QuestionI have had my gorgeous doe since november 2010. She is 5 months old and I had her spayed last week. She constantly marks places in my lounge, especially the sofa. I have spoken to the vet and several people and they say to let her out of her cage less, so I have done this, but she still wees/marks. I got her to be a house rabbit and be part of the family so to lock her away all the time seems wrong to me!! Also I was advised to get her spayed because this would help to stop the marking. How long after spaying should I notice an improvement?? I love her dearly, but this activity is really beginning to become a problem now.. Pleae can you offer me some advise. Thank you so much x
AnswerDear Karen,
Alas, your bunny is entering her Terrible Teens. Spayed or not, she will be acting out for a little while before she mellows into adulthood.
For now, I would recommend that you purchase some pretty, rubber-backed 100% cotton mats and place them over any areas where she has chosen as her potty. These can be removed, laundered and rotated. But to stop this behavior, you will have to physically keep her away from where she is marking, or put a litterbox there.
Note that if she's been spayed for only a week, that's not long enough for the hormone-related behaviors to stop. They will slow down over the next few weeks. Patience and careful training with positive reinforcement will help.
If she continues to mark in a few weeks, please write back with *very specific* information about where she is marking and how (pee? poop? spray?), and I might be able to help with more tips.
Dana