one was removed) and he hasn't stopped. He quit for about a week, but he came back more aggressive than ever. Another thing is that when he sprays, he only sprays me! He also poops (very stinky poo I might add) in every corner of the room. I've been extremely patient with this, but I'm being sprayed about 2-4 times a day. We used to play chase and hide n' seek, but now if we start playing, I get a face full of urine. This isn't even to mention all the humping he's doing to my legs or my arms when I try to pet him. Please help! My patience is starting to where thin!

Answer
Hi Brian,

it takes 4-5 weeks after neutering for hormones to stabilize to the new lower level.  It takes that long for existing hormones already in the body to be used up.

You should start noticing some changes around the 2nd-3rd week, if not sooner.  

What I would do for now is get extra litterpans for the room corners, because this is hormonal marking of territory.  As the hormones go down he will mark less and may stop marking in one or more corners.  Eventually you will be able to get rid of the ones he doesn't use.  He will still mark his territory but in much less amounts.  The mounting and spraying will greatly decrease, if not be eliminated.

You have to realize that with intact rabbits (or those just neutered) their normal behavior (think back before he hit sexual maturity) is really overriden by sex hormones.  They cannot control themselves because of their hormones driving them to behave in this way.  He probably is triggering off your own pheromones.  I have had several of my rabbits trigger off me - they liked my smell - but soon after were no longer behaving that way towards me.  They always liked me and they returned to that behavior after the neutering.  Rabbits are driven to procreate, they have large amounts of hormones pumping through them to keep them in this state.  They literally can't stop themselves.

So just remember in your head this is not something he can stop himself from doing.  When his hormone levels do drop down, their personalities and decision making abilities are stronger and can override what hormones they do have left.  Give him time.  The nice thing is that they will still be affectionate towards you but not in an unwanted way.  

Write back anytime.  Lee