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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum BEHAVIOR Pooping right outside litter box

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    • quirkygirlx
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        So I officially gave my mini lop free roam a few weeks ago… he’s SUPER good about his litter box and doesn’t play with anything he shouldn’t… he’s gotten better and better housebroken as time goes on. Only one issue–all of a sudden he sucks with his litter box! He doesn’t poop all over the house or anything but is still leaving probably 20 or so poops right outside of the litter box a day–no more than 2 feet from it. It drives me nuts because he used to be perfect with it and now he’s skimpering on the cleanliness  

        I guess I just want to know how to fix it? I brought him to the vet and other than a sensitive stomach (which he’s on medicine for now regularly) the vet said he’s in perfect health. I tried blocking him off to a smaller area (even as small as half an x pen with his huge cat litter box in there)… Nothing helps. It seems to be that he’s jumping out mid-poop so he drops some on his way out. It’s just a new thing though for him because he had perfect litter box habits, always. Even free roaming, until the last week or so. 

        I don’t know if this matters but he is shedding VERY badly as well–would this affect anything??

        Any advice??


      • ohbonobogirl
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          I’m just dropping in to share your pain. My temporary fix is another litter box right next to the other one in the spot where the poops usually appear. We’ll seem how it works..


        • GiggilyPuffBunny
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            OY! I’m having the same problem :-/ I feel ya guys…


          • ohbonobogirl
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              The introduction of a 2nd litter box right next to the other, which houses their food and water bowls seems to have done the trick for now for my pair. I’m wondering if mine may have had some lingering food-related territory issues. Anyway…it’s another box for me to clean, but it’s easier than cleaning their whole cage.


            • quirkygirlx
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                Posted By ohbonobogirl on 02/09/2014 11:08 AM

                The introduction of a 2nd litter box right next to the other, which houses their food and water bowls seems to have done the trick for now for my pair. I’m wondering if mine may have had some lingering food-related territory issues. Anyway…it’s another box for me to clean, but it’s easier than cleaning their whole cage.

                Hmm that is a pretty good idea.. my only issue is he’s a house bunny and his litter box he shares with my cat… I’ve been watching him the past day or two and it seems like 99% of the time he’s just hopping out of the box too fast and leaving a poop trail. Since he’s shedding so badly right now I’m also wondering if he’s pooping and it’s getting kind of stuck to his fur until he hops away, leaving it behind on my carpet  


              • caudex
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                  Posted By quirkygirlx on 02/09/2014 06:05 PM

                   my only issue is he’s a house bunny and his litter box he shares with my cat…

                   

                  Someone with more knowhow can chime in, but is this safe? I’m thinking of fecal bacteria cross contamination.


                • manic_muncher
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                    Yea, I read on another thread that it’s not a good idea. I wasn’t sure why and didn’t remember where it is… so I was hoping someone else would notice this that knows.


                  • quirkygirlx
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                      Yea I know it’s not ideal I clean the litter box 2x a day to eliminate the feces issue.. When he first started using it I locked him back up in his cage for a day and a half straight with HIS litter box and not only was he pissed but he held it in the entire 36 hours! He didn’t poop ONCE in his cage and when I opened it to check on him he dashed back to the cat box and pooped it all out that he’d been holding in.
                      I spoke to my vet about it and he said that since the cat is an indoor cat the poop won’t be an issue and eventually told me as long as he’s not eating anything in the box (litter or poop) then just let him be.. He’s entirely too stubborn to prevent it, he’d get sicker holding in poop like that.


                    • Lolly Pop
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                        I’ve only had my little girl a week and from day 2 she has always used the little box. She has left a few droppings around the box but it does take bunnies time to learn control. Heck, so far Lolly has been doing better than my daughter! LOL! Today was a different story! She is marking her territory everywhere she goes! SO… maybe I will blame this on the moon phases?!?! Good luck with your bunny!


                      • quirkygirlx
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                          So I tried this.. now he’s just using the other box and the same thing is happening, he’s hopping out before he’s done pooping and making a messy trail  Any suggestions to get him to slow his roll when he’s pooping so he keeps the poop in the box and not flinging it everywhere mid-jump out?  


                        • ohbonobogirl
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                            You may try a higher box.


                          • Ellis's Mom
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                              Ellis started pooping outside of his box a couple of months after we got him. Problem solved when we got him a bigger box. He’d outgrown the smaller one and his butt was sticking out over the corner. He was also missing when he peed, which was even less pleasant.

                              Now he only poops outside of the box when I haven’t cleaned it soon enough for his liking…usually if i forget for a day or so once he’s filled both corners. (He likes to nudge his butt into the corner of the box to do his business. When that corner is “full”, I throw the old hay from the cage on it and turn the box 180degrees. Then he has a clean corner for another day or so.)

                              When I look at pix from when we first brought him home, and how well he fit in the little litter box, compared to how much space he needs now, he’s right…he’s a lot bigger )


                            • quirkygirlx
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                                Yea I thought of that, unfortunately his litter box is a large sized cat one! So I don’t think it’s tat thank you for the idea.. I am considering buying him the XL one just to see if that is the issue (it’d be nice!) I’ve been watching him like a crazy person and he doesn’t poop outside of it… He just jumps out too quickly leaving a trail behind so frustrating!!!!

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                            Forum BEHAVIOR Pooping right outside litter box