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Original poster

How old is too old for neutering? Guinea pigs and Rabbits?

21 replies

Evenstar · 12/05/2013 23:18

I have seen a really sad advert on Pre-loved, advertising four year old male and female rabbits and a four year old guinea pig all living in seperate hutches as the child has lost interest. If I could have the rabbits neutered and put them together and if the neutered boar could be put in with my herd of girls, then it might work for me.

The pictures of them all alone in dirty hutches and saying they are free to a loving home are so upsetting. I just wondered if they were all now too old to be neutered of have a change of lifestyle. All opinions welcome or advice on where I could turn to get help for them. I know that the rescues are overflowing Sad

OP posts:
andrea315 · 12/05/2013 23:24

My bunny was nearly three when I adopted her and the vet said it becomes to risky after about two and a half I didn't get her done as would never forgive myself after rescuing her if she hadn't of made it :(

andrea315 · 12/05/2013 23:26

Not sure what the guides are on males though ! But any life sounds better than what they have now even if they have to live alone but in clean loving homes :)

Original poster
Evenstar · 12/05/2013 23:38

I know, but with 9 guinea pigs and 2 rabbits already and a small garden I am struggling with where I could put 3 more hutches! They would at least be clean and well loved though as you say.

OP posts:
Original poster
Evenstar · 12/05/2013 23:39

DP thinks I might as well open my own rescue!

OP posts:
FernieB · 13/05/2013 07:56

If the male bun can be neutered, then you can put him and the female together. Chances are she may boss him around and he'll be totally under the thumb, but they could be very happy that way.

fortifiedwithtea · 13/05/2013 14:29

Just giving the boar guinea pig a home would be a help. Rescues are over run with boars and sadly guineas can end up as snake food on pre-loved Sad.

If the boar is already neutered, you have no problem unless you already have a boar in your herd. IMHO 4 is old to neuter. My Old Boy was 4 when he lost his brother and I got him 2 girlfriends to live in a separate hutch side by side. It worked out well for him, he lived on to over 6 year old very happy Smile

andrea315 · 13/05/2013 14:45

Same as me mine says the same we have two bunnys, two guinea pigs ,two fish, one hamster and one dog now and I love them all to bits :)

Original poster
Evenstar · 13/05/2013 23:26

I have emailed the owners and asked if they would be willing to deliver them all to me with their hutches, I am sure that my vet might be able to neuter one of the rabbits as looking online it does seem possible for older rabbits, and I think I might be able to find them a home with someone I know and maybe the boy piggie could live next door to my girls. I just couldn't stop thinking about them, they all look so sad Sad Will let you all know what happens. Thanks for advice x

OP posts:
fortifiedwithtea · 14/05/2013 12:02

You are doing a lovely thing for them Flowers. Just be aware that boar piggie will be sooo happy to see girlie pigs he might break his teeth off gnawing to get to them Shock. That happened with our Old Boy, just the once Wink, their teeth grow back.

differentnameforthis · 14/05/2013 12:14

You know that you shouldn't have GP & rabbits in together, don't you?

FernieB · 14/05/2013 15:20

I don't think Evenstar has pigs and rabbits in together.

Evenstar - please let us know how you get on with the owners. I hope your girls enjoy having a man about the place Grin

Original poster
Evenstar · 14/05/2013 19:07

No, I don't have rabbits and piggies together, in fact I emailed a local animal park when I saw they were doing that, they weren't pleased, but I was disgusted with them as they have all sorts of exotic animals and are so careful with them.

The owners have emailed to say they cannot deliver, so I will have to try and think of a way round it. I might email back and ask if I can pop over anyway, as to be honest the hutches might not be fit for them. Will let you know what happens.

OP posts:
differentnameforthis · 15/05/2013 05:58

That's cool..it just seemed from your op that you had limited room, so I wanted to check because not many people are aware of it.

I only know because we had a GP for literally 6 hours, dh came home from work & said "that pig doesn't look right" took her to the vets & he didn't bring her home :( her back legs/back were broken.

She was more than likely crushed a rabbit she was put in with when it pounded it's back legs. I didn't see it as the first time I went to see her, she was running around in her own cage, perfectly healthy. It was when I went back to collect her that she was sharing a cage. Dh was told she was only in the rabbit while they cleaned cages (this was when he went back to tell them what happened).

My daughter (8 at the time) was heartbroken.

Original poster
Evenstar · 15/05/2013 07:23

Sad that's awful, and of course not the only reason they shouldn't be kept together, there is so much ignorance about guinea pigs and rabbits and I think they are often really badly treated/neglected because of that.

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 15/05/2013 10:14

I've heard people talking about keeping rabbits/guineas in the same cage.
Mainly because "Oh, we can have a male/female and they won't breed"
True, but the rabbit can still pester the GP (and usually rabbits are bigger)

"Well, they're both rodents, they can live together"
No, they're not and they don't 'speak' the same language.

"Well, they both eat the same"
Nooooo. Head:Desk

So none of it out-and-out cruelty. But the end result isn't good for pigs.
Sad

FernieB · 15/05/2013 19:19

It's not good for pigs. Having said that my boys love their big bunny brother and would follow him everywhere if they were allowed. They only get a small amount of supervised play time together which I never would have allowed with my previous bun as she would have attacked them. Current Bun is such a kind, gentle boy by comparison - he lets them follow him and climb him for a bit. When he gets fed up there's a 'go away' grunt and they generally leave him be then.

They're mainly not supposed to be together because rabbits can pass on a respiratory disease to pigs.

Midori1999 · 15/05/2013 19:21

The rescue we got one of our buns from neuter rabbits at any age. Certainly they've got a much better chance of getting on/bonding if both are neutered. Can you see if here's a rabbit specialist vet in your area?

Original poster
Evenstar · 15/05/2013 22:48

I will definitely look into it once I hear back from the owners, I am really going to need the hutches until I can get them sorted and they were going to measure them and let me know so I can work out if I can get them in the car. I will try again tomorrow if I don't hear from them tonight, I am very concerned what might become of them all being given away for free Sad

My vet is lovely and would be honest if she couldn't do it and recommend someone else, my young bunnies were fine being neutered there and I got good advice on the aftercare etc I think. I do appreciate it might be more complicated with older bunnies.

OP posts:
Bedtime1 · 16/05/2013 05:08

So sad. I really hope you are able to rescue them. It's lovely what you are doing

Original poster
Evenstar · 02/06/2013 23:26

Just to update you all, I contacted the owners repeatedly and never heard from them again, I don't know if they found them another home, or decided to keep them, but I hope that they will be better cared for now than they have been Sad

OP posts:
fortifiedwithtea · 04/06/2013 13:49

Thanks for up-date. Lets hope the reason they didn't reply is they found the pets new homes.

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