Determined Bunny - Need help breaking habits!

[basedonfact]

I've had my bunny for over two months now, and I adore him - I only have one problem. He INSISTS on using the couch as a litter box! At first, he did this casually - I'd walk in the room and he'd look up at me like nothing was wrong. At first, every time I saw him on the couch, I would say "No" and pick him up and set him on the floor I did this for about two weeks, with absolutely no progress. After that, I started saying "No!" with a little more force, and putting him in his cage for a minimum of a half hour every time he jumped on the couch. This has worked... Well, kind of.

Now, he KNOWS very well he isn't allowed on the couch. He will not jump on the couch unless I leave the room - But, the SECOND I do, he jumps up. As soon as he sees me he RUNS off the couch in a panic and hides from me for at least ten minutes. He does this half-haphazardly, and I'm concerned he will hurt himself.

I just don't understand. I know it's one thing when an animal doesn't understand something is wrong, but he KNOWS he isn't supposed to be up there! I have thoroughly cleaned the couch with stuff that is supposed to break down pheromones found in urine, and I clean it every time he urinated on it. I have tried blocking it off, but he always finds a way up - I tried, quite literally, covering the entire couch (it's a very small couch) in things that he can't really jump on. Mostly dead computer motherboards and cases and things that are uneven and very uncomfortable to step on. This doesn't stop him in the least!

I'm about at my wit's end. Getting rid of the couch really isn't an option - It's my only seating in the room besides my small and uncomfortable computer chair. He has a large cage big enough to run around in, and free range of the rest of the house for half of the day (and the bedroom any time I am home and it isn't that half-a-day. He's still too young to be neutered and we have a female bunny, so they have to take turns with free-ranging.)

... Any ideas? I've even tried moving all of the furniture in the room to throw him off, and spraying the couch with my boyfriend's deodorant. (this works with our other bunny, we think it's a territory thing. She won't touch something that smells so strongly like him.)

 

[tonyshuman]

I don't have a great solution, as one of mine still pees on the couch. We try to keep her off by squirting her with a water bottle when she jumps on it. I also clean with the "Kids and Pets" fabric cleaner and am considering getting a Bissel Little Green. One thing we did for a while was put old shower curtains and garbage bags on the couch, with aluminum foil on top of them. They don't like the sound it makes when they walk on the foil, and the plastic keeps the couch clean. However, after a few times of peeing on the shower curtains, they start smelling like a litterbox, and that's the opposite of what we want the couch to smell like. Those are the ideas I've had, with varying degrees of success.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Young rabbits also have less bladder control than older ones. It will improve with age. He is also probably marking in response to your female's scent.

Personally, I think they will always smell it, regardless of how you clean it.

I think you're snookered until neutering occurs.... To combat this a bit, put a thermal blanket (the plasticy feeling sorts given for warmth in some motels) on the couch. Mine don't easily permit urine to go through the weave.... Still have to wash it, but it doesn't leak through onto the couch.

Other option is to build an enclosed run in the living room.

 

[jcottonl02]

I tend to agree with the above comments- neutering will help a lot I think.

For now just cover the couch with perhaps something with plastic beneath it. It's not ideal, but until you can neuter him it may be the only option.

 

[tonyshuman]

My guys are neutered and still do it...

 

[jcottonl02]

tonyshuman wrote:

My guys are neutered and still do it...

that's annoying.

In basedonfact 's case, neutering could solve it. We'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully, fingers crossed, it will help. I know it's a very common answer to an annoying problem.