Does a naughty corner work?

[Jasper-bear]

My house bunny has decided that my bed is a really nice spot to use when needing to go to the toilet. I’ve tried abosilutely everything and nothing has worked. I’ve tried keeping him off my bed but he just gets extremely angry and digs at the bed like crazy. I’m currently using puppy training pads which is fine until i want to go to sleep and then he just pees everywhere. I’ve also tried using a shower curtain which is supposed to put the rabbit off but it doesnt stop my rabbit from going to the toilet there. 

I’ve just recently thought that maybe i could create a naughty corner situation by creating an enclosure with his littter tray and his food and some of his toys in it. When he goes to the toilet on my bed i’ll place him in the enclosure for a few minutes or until he uses his litter tray and then let him out again. 

should i try this? if not what else can i do?!?!

[Sarita]

I doubt he will understand this at all.

He’s not peeing on the bed because he needs to use the potty, he’s peeing there because he’s marking. You really need to keep him off the bed – he may be angry but that’s the only way this behavior will stop.

[kinggoblin]

Rabbits don’t understand time out, is he neutered? Sounds like he is marking and neutering will help with that

[bunnyfriend]

Rabbits do not make connections between a naughty behavior and something that happens seconds later. Is he neutered?
Sarita is right, he is marking. A lot of rabbits have good litter habits but still will mark clothes, blankets, ect. Anything that has a strong scent of humans.

[Sam and Lady's Human]

I’m going to disagree, if either of my buns are being persistent about doing something, like digging or chewing on something, I’ll scoop ’em up and put them in their pen for a few minutes. When I let them out they don’t go do it again, at least.

The idea that every time he goes to use the bed as a potty and you put him in his litterbox is a good one, on top of that I’d have a small treat, like a 1/4 of craisin and give it to them in the box or once they get out.

[LBJ10]

Having a “time out” works for my buns. I don’t know if they really understand it, but removing them completely from the situation will make them forget about whatever it was after a few minutes.

I agree though that his behavior is the result of his urge to mark, not necessarily the urge to go to the bathroom. If he isn’t neutered, then I would have him neutered. His behavior will most likely improve greatly. My advice would be to make sure you’ve done everything you can before resorting to punishment. He won’t learn anything from it, especially if he’s doing it because of hormones.

[Jasper-bear]

Is he marking if hes doing it continuously day after day. And he is neutered, he’s never had any territory issues before, so this is a complete first for me.

[LBJ10]

Yes, marking is usually a continuous thing. Is he the only rabbit?
My boys had a pee spot that they liked to mark and they are neutered. I fenced it off and not had any problems since.

[RabbitPam]

While they don’t understand the concept of a time out exactly, I agree with Sam & Lady’s Human that it is effective to stop unwanted behavior by putting them immediately into an enclosure with a litter pan to use instead. Since it’s marking and not the need to pee, I’d suggest a two-fold solution. First being keep him off the bed, angry or not, as Sarita advised. Also, you want to remove the marking smell which is strong now, so I would wash the bedding and after it’s back on, spray the lower areas with a water and white vinegar solution (half and half in a misting spray bottle) to add a scent that bunnies don’t like. It should put him off. You don’t need to spray it near where your head goes, and don’t saturate it. Just make it unpleasant enough to take the fun out of the bed so he doesn’t mind it being off limits from now on.

[Elrohwen]

I would just keep him off the bed. At this point it’s become a habit – whatever his initial reasons for doing it, he’s now decided that it’s a great idea and he wants to do it every day. Even with a completely new mattress and clean sheets he might always want to do it, so keeping him off is your best bet.

I don’t think a naughty corner will help. Some rabbits might understand it in some situations, but the chances he’ll understand why he’s there are pretty low.

[Jasper-bear]

Absolutely nothing is working!! Can anyone suggest ways that I can keep my rabbit off my bed?!

[LBJ10]

Can you use an exercise pen to fence it off?

[Sam and Lady's Human]

Did you try a plastic sheet? NM just saw you tried shower curtain. Cant you just push him off?

[ARrescue]

Unless there’s a specific reason for him to be in your bedroom, if you can manage it, I would just close it off to him and house him in another area. My parents had a cat that got into the habit of peeing on the couch in the basement and in people’s beds, so they just keep those rooms closed off. After a while it does become habitual I think, and completely closing it off works.

If not, I second putting an exercise pen around it so he can’t get to it.

[Jasper-bear]

 He has to be in my room all the time, as he’s not allowed to be out of the room all day. i wish there was a way that i could keep him out of the room and i will try and exercise pen

[Jasper-bear]

 I can, but thats extremely difficult when i’m not home

[hasiemeisie]

I also had a lot of trouble with a buck rabbit marking my bed. I managed to keep him off with a mosquito net tucked in tightly under my matress, altough the net did not last too long with bunnies nibbling at it. This behaviour continued even after neutering. He stopped his annoying habbits at the same time that he started showing me signs of submission. I gathered that his marking my bed was his way of testing his boundaries and ever since he has never marked my bed and always jumps off when I get into bed (even though I have never chased him off) as if to acknowledge that the bed is my territory (the rest of the house is his ). Unfortunately as far as I know there is no way to force your dominance upon an animal without losing his trust – he has to accept you on his own terms.

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