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I don’t expect my bunns to be the perfect potty pair. I’m willing to accept accidents or occassional potty wars b/t the condo and their bunny maze, but this took the cake….
I had to start locking them up at night b/c they continued w/ the potty at their condo door even after I put up the bunny maze. This morning, there was a HUGE pile of poop & pee next to their hay bin. I’m guessing that the potty problem is Leo since Jessica has always been pretty good about her litterbox habits, but Leo poops everywhere (i.e. bed, food bowl, etc). So what the heck is this about?
When I have these probs w/ my cats I often add another (temporary) litterbox wherever they’ve been eliminating and then slowly cut back on using that box anymore. So what w/ this? Freakin’ rabbits! Unfortunately Leo is not as plump as Jessica, else I could sell him for a stew or roast ![]()
Could you suspend their hay over their litter boxes? I don’t know what the condo door pottying is about – it’s been for sometime hasn’t it?
My cats do it at the doors but i was told with them they are marking the entrance of their territory to tell others to stay out as it is theirs, but dont know with rabbits, could it be something similar xx
I would most definately start with trying to put their hay over the litter box, rabbits love to eat and do their business. With Oreo I actually just put his hay in the litter box (to one side) this way he can much away, and do whatever (hee hee) I would certainly try getting another box and putting it where he’s been going, and maybe even take about his bed for awhile and replace it with a box. This has been quite the challenge for me as well, since Oreo’s not neutered, This morning when I was cleaning his tray off, I had just laid down new Newspaper and he comes over and pee’d on it, well he Flicked his feet everywhere, and I got a nice spray of bunny pee! (ahhhhhhhhhh!) My husband thought it was the funniest thing ever!!!… I on the other hand…. did NOT!
They do have hay in their litterboxes. W/ 2 litterboxes on the bottom floor of their condo I have 1 hanging hay ball and in the other box, I keep the hay on one side. I don’t know what the new potty on the 2nd floor is about. The only time this tends to occur is when I transition them from their glass bowl for salad to a basket for salad. I tried the basket b/c they like to munch on the basket and the veggies. The problem was that Leo liked to eat, sleep, pee, & poop in his salad basket. So I had to stop w/ the veggie basket idea.
I used to use the peeled willow hay bin (from the bb store), but they have gotten so chewed up it wouldn’t hold hay. I then attached a little basket (that can’t be climbed into for naps). Could that be why he pottied next to the basket? I just don’t get it…that fricken’ rabbit just kills me.
Yes I have had the potty at the condo door issue for a spell. I got the maze for Christmas and that’s when they started peepin’ at the door. I put it away and the pottying kept up, but less often. I used a pee-pad at the doorway for a while and then gave up for a little rag rug. The rug hasn’t been used except for poop. Also I stopped leaving their condo door open 24/7. I just don’t get these guys!
It’s been a couple of days since you posted. Are they still doing it?
My rabbits are all horrible with their littler box habits. I know they’re capable of keeping their cages clean because they’ve done it for extended periods of time but I think there are too many animals in my house. They smell the dogs and the other rabbits and they can’t help but mark their territory. It’s gross and I wish they would stop it but unless I build another cage and house a pair in another room and never let my dogs downstairs (in the main living area) it will continue.
Have shop vac, with suck up poop.
Got stuck w/ work…
Yes they are still pottying infront of their hay bin. I’ve just been trying to do my best to keep it clean. The poops are easy to clean, but pee that has soaked through their grass mats and floors is impossible. Initially I was completely swapping out everything they soaked in pee, but now it’s gotten a bit pricey. I guess b/c I’m cheap, I’m forced to resign myself to crappy litterbox skills.
As far as the doorway peeing, I moved their litterbox right up to the door. Unfortunately that has not stopped the pee. Now they pee immediately outside the door on my regular floors. I’ve been laying pee pee pads on the floor, but it just helps not to stain the wood. So is it just that I have too many animals and persnickety bunns?
About once or twice a year, Jack and Rucy would lose their minds and their habits would go out the window. I don’t know why. Could have been something that made them mad with our cat, with each other, could have been another animal smell (like my neighbors dog) that I brought in with my clothes, or they may have been notified by the rabbit confederation to rebel against all humans…I would be left baffled. But in each case I would give then a litter training refresher course. They would be confined to an xpen and gradually given more freedom with better habits. Sometimes it only took a week, while other times it took a little bit longer.
Yes i took to rearranging furniture so that there was no access to the pee spot so that it could not become a habbit spot. Obviously this isnt always an option. I even started putting a large ornament or box there so they would have to choose another spot, then made that bit totally out of bounds for a while and kept letting them have 15 mins there while watching them then shooed them back etc , but if it is an integral part of their home/yours like the door way that is really difficult. xx
I dont know what there pen is like but is there anyway you could go to all the major trouble of changing it so the door is moved (if it is nic) or turn it round if x pen style so door way etc is in total diff area then the peed area could have litter box where they were going. I found recently that i put loads hay in there potty and they stood outside potty to eat over the edge, then i noticed the pee and realised they were doing it whilst eating so had to put another potty to stand in whilst eating hay out of other potty. So far this has worked but looks ridiculous. I didnt want my buns to pee on the corner of their pen as that was only bit my rug covered and didnt want it chewed or ruined so got two whicker baskets and turned them upside down so that they are to climb onto and then out of the door way and it seems that dont want to pee on them up there. I also find i cant give them anything they can climb into as such of any kind as they will see it as a potty and use it. So everything is upside down for them to climb onto instead. The rearrangement with mine seemed to make them a bit unsure of themselves but also curious and did seem to break their “habit” of going in a certain area. I used to do this regularly when i had lots of bunnies and one spot always got used somewhere awkward. Maybe worth a try although i maybe mis interpretting your set up xx
I was just re reading the language of lagomorphs and found something about how if they are really angry with us they will pee.
Then my bunny just peed by my door and i thought of your prob. Then i wondered if they are peeing as they are saying i want to go out this door and you have made me cross closing it xxx Might not be same with you, but mine had been out all day and now it is night i have closed the doors to stop them. x
