ASK THE VET
Q: I plan on making my four eight- week-old male rabbits house bunnies. I am just wondering whether or not I should wait until they are neutered to prevent unwanted behaviours (wrecking the house etc) and toilet accidents? Dean Fradgley, Newcastle
A: There are advantages and disadvantages of both indoor and outdoor housing for rabbits.
If the rabbits are intended to be indoor rabbits, bringing them inside prior to neutering should not affect the development of unwanted behaviours, but you may find that some unwanted behaviours are easier to control following neutering.
A rabbit should be able to travel three hops in every direction inside their home. They should be able to stand up on hind legs without being squashed by the ceiling and they should have somewhere to hide. A rabbit requires more space than this to exercise and should have access to this space for as long as possible but should be at least four hours a day. Fresh water and hay should be available at all times.
House rabbits should be kept in a safe enclosure rather than having free access to the house as there are a number of hazards the rabbits can be exposed to.
Electrocution is probably the most common hazard from their natural instincts to chew long thin items such as electrical wires. Also some common houseplants are toxic to rabbits.
To help prevent toilet accidents, ideally one litter tray should be given per rabbit and use hay as the litter substrate. Some cat litters can cause impactions. Neutered rabbits are considerably easier to train to use a litter tray.
Inappropriate chewing through frustration is more common in entire males and so neutering will help prevent this.
Unwanted behaviours may still establish after neutering particularly if a rabbit is experiencing fear, frustration or boredom.