"He's a great rabbit," she assured the shelter employee, "but he started spraying and chasing my son."
"How old is he?"
"Oh, about 8 months."
"Is he neutered?"
"No. Will you be able to find him a good home?"
"We'll do our best."

This scene is played out daily in animal shelters everywhere. That is, if the rabbit is lucky enough to be taken to a shelter. Sadly, all too often they are given away or sold to people equally as uninformed about rabbit development. Or worst of all fates, they are let go, "returned to the wild," the wild from which they never came in the first place.

A rabbit is most at risk for being abandoned when he or she reaches adolescence, puberty to be exact. Rabbits are animals of prey, at the bottom of the food chain, and in order to survive they must mature sexually very quickly and breed often, hence the mating instincts of both males and females are very strong. Small, dwarf breeds of rabbits reach adolescence at 3-4 months of age; others, anywhere between 3 and 6 months of age.

During its "age of enlightenment" a rabbit can be totally driven by his hormones, compelled to act in ways that make him less desirable as a house companion. He or she isn't being intentionally contrary, just following Mother Nature's basic urges.

Behavior changes vary among rabbits, sometimes even going unnoticed until another rabbit or other animal enters its territory. It is not uncommon for rabbits to be attracted to cats, dogs, your leg or a beach ball! Copious mounting is only one of the problems associated with unaltered, adolescent rabbits.

Spraying is a common problem with unneutered males; females have also been known to spray. (Oh, great!) Spraying is a common way to mark territory and in preparation the scent glands in both males and females may become more odorous. Your rabbit may also be marking when she stops using her litterbox and begins leaving more droppings around the house, to stake out a perimeter.

In females you may first see a noticeable increase in aggression. She is guarding her nest, even if she isn't pregnant. A charging, aggressive rabbit can make even big, burly men jump onto the closest chair!

Two rabbits who may have gotten along fine until this age may begin fighting for dominance. This can happen even among siblings.

Females sometimes have a greater penchant for digging. While digging should be expected of any rabbit, an unspayed female may be particularly energetic. Unfortunately, she may dig your carpet or burrow out of the yard to find a mate.

All of these behavior problems can be helped, if not eliminated, by spay/neuter. After your rabbit has been altered and his hormone level has dropped, you will most likely notice improvements–no more spraying, diminished mounting, better litterbox habits and less aggressive behavior. The transformation won't be immediate. It can take a few weeks for the hormone levels to drop (males can still impregnate unspayed females during this time), but eventually the whole household should settle down.

Averting pregnancy is just one reason for spay/neuter. For the house rabbit, behavior and livability in a human household may be more pressing considerations. Additionally, introducing two unaltered rabbits could result in serious injury or death as they fight for dominance. Even one unaltered rabbit of a pair will unfairly be overly attentive and frustrated. Your rabbits have a better chance of getting along as companions if both are altered.

For female rabbits, more important than behavior considerations are the health reasons to spay. Unspayed females run a very high risk of dying from uterine cancer by the age of three. That's a short lifespan for a rabbit who might otherwise grace your home and bring you love for eight to ten years.

This point may be obvious to most, be it bears repeating: We don't need more rabbits... or, for that matter, cats or dogs. There is already a glut of abandoned animals in shelters. When you spay or neuter, you do your part to keep the rabbit population from growing, and that will help already-born rabbits find responsible, permanent homes.  Even being "purebred" or really cute doesn't guarantee an animal a loving home or room at the shelter. And, consider that when we are not inundated by unwanted animals, the perceived value of each companion animal increases.

Editor's Note: Read about spay/neuter rebates available to San Diego County residents.