my rabbit lucerne

Question
My one and a half year old male bunny occasionally pees in my bed or on the couch, is there anyway I can train him to stop. Also, when I scratch his ears, there is a little dandruff, what does this mean?

Thanks,
Ren  

Answer
First: Is he neutered? Marking behavior, which this may be, is usually significantly curtailed by neutering. For info on the benefits and risks of neutering, and a link to tips on finding a good rabbit vet if you don't already have one, see http://rabbit.org/faq/sections/spay-neuter.html

Neutered or no, sounds like he will need training to stop this bad habit. There are some good behavior training tips in the House Rabbit Society's litter training FAQ, http://rabbit.org/faq/sections/litter.html

In this situation, it's often also necessary to cover the couch and bed with something when you are not using them. Plastic sheeting is protective and sometimes will do the trick also to make the area less attractive to him. They usually don't like to stand on something slick and crackly to urinate. You won't have to use the sheeting forever, just long enough to get him out of the habit of thinking these are great places to pee. If he doesn't seem deterred by plastic, you can escalate to aluminum foil--most *really* don't like that. You can put it on top of the plastic so you still have the protection of the plastic.

As for the dandruffy stuff, could be several things: flea irritation, fur mites, ringworm, just dry skin, or an allergy, seasonal or no. To find out which, a vet visit is usually needed. A good rabbit vet may be able to diagnose and recommend treatment, either prescription or non-prescription. Again, if your vet is not experienced with rabbits, you can find one who is or ask your vet to consult with one. FAQ on this here: http://rabbit.org/faq/sections/vet.html

Best of luck and thanks for your concern and care!

Gina