Housing Help, Behavior Help, Help Help Help

[napoleonbunnyparte]

Not sure if this is housing or behavior or both, as I am new. Also not sure if there's already a topic for this, and if there is, I'm sorry, but I am at my wits end so this will have to do!

Napoleon Bunnyparte has just been neutered and as far as I can tell it's only made his behavior worse. I'm afraid he's been a bit spoiled and has been allowed to roam free in my bedroom during the day, but once he resumed "eliminating" on my bed and beneath it that had to stop. I scaled him back, got a bunch of cage wire from the hardware store and made him a play pen to go around his crate and a litterbox so he'd learn how to use the box. Unfortunately he simply cleared the two-foot fence of the play pen and ran under the bed, where I found him when I finally came home. This rabbit had surgery 3 days ago and he's a very high energy bunny which I love, but really??

Admittedly, his cage is inadequate. It's a converted dog carrier with one gated entrance/exit, barely any light, and though I clean it at least twice a week he hates it and struggles every time I try to crate him (which kills me). This also makes picking him up difficult because he thinks he's going in the crate. He's an extremely healthy bunny though, the vet told me, and he's well-fed and exercised almost all day (if not for at least two hours on busy ones). I'm in the process of getting a new cage, one that's actually made for rabbits, but I have to search Craigslist because I'm a college student on a budget!

I'm also terrified that chasing him around is worsening his fear of me, since whatever trust we had was effectively eliminated three days ago when I took him to the vet to be neutered. Please help! In a nutshell what I need is:

1. How to scale him back from having the whole room (Do I just put a litterbox under the bed and hope he uses it??)
2. How to keep him from peeing and pooing on the bed
3. How to get him in his cage without scaring him/catching him/possibly causing psychological trauma (getting a new crate should help, shouldn't it?)
4. Is it just puberty?? (He's almost 6 months old)

I'm a first time bunny owner and I love him, but I'm losing my mind! I refuse to give up, but I'm so terrified I'm doing something horribly wrong and scarring my poor little buddy.

Margot

 

[missyscove]

Hi and welcome to RO!
Keep in mind that it may take 6 weeks or longer before you see a real decrease in hormones from the neuter, so if it's only been 3 days, I'm not surprised he hasn't improved yet, but yes neutering him was a great first step!
Is the bedroom the only option for him? in my experience rabbits love to pee on soft things, you know, like comforters, so keeping the top of the bed off limits is a bit of a challenge.
You don't have to have a cage made just for rabbits. Many of us on the forum use exercise pens (made for dogs) or homemade cages built from wire storage cubes (myself included). A dog crate isn't a bad cage, as long as it's appropriately sized.
I might start with really evaluating your caging situation and finding something that works for you and/or blocking off everywhere you don't want him to be. Try making a barrier around underneath the bed so he simply can't go there. If you give him a pen, either make it taller or put a lid on it (something as simple as an old sheet clothespinned on can work) so he can't get out when you don't want him to.
Also, try offering more litterboxes. You can always take them away later.

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

HI
OK let's start at the top. First off he needs to be confined for about a week after surgery. There are internal tissues that need to heal. Even if he does not like it for his health and safety it needs to be done. Second it takes a couple of weeks for the hormones to die off completely so his current post surgery behavior is normal. A way you can teach him to return to his cage on command is tossing his favorite treat in there. When he gets in use a command like "house". Fraggles knows when I say "Fraggles,house" she gets right in. A lot of his issues are from being a "teenager" and will die down in a couple weeks.

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

Hi Christina. I think we were typing at the same time

 

[LakeCondo]

Yes to everything above. And relax; things will improve.

 

[napoleonbunnyparte]

Thanks so much guys! That's a.) a relief that the hormones die down because the vet didn't mention that and b.) extremely helpful. I was trying to confine him but also give him some space with the pen...clearly that is not going to happen unless I'm there to supervise very very carefully; c.) it looks like I need a better cage AND more convincing treats...

I feel like such a n00b (and this time it matters because a life hangs in the balance!). Any extra tips anyone has to add will be greatly appreciated!

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

Lol. I was a total noob in the beginning. Fraggles did not even have a cage or crate. She had a cardboard box lol so don't feel to bad. You will be OK

 

[eclairemom]

Teenage boy bunnies sheesh. I just had my bunny neutered less than 2 weeks ago. He was having crazy boy hormones marking my daughters bed, flinging pee on her as he ran by and attacking me. Hopefully it will get better soon,it has for us.

 

[OneTwoThree]

To keep him from under your bed, buy NIC grids and line around your bed with them, thats the cleanest way I've seen so far. Amazon has free Prime for students, and xpens for about 40 bucks + free 2 day shipping (prime), they make great pens IME. Since yours is a jumper you might want to pay the extra few bucks for the 42in, or buy/make a lid for whatever other size you get Xpens are great too because they fold up fairly compact, which you can do once your bun is better behaved/trained
Both of my girls go in their pens on their own at night, mostly because thats when they get their salads But they also like the hang out in their with the pen doors open a good portion of the day too. Its nice that they like their space, you know?