Erk! Poor sofa getting a spray!

Hello, I've had Ozzie for 2 months now, how I came to have him is a long & tad embarrassing story. I more or less pinched him from a neighbour who was badly neglecting him, not through malice but sheer ignorance. So it started with me offering to "help out' by having him in the house while she was at work... she was relieved at that and hasn't asked about him since... So as you can see I haven't been sure whether she'd knock on the door & demand him back (not that I'd agree to it- which would have been awkward). My original plan was to get him to a rescue. But the local one was full, then I saw the amount of bunnies that need homes & thought the only way I can know he's got a good home is to do it myself! He came to me without any belongings, hastily smuggled in a mop bucket! now has an open cage & pen & lots supervised runs round the house.

Problem is, he is an un-neutered male. I couldn't get this done when legally he was someone elses rabbit but now she's not mentioned him I've had him checked over & the op is planned. i've been putting it off in case he was ill over Christmas so thought get it done in new year. However Just in the last few days he has started spraying on the sofa! He has always done mounds of poo on there (Yes there's a cover on it) I know you'd expect that from an entire male, i'm just wondering why it's only just started! He does present himself for frequent grooming on there so maybe he's informing me of his status... which I think is King of Front Room and the world! I'm just concerned that this may become habit for him & will continue after the op.


2 days running he has actually peed on my hand!! :evil: This was when I was trying to move his bottom near a piece of plastic sheeting i had put on there. I tried putting a piece of his blanket on there as he doesnt soil that, he peed on the cushion instead. Apart from being un-neutered, he's had an awful lot of change in the past few weeks as i have made his housing area bigger & better so it must be confusing. I think his Lordship approves judging by the amount of frolicking & flopping he does in there.

Do you think I should keep him off the sofa until after the op? I tried cleaning it with vinegar, he had a good sniff, then peed on it! He doesnt pee on the atrmchair- just the sofa next to where i sit.

Thing is he does all this stuff with the cutest look on his face...

Might be best to try and keep him off the sofa yes! :lol:

Boris did this a lot before he got neutered :lol: He'd poo literally all over the sofa and occasionally pee on it as well. It didn't matter all that much as it was an old sofa we planned to replace, but it was still gross :lol: And when we moved house the first thing he did was pee on the BRAND NEW sofa we had only had for a few days :shock: This was after he was neutered but being in a new place he probably wanted to mark his territory or something. Mum wasn't amused :shock: I think he realised that he had done something very wrong because he quickly hopped away flickering his feet at me and has never attempted to jump up on the sofa since.

Oompa-Loompa said:

Boris did this a lot before he got neutered :lol: He'd poo literally all over the sofa and occasionally pee on it as well. It didn't matter all that much as it was an old sofa we planned to replace, but it was still gross :lol: And when we moved house the first thing he did was pee on the BRAND NEW sofa we had only had for a few days :shock: This was after he was neutered but being in a new place he probably wanted to mark his territory or something. Mum wasn't amused :shock: I think he realised that he had done something very wrong because he quickly hopped away flickering his feet at me and has never attempted to jump up on the sofa since.

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Yes, It really is disgusting & stinks!! I couldn't believe the amount of number twos he can do in one go- he's like one of those machines that fires out tennis balls! I tried doing "disapproving bunny" :no: impressions myself as suggested by behavioural websites (ie turning my back on him) he did jump off & come & nudge me but got straight back on & did it again. I'll just have to get him done & tackle it after if he continues. :rabbit2:

What doe he mean by this?!

Update! He's legally my rabbit now, his old owner was relieved he's being looked after.

Anyway I've kept him off the sofa, he hasn't sprayed anywhere else but today he jumped up before I could stop him & immediately sprayed on the cushion. So as described in a bunny behaviour site, i went right up to him, took a deliberate step back & turned my back on him. He did jump straight off the sofa, came up to me & ran round me in circles.

Does anyone know how to interpret that? It could be "Oh sorry, I like you & want to make things better" (yeah right!) or "how dare you walk away, you're my property" or "oh you're playing, haha I'll join in!" (or maybe he just wants a bunny-wife to run round)

I know the spraying wont improve til' he's neutered but I found that interesting (apart from my poor cushion...) & wondered what the circling meant in this instance.

Circling is a sign of endearment/mating behaviour in rabbits. Circling is normally something that happens before spraing, so watch your ankles :lol:

Wellies round the house for me then!

Oh... erm... bleurgh! Thanks for that. Where's that Vet's number...

My male neutered rabbit keeps doing this too. He was only done a few weeks ago and they have said on here it can take a couple of months for all the hormones to go so this behaviour may continue for a while after he is neutered.
If you find a good way to discourage this though i would appreciate any exxtra tips as he is jumping up on my bed now and spraying there too. (really gross!