Hi everyone!
A few weeks ago we took our Bertha on some speed dates and shy picked out a shy, sweet little guy (we named him Jean-Pierre, JP for short) who had been born in the shelter and had lived there for 2 years! Needless to say, we were happy to be able to give him a good home.
The bonding went fairly smoothly. We brought him home about a month ago. We ended up having the most success with the marathon method than Tanlover describes on her blog. They’ve been living together 24/7 in their permanent home for almost two weeks now (we recarpeted, cleaned, and rearranged it). I’m hesitant to call them 100% bonded, but I think most people would…. no scuffles for weeks, no fur tufts for days. Sharing food well, Bertha grooming JP on her own terms. They still don’t have the full run of the room back yet, but I just expanded their space again today and they did great. They just aren’t as snuggly as Bertha was with her previous mate, and Bertha will still lunge at JP if he is in her way, or when she really wants him to groom her and he wont. He is coming out of his shell more and more every day, and I am reminding myself that every bond is different.
Anyway, on to the issue. They still don’t use the litter box at the same time. Bertha would kick him out before, and now I think he knows just to wait his turn. It is a big box (an extra large cat pan), but Bertha is a BIG bunny, and JP is larger than her previous mate. They are in a condo with 4 levels. Both are peeing in the box regularly at this point, after a few days of marking the levels, but JP poops a lot on the second level, within eye-site of the litter box. He does this even when Bertha isn’t in the box! Not just individual poops, but piles. As of yesterday he was occasionally peeing there too, but i cleaned with natures miracle and vinegar and no new pee this morning.
I know some people have two boxes for their pairs, so I’m debating whether to put a second box there. It is just weird to me because it’s on the second level, and its a pretty small, carpeted space. Putting a second box on the bottom level would also make the space less usable for them. I’m keeping my eyes out for a larger box, but they are hard to find!
I attached a photo so you can see the condo and the buns! Sorry it’s a bit dark, but the litter box is on the bottom right. We had to add in the ramps because JP could not jump DOWN the levels for the life of him.
For those of you with condos, how many of you have litter boxes on upper levels?
For those of you bonded pairs, do you think I should add a second box at all, or try to get a bigger one?
Or do I just need to wait a bit longer to let it all settle out?
Thanks!
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The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.