Prevent rabbits breeding

Question
I have 2 baby rabbits one is a netherland dwarf she is 8 weeks, i also have a mini loop he is 13 weeks. i have got so use to them sleeping together and i don't really want to split them up and i don't really want to cross breed. I here that putting a rabbit under anesthetic is very dangerouse and well i have got quite attached to them i couldn't bear loosing him over my stupidity. can you help any?

Answer
Hi Elizabeth,

thanks for the question.

I am assuming you have had them sexed accurately, that you do have a boy and a girl.  

You do need to separate them as soon as possible.  The boy could hit maturity at any time now, and he will want to mount the girl a lot, to the point where it will get unbearable and fights will begin.  It will be traumatic for the rabbit who is not yet mature.  Trust me it is a kind thing you are doing for both of them, much more so than keeping them together.

If you are not going to breed, the best thing to do is get both fixed, but only after they hit sexual maturity.  Boys usually are at 3-3 1/2 months, girls around 4 months or so.  Generally you see some changes in behavior, like the boys humping your arm or leg, and marking a lot more, maybe spraying you!  The girls get more cage aggressive at your hands in their cage, and they will mark too.

If you like their ore-sexual maturity personalities (and it sounds like you do) getting them fixed gives you your bunny back the way it was before they matured.  All the spraying and aggression is mostly hormonally driven, so this basically goes away and you've got your wonderful personality back.  And it is safe to re-bond them without fear they will get pregnant.

You need to find a quality rabbit vet who knows what he is doing.  The vet should use a pre-op sedative so that the rabbits don't fight the general anesthesia, they should be using isofluorane gas, which works very well with rabbits, and they should give you pain medication to give to your rabbits for a day or two after so that the pain will be low enough that they continue to eat.  

The House Rabbit Society web page (www.rabbit.org) has a page on it where you can look up recommended vets in your area that are good choices and have high experience with rabbits:   www.rabbit.org/vets

You can use this to find one or more in your area.

Having your rabbits fixed is one of the best things you can do for them, and for you.  Most people don't know this, and they get a baby bunny, and in a few months it turns into this different creature (hits maturity) and they don't know what happened and so they abandon it or bring it to a shelter.  

Write again anytime.