bunnie obedience school?

[a1lie]

hello everyone! I'm having some trouble wiv my notti bunnie and was wondering if I could get some advice. We actually found him at a construction site about 2 months ago..he's doing alright now (much fatter too!) but the problem is that he's not litterbox trained and he will just bite and chew on practically everything (plants, table legs, doors ). So everytime I let him out, we have poo n pee all over the house and stuff all chewed up! Never had a rabbit before..but how do u actually discipline one? I tried raising my voice but it doesn't seem to work and I will have to end up making him stay in his cage again (feel bad for doing this)

[Karen]

Does he have a litterbox in his cage? Does it have yummy hay to nibble while he does his business? Our rabbit was very easy, essentially, to train. We put her in her cage when we first got her, and she piddled in one corner. We put the litter box there, and that was pretty much it. We caught her a couple time "marking" something, and loud claps to stop her, then putting her back in her cage for a while, stopped that behavior.

There's no real way to "discipline" a bunny, but clapping your hands very loud twice (Clap! Clap!) immitates a bunny's "danger" thump, and is sure to get his attention.

You should get him checked by a bunny-knowledgable vet, and get him neutered - many male rabbits will "spray" - aka pee - to mark their territory if they're left unneutered. How old is he? How big is he?

Rabbits WILL chew things. Go to http://rabbit.org for how to Bunny-proof a room, or your whole house!
Give him plenty of things that are okay to chew on - dowels (unpainted) are good, some sticks, treats from the pet store designed (and nutritous) for rabbits ... Miss Hoppy loves the seed treats - they are good for gnawing, nibbling - and tasty to eat, too!

Try restricting him to one room at first, maybe keep him in his cage when you aren;t home, and let him out into that one room when you can supervise for a while.

What's his name?

[Daisylover]

Karen has given you great advice. Young bunnies require a lot of patience.

Putting timothy hay in the litter box is a great incentive for the bunny to learn what that box is for.

Young rabbits are generally more difficult to litter train only because they are very energetic and busy exploring their world and, like a small child, don't want to take the time out to go use a toilet(litter pan in this case). As they get older they do become more discerning about their living environment and most buns will begin to only go in one or two places in order to keep their habitat clean. There are a couple of other great side benefits to neutering your bunny.....his urine will be less odorous, he will calm down and more likely become more affectionate to you. If you think he is lonely, try getting him a small stuffed animal that is the same size as he is.

Good luck and let us know how you and he are doing!

[a1lie]

thanks so much for the advice..n sorry for not introducing my bunny earlier....he's called PONZI...not too sure what type of rabbit he is..but I do know he's not angora or the lop eared kind...he's got upright ears (hehe) one black n one white....n has a white body n a black bottom not big too...I would say about 6 inches tall?

anyway he's got me all exhausted trying to keep him off the couch n I know loud sounds like clapping or trying to distract or scare him doesn't work coz he'll juz leave his poo n pee behind in fright... sigh...

he's got lotsa hay but he doesn't seem to like them either...but will munch non stop on his pellets..are we supposed to feed them fresh vegggies too coz he used to luff them but barely nibbles at any nowadays....

[Daisylover]

Please keep on giving Ponzi timothy hay....many of my bunnies didn't like hay at first but it is essential to their diet and eventually they did start to eat it....now it's often the first thing they eat when fed, except of course if carrots and/or parsley are given out at the same time.

You might try getting Ponzi a puppy pen from the pet store...here in the states, they are made of metal, and have about 8 sections so that it sets up in an octagon shape. The smallest one will give a bunny about 5-6 feet of space to play in and will keep him off your couch. He can spend a lot of time inside this pen as they have a lot more room in them than any cage will.... He should still be let out twice a day for an hour or two of exercise and to stretch his legs..... It sounds like he is a baby and during their first year baby bunnies have boundless energy and drive most people crazy....But neutering and age will calm him down. Good luck with Ponzi!