My rabbit nips. Will spaying help her become more gentle and calm?

There is no way to know if spaying will help to change her behvavior or not. There is no guarantee but it probably will help somewhat. Rabbits are very territorial so once that behavior is ingrained in them it is hard to correct it even with surgery. When they are spayed younger, the surgery has a better chance of working to change unwanted behaviors. It is recommended to spay around 4-6 months. Here is a link to an information sheet that may answer more of your questions. http://rabbit.org/faq-spaying-and-neutering/ Hope this helps. Best wishes.

The best way to reduce aggression is to have both of them spayed. Spaying females drastically reduces aggressive behavior, as hormonal aggression is most common in female rabbits. Hormones drive them to compete for territory and to protect their home from invaders. I recommend having them spayed before bringing them together.

It doesn't say how old your rabbit is, but if you got her as a baby then she has likely become sexually mature. In female rabbits, this can cause them to become aggressive and not like to be handled. The best and easiest way to solve this problem is to get her spayed. This will remove the hormonal influence on her behavior and help her to settle down. Once she has been spayed you can start working with her and getting her used to being handled and patted again. Keep these sessions short and positive, and use a bit of her favorite food (a little bit of banana is a favorite of my bunnies) to keep it a positive experience.

Hello. I would definitely consider neutering Bun Bun in case this is testosterone/sexually based aggression. If so, his attitude should improve over the next 4 weeks. This could also be aggression based on resource protection. Some rabbits become a bit aggressive when an owner is changing food or even putting out fresh hay or treats. A rabbit can perceive this as a threat to his "stash". But the easiest thing to do is neuter him, & of course, never reinforce his aggressive behavior ( some people will see this as cute & funny & inadvertently cheer the behavior on ). Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi! It is possible that after Mistie is spayed she will accept the other rabbit. However, just like people, some rabbit personalities just don’t ever get along. So I’d have your rabbits spayed and neutered and do a gradual introduction in neutral areas as you suggested. But realize the pairing might not take and be ready to intervene and separate them if necessary. When rabbits don’t get along, they can be quite aggressive and harm one another. Also, keep in mind that even after a male rabbit is neutered, he can store sperm for up to 28 days! Of course, this won’t be an issue if you have Mistie spayed.

Sorry you are having this issue. She is most likely being territorial as she is becoming sexually active. Females can get very territorial and aggressive when they reach this stage. My honest recommendation would be to have her spayed - that will diminish any sexual drive and that may help decrease territorial behavior. I suggest you read these articles. They may help you try to correct this behavior. I still recommend spaying her..... http://rabbit.org/faq-aggression/ http://www.wikihow.com/Socialize-Your-Rabbit Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Neutering your male bunny is definitely a good idea, as it will help him not spray urine or be aggressive, and will prevent unwanted pregnancy should you decide to get a female rabbit in the future.