My aggressive rabbit

Question

Hi again, and Thanks for the suggestions. My rabbit is an indoor rabbit. Almost everyday I let him out of his cage for exercise. Sometimes he runs around, but sometimes he just sits in the corner. I also have a dog, but my rabbit has been here before him, and he is not scared of him.
I must say that at times i am busy and i just leave him in his cage for a day or two. But, I always make sure he is fed. He doesnt seem depressed, but lonely at times.
He is not neutered and I got him from a pet store 6 years ago when he was a bunny. He was in a cage with another rabbit that looked like a sibling of his. I feel that he may need company from another rabbit. Could that help like getting him fixed would?
His cage is the kind that he sits on the wire. I feel that may be uncomfortable to him. Is it better to get him a cage that he can sit on the comfortable bedding?  But then he will sit in his poop. Is that unhealthy? And is it too late to litter box train him? He is 6 years old.
Well thank You Lee. This has been much help.


Answer
Hi Tiffany.

It is possible that he would not mind a friend rabbit.  However, it is not a good idea to introduce two unfixed or one fixed/one unfixed rabbits.  In one case both are more aggressive, and in the other case one is much higher on hormones than the other.  Both lead to fights.

If you decide to try a friend, get him neutered first by a good rabbit vet who has a lot of experience with rabbit surgeries.  They should have better than a 99% survival stat for a surgery like this.  You will need to wait around a month to let his remaining hormones be 'used up' so that he will be more likely to accept a friend.

As you can see from above, getting a friend will not do the same things as getting him fixed.  Getting him fixed will mean getting your pre-sexual maturity bunny back, without all the negative behaviors like excessive marking and spraying, and it should make him more litterbox trainable.

I don't think you will have much success getting him to use a litterpan without him being fixed.

He also should have some bedding material to rest or sit on in the cage.  Especially if he has shorter fur, and now that he is technically an older bunny (at 6, he's anywhere from 42-60 in human years) he will appreciate a softer surface.  The best things are synthetic wool sheets, or medical bedding.  You can also use very soft cotton towels (I get mine at JCPenney Outlet) and you can keep several on hand and change them out when needed and wash them.  Don't worry if he 'digs' in them or moves it around a bit.  They enjoy that.  You don't have to necessarily replace the cage, just place the comfy material where he tends to sit or lie, over that part of the cage floor.  No biggie.

You may have noticed that he may have one corner of his cage where it seems he does his business the most.  that would be the corner to try putting a litterpan in after he is fixed.  Otherwise he will continue to mark all over his cage, as that is what males do to mark their territory.  When he is fixed the marking goes way down and they like to keep their cages clean and will use a litterpan.  The HRS web site I mentioned before also covers in good detail litterpan training.  It is never too late to train a rabbit to use a litterpan.  Older ones often pick it up easier than youngsters.

On the days you can't let him out, make sure to pet him in his cage several times a day for a good 5 minutes and talk to him, when you can.  It helps because he knows you haven't forgotten about him.  Trying to stay on a routine is important with these guys because they are big-time creatures of habit.  Our guys know when we're running late and know what days of the week our routine shifts a bit.  It is amazing.