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Neutering/carpet chewing

22 11:37:53

Question
Hello

My holland lop has started to chew on the carpet when he comes out of his cage, will this harm him if he eats it?

At what age would you reccomend neutering him? Why should I neuter him? (I don't own any other rabbits) Is neutering safe? How long will it take for him to get back to his cheerful self? Does neutering change his personalty?

How offen should a rabbit have a health check? Are there any tests I should have done on my rabbit yearly?  Do rabbits need to be protected from fleas/ticks in the summer months? What could I use so my rabbit doesn't get fleas/tick?

Do rabbits like to be held?

Would my rabbit bother my guinea-pig while they are out of there cages?

Could my rabbit have a cloth/towel in his cage to sleep on or would he eat it?  

Answer
Generally digging carpeting isn't bad, if he is eating it, then you will need to stop him because that can plug up his insides.  Plexiglass or cardboard or something to block the carpet should work.

Depending on the breed, you can generally neuter male rabbits at 4 months of age, and females can be spayed at about 6 months of age.  If the rabbit-knowledgeable vet is experienced with spays and neuters, generally this is a very safe operation.  Generally males take a few days to recover, females will take about a week.  It generally doesn't change the rabbit's personality, although there have been a few instances where it does (like one I can think of out of several hundred rabbits).

A rabbit well check is recommended once a year, they should check for lumps and bumps, check the ears and teeth, and check overall health.  You can have a baseline blood test done, but it's not required.  There are no shots a rabbit needs in the US.  If the rabbit goes outside, yes, you would want to use flea protection.  Advantage works for this, you can get that from your vet.  Do not use Frontline, it is fatal to rabbits.

Some rabbits like to be held, some do not.  Mostly not, because instinctually rabbits who are picked up are eaten.  They do like to have you sit by them and pet them.

The rabbit may or not bother the guinea pig (or vice versa), so I would supervise them being out to make sure they don't hurt each other.  I've heard of them getting together and also there being issues.

You could put a towel in the cage, the rabbit may chew holes in it or not, and may pee on it or not.  Or you could put down a piece of plywood to get their feet off the wire.

Hope that answers your questions.

Kim