Stubborn and sassy bun

[DustyBuns]

This is Dusty Buns! He is a dwarf Lionhead and almost 3 months old:) He won’t stop getting into the couch!! And I’m scared he will get himself stuck!! I thought I was doing everything right. He is part free roam. we only put him in the play pen at night and since I’m home all the time I let him free roam around the house. He has been very well behaved and fully potty trained. I bunny proofed our old leather couch with blankets and pillows in the cracks within the first couple days that I had him. He would still try to scratch and get it sometimes. I would gently nudge him away, thump and tell him no which seemed to work for a while but now he WONT STOP. He will thump so much and if I try to gently nudge him he will scratch at me. I finally gave in bc I don’t want him wrecking the couch. He crawled in and started thumping again!!!! I don’t know what to do:(

[Bam]

Dusty Buns is exceptionally adorable!

He’s also being a perfectly normal young bun. At nearing 3 months, he’s coming into bunny adolescence, aka bun puberty. It’s great that he used to be perfectly litter trained – this means what’s going on now is due to a hormonal storm. He can’t help it and neither can you.

Your best bet is to bear with him until you can get him neutered. As a rule hormonal behaviour subsides within 1-2 weeks (during which time the the behaviors can actually intensify). For some male buns, hormonal behaviour can persist up to 8 weeks and still be within the normal range. Since he used to be litter trained before his hormones struck, chances are very good that he’ll go back to that when he nolonger has the urge to spray and mark everywhere.

Meanwhile, try to protect the couch as best you can, and just nevermind him if he lunges and/or growl at you. Dont withdraw, because that tells him his aggressive behaviour is being successful. If needed, for now, wear gardening gloves or similar when you handle him.

It’s very important that you dont back down. Animals (incl humans) operate on a trial-success basis. I currently have a young male bun, and in the beginning when he tried to challenge me, I was just like “oh really 🙄” and just got on with it – emptying litterbox, refilled water bowl etc. He caught on really quickly.

 

 

 

[DanaNM]

Sometimes when buns get obsessed with something the best strategy is to block access to it entirely and distract them with something else until they forget about it. Buns often have “projects” that they will work on. My bun Myra goes through phases of couch-chewing obsession, so we block off the couch with an x-pen when we aren’t supervising. We also put a blanket over the top as an added layer.

Giving grass mats and a cardboard box with some holes cut in the side and filled with brown paper might be a good distraction and give him something safe to destroy.

Also I agree that he is SUPER ADORABLE! 😀

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[DustyBuns]

Thank you everyone for your replies!
A lot of these helped a ton!
1. No giving in even though he’s cute!
2. I tried to spray my perfume( this didn’t help too much) 3. Distracting him with toys and giving him treats for play with the right ones 4. Keeping him entertained

Now he will only try once or twice in the mornings when he first comes out of his play pen so far so good! I haven’t had to get a fence or anything yet:)

[LBJ10]

Small and dark spaces are very fascinating, especially to young rabbits. He will persist. As suggested above, you need to actually block his access so he can’t wiggle or squeeze his way under there. I would suggest securing the area with a fence. You could use a dog pen or NIC grids tied together. Be prepared for a temper tantrum when he realizes he simply cannot get under there anymore.

[Bam]

100% what Dana and LBJ just said! I had to rearrange my shoe shelves yesterday because my little fosterbun decided that he HAD to get in there. I first tried blocking it off with a metal fence, but he managed to sneak in, again and again, using different narrow passways. Once he got in, he forgot how to get out, so he tried to chew his way through the metal fence 🙄😖

So I ended up removing a lot of shoes so he could have the lower sections to himself. It seemed to please him immensely, he spent all of yest evening under the lowest shelf. I’ll have to come up with a more practical solution for my shoes though 😬

[DanaNM]

Cooper was OBSESSED with the shoe rack in our old place! I had to block it with NIC cubes because he was nibbling all of our shoes!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[DustyBuns]

I made some cardboard tunnels with hay or hay cubes inside which he now loves! Thanks for the tips about dark spaces!

[Ana William]

It’s common for rabbits to chew and burrow, but it’s important to protect your furniture. Here are some steps you can take to redirect Dusty’s behavior:

1. Provide plenty of chewing toys: Give Dusty plenty of things to chew on, such as willow baskets, cardboard boxes, and wooden chew toys.
2. Block access to couch: Try putting a physical barrier, like a large piece of furniture, in front of the couch to block access.
3. Use a deterrent: You can also try using a bitter spray or double-sided tape on the couch to discourage Dusty from chewing it.
4. Reinforce positive behavior: When Dusty chews on appropriate items, reward him with treats and praise.
5. Give him plenty of exercise: Make sure Dusty is getting enough exercise and attention to prevent boredom.
6. Consult with a veterinarian: If Dusty’s behavior doesn’t improve, it may be a sign of a health issue or a behavioral problem. Consult with a veterinarian to rule out any medical issues.

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