Help, territorial bunny!

[KatieRose]

My sweet pea of a bunny (Gizmo, spayed female, 7 months old) has just recently started to display some pretty offensive territorial behavior. The biggest problem is urinating on my bed. My boyfriend has been living with me for the past few weeks (while he gets his new apartment), so perhaps she is trying to be the alpha bun over the smell of my boyfriend on my bed? Either that or because we have fenced off under the bed (because she stays under there and defecates) perhaps she is trying to reclaim under the bed (which is not going to happen; besides, she has lots of hidey-places such as the closet). I used to be able to leave her unattended in my bedroom so she could roam free but now every time I leave her unattended I find her on my bed with feces everywhere and worst of all, a big puddle of urine that soaks through every blanket. So now she is only allowed out of her pen when I am in my bedroom, which is usually for a good hour or two a night (in which she gets plenty of love and attention). NOW she is starting to buzz and do the courtship dance, and tonight she actually mated/mounted my arm!! I was flabbergasted, she is a spayed bunny as of a couple of months ago and has not shown this behavior since being spayed! So I’m thinking it’s just territorial. I have a couple of clickers and the book on clickers that I intend to use, although I don’t know if it will help much. What can I do with a territorial bunny without making her feel like a caged creature? I want her to have freedom and lots of love but I will not stand for this constant urination, defecation and now humping!! 

[IsabellaRobyn]

My bunny pee’d on my bed all the time when I brought her home and then eventually it stopped but the other night my boyfriend stayed over and she pee’d right on the blanket where he was lying just out of nowhere! I think at first she was claiming the bed was hers and not mine but now I think she is trying to tell him that I am hers not his and so is her bed. Maybe when your boyfriend moves out it will get better. I wish I could offer more help – I’m sure someone else will.

[Beka27]

It sounds like she needs more space. What are your other options for housing her? Can she go into a family room or living room that is bunny-proofed? I don’t recommend having bunnies in the bedroom. You need your own space, and if she has other options for an exercise space, she may be able to get more than an hour or two out a day.

[TH004]

I think it’s your boyfriend! My first rabbit did that. I lived with a bf and she would pee anywhere he sat (even back to back! I didn’t know she could have that much urine). I had him try to bond with her and give her treats to try to win her affection. He and I didn’t last long enough for that… but the guy I ended up marrying, she loved! She never peed where he had been. I would recommend having some bf/buns bonding time, with lots of yummy greens, treats, etc. Maybe you can get buns to love your bf too!

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