AH I feel like pulling my hair out!

[Moccasin]

I know I’ve posted a lot on her lately.. I’m just so anxious and tired. I feel like I can’t do anything right. 

My newly adopted 1 year old bun (who is unspayed) will not litter box train. 

I am treated her UTI issue now, and I will get her spayed, but I need to pay off this vet bill etc… first. 

I got her at 1 year. She was no liter trained before. She goes pee in her box, but poop forget it!

she rather hold it until she actually jumps OUT of her litter box just to go all over the floor of her X pen. SHE JUMPS OUT TO POOP, yes you heard that right. 

I have picked up her poo and put into the litter box and that doesn’t work, she poops more if I reach in (never bites, but grunts)

but will just flip around and poop, hop out of her litter box and poop, or jumps into the litter and back out to poop, and poops more! so I get it. Now I don’t clean it up until someone is cuddling with her so she doesn’t see me. So, I know place her in front of her door to have her go in on her own and once she is in she grunt and looks at me and POOPS on the floor, hops into her liter box and then back out and POOPS ON THE FLOOR! its like she is doing it because she knows its pissing me off and she wants to show me she is MAD because she isn’t in the living room pooping in her big living room litter box, like HOW DARE I do that to her! (this is the story in my head)

She will NOT take to the litter box. I’m SO tired. I feel like I’m doing something so wrong. I spent so much money on trying different things.. she couldn’t care less about hay in her box. I don’t know how to get her addicted to her litter box. 

HOW do I get her addicted? Do I just stop trying and realized some bunnies don’t get it??? WHATS WRONG WITH MEEEE

All she does is poop when she sees me, plays, I just enter the room, never IN the box. EVER!  I’m the worst trainer ever! I want to cry. 

its been about 1 month. 

[Slowebot]

The fact that she seems like she is doing it intentionally and also that she is unspayed makes the behavior seem territorial which is actually quite common in unaltered rabbits. She understands the litter box is for her mess, that’s why she is peeing in it, the poos are for marking her territory (which would also explain why if you pick up her poo she just replaces it seemingly right away). Also since she is in a relatively new environment she is also trying to establish dominance and territory. Try to be patient until she is spayed, wait until her hormones dwindle away and I don’t think there will be a problem keeping most of her poop in a box (sometimes bunnies just need to mark a little territory but it really shouldn’t be more than a couple poos).

[Deleted User]

Your NOT doing anything wrong Moccasin! And I am sorry to say this is hormonal and nothing will fix it/help till she gets spayed. SORRY! But I hope to make you feel better…..
Before my boy got neutered he SPRAYED (wee) on us constantly! We copped it in the face, hair, everywhere (he was a good shot!), and as much as I wanted to *^%@*!^*….. we didn’t because we knew it was him being territorial/hormonal and it wasn’t his fault. It was all over our bedding, furniture, walls and the dog’s! YUCK! and wee is way worse to clean up than poop! Yes, he pooped too, but I could deal with that (so much easier to clean up than wee any day!). We didn’t like him, dog’s included! But once he was neutered and we gave him a few weeks grace for the hormones to settle, we love him again! He is a pleasure to have in our home and is an adored/treasured family member.
Her pooping also is her way of saying she likes/loves you – why she is marking you and your space. Sounds terrible, but take it as a compliment. Instead of spending/wasting money on quick fixes, pay your current vet bill and start saving for her spay. I reckon you’ll be like me and swear it was the BEST money you ever spent once it’s done.
I’m sorry my post wasn’t more encouraging, but I hope you got a laugh with all the we had to endure (it’s still too soon for us to laugh at ourselves yet, but I am counting on it one day?????) Lol….
Again – YOUR not doing anything wrong and neither is your precious girl. That’s just the way it is sadly. In the mean time be grateful it is only poop and not wee, be patient and start saving your $$$$! And every time it gets you down (and it will), think of me/us ducking for cover when Henry sprayed us!
Cheers Moccasin.

[BunnyLady1989]

Agreed! Even when she is spayed though don’t be surprised if one or two little poops don’t make it in the box. And poor girl has a uti to deal with on top of things I think I’ve said this before too, she is so lovely!! Love them big ears!!

[Moccasin]

OMGOSH she also started peeing by her food… thats the weirdest of them all because she is usually a great litter box pee-er. OMGOSH.

Thanks for the kind words all. I’m saving to get her spayed and I’m crossing my fingers its the trick to my happy bun bun!

Have you ever heard of a liter box pee-er who suddenly starts going by her food!?!?

What has happened to her! its like she turned into the werewolf-rabbit!I’m scared there is NO going back to nice rabbit.

[Moccasin]

Wait! I take that back… there is pee EVERYWHERE except her litter. What on earth does that mean! SHE HATES ME

[Zombie-Sue]

she doesn’t hate you, she just needs spayed.

[Moccasin]

ok **Deeeeeep breaths***
I’m going to get it done.

I hope that spaying solves this problem. THANK YOU for letting me vent my crazy feelings <3

[Sarita]

Didn’t you say she had a UTI – that besides the spaying is contributing to this behavior I suspect.

[LongEaredLions]

We call this the teenage bunny stage; when all litterbox habits are lost, bunny becomes agressive, poo and wee everywhere….
And then we count down to the spay….

[Megabunny]

How long has she been on antibiotics? Maybe she hasn’t totally cleared up from that. I truly think that you’re going to get her spayed and she will be perfectly potty trained (unless UTI) and you will not believe how you drove yourself nuts over it. I don’t even try to litter train until mine are neutered, although I’m hearing some actually do get somewhat trained before that. And she’s a big bunny. BIG puddles, I know!

[Slowebot]

Until her UTI is completely gone it wouldn’t be surprising if she is accidentally peeing everywhere, so if she is still recovering from that, it may explain the pee everywhere. If she is already infection free then just meditate until the spaying. Many people deal with unruly bunnies so be patient and vent in healthy ways until the surgery. Good luck!

[Moccasin]

Oh thanks for all your replies! it keeps me sane hearing from you all. Seriously!
She has been on antibiotics for… 4 days. Its a 10 day treatment. dribbles of pee which had me notice her UTI
But this is like FULL on purpose pees. This is like on purpose not peeing in her litter box, like ZERO. Before her uti she was religious about the pee, never about the poop. now neither get in there.
I’m sure she is also pissed because i’m giving her yucky stuff medicine. The pee was a new thing… so that on top of everything made me breakdown crying! like a lot…
She is 10 months.. You are all giving me hope that after her spay it will be like magic and I’ll be so happy I meditated through this time…
She is so cuddly and lovely… I can’t image this being our relationship now.

I didn’t know there was a “teenage” stage.

Gosh, what would I DO without you gals/guys! ***BIG HUGS***

You think I can retrain her after all of this? 

[Tessie]

Wow, you’re really going through a struggle here!
I feel for you, hang in there, you’re doing so well.

Yes, it will all be okay in the end, once she’s spayed her litter habits will most likely be pristine.
She’s poorly and she’s hormonal, so don’t beat yourself up.

Thinking of you!

[Megabunny]

You def. will be able to retrain her. Actually, she will train herself, so you won’t likely have to do much except put the box where she likes to “go”. Seriously. You’ll be stunned and amazed. And she will be worth it if she is already a love bug 🙂
Oh, and good point about her being P.O. ‘d. She’s probably smart enough to do just that to get back at you! Do you have any follow-up plan to know if it is cleared up? I don’t know how that works with rabbits, but don’t assume it will just clear up/not return. Hate to see it happen in such a young thing, though I don’t know if it means anything or not, so don’t take that as more than a passing comment. In fact I think I’m going to start a new theta about this and do a bit of research myself.
If you ever get video of that doll posted somewhere let me know. I bet she’s soooo cool!

[Author]

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