Rabbit Awareness Week 2023: Neutering
This year’s Rabbit Awareness Week 2023 theme is Neutering: Protect and Prevent! Having owned rabbits for over 8 years I can highly recommend ensuring your rabbits are neutered.
Starting young
Rabbits can reach sexual maturity from three months old, have a litter every 30 days and have, on average, four babies in a litter! They are also fine to mate with siblings, so if you don’t want extra rabbits, especially at that rate, you can have your rabbits neutered from four months. It is also a good idea, regardless of sex, to get them 
neutered, that way you can be sure.
Benefits to their health
Neutering rabbits can have a wide range of benefits for them. 80% of unneutered female rabbits develop cancer of the womb by the age of five, and they can also develop polycystic ovaries and urinary tract infections. Male rabbits are more likely to develop testicular cancers without castrating.
Neutered rabbits are less likely to be hormonal, as common rabbit hormonal issues include biting, aggressive behaviour, humping, spraying, grunting, and lunging at you.
Therefore, having your rabbit neutered can prolong their life and make them calmer and happier pets.
Top Tip for Rabbits in Summer
Add a paving slab to your run for them to lie on, it can be a cool or warm place for them to chill. Ensure you check water bottles daily, they can go green quicker with the sunlight, so make sure you clean them regularly and give them an extra one on particularly hot days. Also, check that the hutch is not in direct sunlight, obviously, it may be in the shade in the morning but be baking in the afternoon.
Adopting or Buying
Regardless of how you are obtaining your rabbit, ensure it is already neutered. This way you will avoid any of the 
above and it will be easier to pair or add rabbits, should you want to in the future. It can be very hard to find out the sex of a rabbit, so again, knowing they are neutered avoids this worry. Rabbits also like to live in pairs or groups and knowing you can mix and match will make finding a companion much easier.
One of the many reasons I adopt rabbits from rescue centres is that they will have already been neutered and vaccinated, thus saving the hassle and stress. Giving them a forever home and space to roam, living life without limitations.
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