Question Hi there,
>
> I have a 10 month old male mini-lop bunny who is absolutely wonderful! He is
> litter trained, and stays lose primarily in my bedroom. He often hops up on
> the bed, which is terrific, but the problem is he also trys frequently to
> "leave his mark" by leaving his "pellets" on the bed or by urinating on the bed.
> This has been a MAJOR problem and he does it on a weekly or daily basis. I
> was told to try spraying him with a water bottle as punishment when he does it,
> but after 6 months of the water bottle, he is STILL doing it. Is he testing
> me? He seems to only go right before he jumps off of the bed. He'll come up
> and sit next to me to get petted or brushed then get up and "go" as he's
> jumping off the bed, almost like he's trying to get away with it. Is the water a
> bad idea? Is there a better approach?
>
> Thank you very much for your help!
> Kathleen Perry
AnswerYou sure that he isn't spraying? If he isn't neutered, he could be spraying to mark his territory. The water doesn't seem to be having much effect, so you may have to watch his body language.
Does he lift his tail? Most bunnies will warn you by lifting their tails, in which case you could carry him quickly to his litterbox and then reward him for going in it rather than on the bed.
If he is not neutered, then if you get him neutered he should stop the behavior after his hormones have "calmed down" after several weeks.
Rabbits only respond to positive reinforcement, so if you can get him to the right place at the right time and reward him for that, then hopefully he will associate that with his litterbox like he is supposed to!
Good luck.
Kim