Perfectly litter trained - EXCEPT when on the couch

[BugLady]

I have had my rescue bunny Rascal for a week now, so I know I have to be patient with his training. But I am hoping for some tips for how to break a pooping habit.

He is litter trained, to the point where he saves all of his poop for the litter box. I am thrilled! Except for one problem...

I have started clicker training with him, and one trick he learned is how to jump onto a stool and then onto the couch. Now he will jump up and down just to check on me, relax, or beg for treats.

However when he gets on the couch, he starts pooping everywhere! It's like he thinks the entire couch is his litter box. I'm not sure how much to reprimand him and if he will understand the association between pooping and being removed from the couch... I would love the couch to be a happy place where he can feel comfortable with me while I'm working on my laptop. He tried peeing once too, which got him promptly picked up and placed in his litter box.

What do you think? Maybe being vigilant about putting him in his litter box as soon as he starts to poop? I'm going to limit his access for now.

 

[mrbunny]

I removed Bighead and placed him into the litter bin each time he would start to go poop/pee on the futon. It took a 2-3 weeks before he stopped doing pooping/peeing on it.

After that, he didn't jump on the futon as often for some time. I felt really terrible because I think that Bighead thought he wasn't allowed on the futon. The other buns would be up on the futon, and he would stay underneath it.

Bighead did eventually come around and he sleeps on the futon occasionally now.

My suggestion would be remove Rascal each time he starts. But, after Rascal knows he's not allowed to poop there, encourage him back with cuddles and greens.

 

[kuniklos]

Have you had visitors in the house? Or new visitors? The General tends to poop or pee on the couch in the spot new people were sitting.

We have a sofa cover, and when the new person leaves, we wash the cover and spray down the couch. It ended his accidents.

 

[toyabrooke]

I have been having the same problem but Poe isn't fully litter trained yet due to his heightened hormones that came on very suddenly before his neutering. I put a puppy pad down on the couch now though where he always likes to go, and now he always goes on that! So half way to litter training (kind of)!

T

 

[BugLady]

Thanks for the tips so far!
This is getting a little more urgent since Rascal discovered how to jump onto the couch on his own, without the stool.

My boyfriend is watching him while I'm out of town, and he said Rascal is "marking" the couch as his own with lots of poop and pee! Not just in one corner either, but all over the place. UGGHHH.

I'm thinking of getting an indoor pet fence and blocking off the couch when I'm gone, otherwise he's a perfect house bunny. Looks like I'll have to try a bit of creative training once I get home.

 

[kjm84]

I was having the same problem with my bunny. I cleaned the couch really well with a carpet cleaner with pet odor remover cleaner to get his scent out. Next, he wasn't allowed on the couch for a few weeks, every time he jumped on it, I would say "NO!" and put him on the floor. After a few weeks, I gave him another shot at being allowed on the couch, and luckily the problem was solved. Hope that info helps at all.

 

[BugLady]

It seems my boyfriend has inadvertently solved the situation!

While I was out of town my boyfriend decided he didn't want to keep Rascal caged up all day, so he propped up the couch cushions on top of some pillows. He tried to angle them so Rascal couldn't jump up on the couch.

He sent me a picture the next day, Rascal had gotten up there and tossed the cushions around!

However there was only a little bit of poop. Since then he hasn't pooped on the couch at all.

Maybe he needed the strange experience to learn it's not really "his" turf? Or maybe he was upset that I was gone? Either way I'm happy I don't have to clean more pee off my couch.

 

[ZRabbits]

Good for your boyfriend. It worked for you.

I don't know, I just don't let my boys up on the furniture by themselves so I've never had to deal with poo or pee on my furniture.

But it looks like success with what your boyfriend did.

Each rabbit is different. What works for one, might no work for another.

K