INTENT on getting under the couch?!

[quirkygirlx]

Hi all,

My rabbit is about a year old now and he’s neutered, fully litter box trained, and smart as can be… The last few months I’ve let him free roam (at first just when we were home, then slowly moved into full time free roaming.

My only issue is he is SO INTENT on getting under the couch! I put nic cubes all around the couch (even tucked them in to the recliners so he can’t go in between) and he’s ADAMANT about getting under there. I know he likes places to hide and he sleeps under my bed all the time (I gave up on that battle)…. But the couch thing is nuts. I’ve come home a few times to him somehow under the couch (NO IDEA HOW) and once he climbs under he gets stuck so he’s left there all day until I come home and open the recliners and he flies out… And now hes biting through the zip ties to separate the cubes so he can pull them out get underneath.

I’m getting so frustrated! If you leave him in his cage he goes into Destructo mode (tips over water bottles, food, dips all his toys into the water making it a wet soppy mess, even tears up the carpet and knocks over the wood it’s glued on (he has a huge nic cage–attached). I’ve accepted that he wants to be out all of the time and that’s fine but dear god I’m so sick of having to pull him out from under the couch every day or wake up to nic cube pieces everywhere or a destroyed cage!!

 I don’t think it’s even boredom, I buy him toy after toy and he has all the paper towel rolls, bunny friendly toys to throw around, even a kong ball… he plays with everything all of the time, and it’s just not enough!

Any ideas anyone? He ONLY does this when we’re not around. He knows he’s not allowed under there. I feel like I have tried EVERYTHING to block the couch off from him, so I am getting so frustrated that the ONE PLACE he can’t go, he is set on making it under.

[Sarita]

I’m not even sure if it’s possible in your home to just allow him free range everywhere but the living room…that might be a good solution if your setup allows it. He may be okay with free roam everywhere else.

I know blocking an area has alot to do with the design of the home though…

[quirkygirlx]

Yea unfortunately in a one bedroom apartment that’s not really an option my apartments a decent size but the living room is the main area.. I can’t really block him off from just the living room without locking him in the bedroom and blocking him out of his cage or blocking him into the main foyer, which is just a huge road block for all of us..

[Valetinesmom]

I read something on here that might work for you.

Someone mentioned they had one of those remote control noise makers, like the ones you can use around Halloween. So, if you put the speaker under the couch, and set it off when he is under there, he might start being actually afraid to go there.

[Cookie is #1]

Hmmm… Maybe you can use some sort of untreated sturdy wood panels(from a hardware store) and nail it at the bottom of your couch where there is the gap. It is just an idea.

[Author]

Messages