I am glad to hear they are getting along. 

The poop wars.   They should calm down in 4-8 weeks his hormones die down.  Thats nice your girl is being a clean lady.    HE is just marking for now.  When he is satisfied things smell like him he will stop.

Also could be cuz he is a little young too.  I don’t see any problem with him improving soon.  

Thats great an instant bond  cool.   

My trio has been bonded for a little over a month, and the poos wars have just started to lessen. I had to get a different litter box for them but I think your pairs will lessen over time. Their bond is still new so just give it time, I know easier said than done after cleaning little poos up constantly!

Oh the poop wars.

Before Jackson, I had READ about the poop wars and even seen some pictures, but honestly, until you have woken up to a full out poop war explosion in your room, you just haven’t LIVED.

Its been a month – and I agree with mrmac – they have lessened. I even have them stopping some days.

But – the way I got mine to stop was to completely wash EVERYTHING so neither scent was dominant – They both got new litterboxes ( side by side) – I washed and dried every rug ( We have hardwood floors so their area has lots of little area rugs). I mopped down the floor (under the rugs)with vinegar, baking soda and pet enzyme stuff. Then, when I reintroduced them to their new “space” – I had switched the litter boxes to new sides of the room, completely changed things around etc.

So, when they came back into the room, it was “scent neutral” – I did put a little of each of their used litter into their new boxes, to give them the idea that THIS one belonged to them.

Since then ( with one exception) no poop wars. But mine, like yours are at the tail end of bonding – they are together 24/7 with no aggression.
The one exception was when Coco peed a little in front of the litter box and Jackson went CRAZY trying to cover it up with his poop. I re-washed the rug and the floor underneath to destroy the scent of her urine and no poop wars today.

For my pair – getting into a room where neither was “King/Queen” was key – this way they are both equal in ownership

I tried to clean everything, but it didnt work for mine. The rearraning did though. They got to go through the “exploring” of the new set up together.

Ok, first of all your rabbits are breathtaking! There was a thread in the Lounge not long ago where we talked about which other members’ buns we’d like to own if we could have them… I want yours now! *gasp* — wow! Congratulations on such a beautiful pair of bonded rabbits!!!
The poo wars… you know, I have a trio in a condo and there weren’t any poo wars but lately there is poo scattered all over. Not the war type, just like you describe it as if the condo was a litter box! When mine get to run in my room their habits are as clean as can be! Confusing, isn’t it?
I do believe in my case it has to do with me having changed the flooring of the condo to wood. That’s when it started. I am going to abandon my trio’s condo anyways soon because I’m adding a fourth bunny and need to bond and cement the bond in a neutral habitat. So I will see what happens with the litter habits… In your case I would consider the size of your condo, is there a way to downsize it if they get a lot of running time anyways? Sometimes a rabbit will litter all over b/c he is given too much space, especially a young rabbit.
As for picking up Teddy, I don’t think he avoids it because he’s bonded. I have one rabbit, Mops, in my trio who runs if I want to touch him. He was like this before the bonding already. He loves to investigate me, though. My suggestion is to look for other ways of interacting with Teddy for now. Is there a kind of head rub he really loves, or even nosebonks from you? My Mops loves to push against my hand really hard if I rub the bridge of his nose. It’s like a game that he now expects from me.

Posted By Meg on 10/18/2009 08:56 PM

 I have a separate question concerning Teddy, too — what can I do to make better friends with my little boy?  He was mellow and cuddly when I brought him home from the shelter at 3 months, and then just a couple of days later he decided he didn’t like to be picked up *or* petted anymore, and hasn’t changed his mind since.  He does come near me to sniff and whatnot, is pretty fearless, and takes treats from me, but he hasn’t generally liked to be petted, and I haven’t made much progress on that in these last two months.  Athena *loves* petting, so I don’t know what the deal is.  Does he think that I belong to Athena or something?  Are other people with a bonded pair able to pet both bunnies?  Teddy is just adorable and it’s so hard not being able to be closer with him – please help!

 

Oh, they are gorgeous!

When I first got Karl, he wasn’t that interested in being petted. So what I did was hand feeding him his pellets. I sat on the floor and gave him one at a time…and I would teach him eventually to jump on my lap to get the pellets. Every time I fed him a pellet, I would say “come, karl” and for a long time, this command really worked. I could sit on the sofa in the living room and shout “Come, Karl” and he would come running from the bedroom and jump into the sofa….but I got lazy and stopped training him, so now he only comes if he happens to be going that way anyhow. But he is still interested in cuddles. I just have to sit next to him and then he is enjoying it. So I can definitely recommend the hand feeding.
 

They are sooo cute!! Your lionhead (the one facing the camera) is a spitting image of my Kahlua

Am I guessing correctly that they are bonded? And still having poop wars? Are they together 24/7?

So so cute! I’m working on bonding mine and I can’t wait till all they want to do is cuddle and groom! (They’re getting pretty close.) I’m a little scared of this thread though…because I was thinking once they bonded, the poop wars would stop. Eek, having nightmares of the poops lasting forever! Haha. It’s all Chubs though, Comet doesn’t seem to participate but I know he’s much less territorial…Hm.

Meg, I don’t think these are poo wars then. (easy bond, no dominance, etc.)
You mentioned they even have 3 litterboxes which is plenty for a pair of bunnies, so it’s not that either… I’m trying to think here! LOL.
Your scenario does remind me of mrmac’s when she had the scattered littering everywhere. So I would try the rearranging that she suggested.
–what material is the condo flooring?

That last photo you posted is so heartwarming. I guess, your rabbits were meant to be together.

Posted By Meg on 10/20/2009 12:39 PM

Hi Petzy,

Thank you! The condo’s upper floors are just rugs fastened over cardboard fastened over the NIC wire grids (with wooden posts supporting them underneath). I’ll try washing the rugs and replacing any soiled cardboard this weekend.

Another thought: do they just not have enough incentive to use the litterboxes?  If I am cleaning their condo floors every couple days just like the litterboxes, what’s the difference to them?

I love your signature, Petzy! That’s perfect. (;

If I put down rugs at least one of my rabbits will certainly litter on there. Try without the rugs.

Yes, seems your rabbits are happy owners of a condo-type litterbox !!

Thanks, I never wanted a signature until my mother drew me that bunny head.

Are poop wars anything like pee wars?! I introduced Dusty to Chilly several weeks back and the two are still in the bonding process. Like Jenna, only one (Dusty) is pooping and peeing everywhere. I even went as far as rearranging the cages and laying new carpet in their play area. Both bunnies are 3 years old and fixed. Chilly is a doll and doesn’t leave droppings or pee anywhere but her litter box, but Dusty–oh heavens!!! Last night I was petting/resting with Chilly and Dusty comes hopping over and “swish”–Chilly and I were showered. GROSS!

Your lionheads are gorgeous.   Did anyone say bunnapping? 

sneak sneak sneak  peeks in window  leaves pink trays of human food and sleeping powder on your table…. 

then sneaks off with 2 buns….

Seems your boy is still a teenager and may behaving teenagerly when it comes to your petting him.  Hopefully he will come around soon.

OH the poop wars   how annoying that can be.

Meg, I can TOTALLY sympathise! This is happening to me post-bonding too. I fear because I haven’t knocked it on the head it’s going to become an entrenched habit of theirs. Not poop wars, just poop marking their area. I feel now that they are marking out their “warren”…maybe against me (?????????????)I’ve been kicked out of the warren! *cries*   I’m trying to only clean up when they’re not there or distracted by food. But I think I’m going to have to limit their space and do litter training 101.

One thing…do you put hay anywhere else about their condo? I usually always find poop on floor where hay is consumed so I only put it in or over their litter box now. This is usually only a bit though, not the deliberate poop everywhere look that I discover too often! Grrr. So I’m watching this thread with interest and offer my moral support to you.

Are the condo poops sort of “shiny” looking? If those, they are definately territorial poops. By the sounds, if the condo is only place he does this, it also points to territorial poop. So…….what to do? I really don’t know! I think with this it just gets better over time and it may also as Teddy gets older. He’s not an adult yet is he? Definately persist in putting it all in the litter box. In regards to ‘punishing’ Athena if she gets penned up also, it’s probably going to worry her more being separated from her bonded mate. Maybe try getting some favorite chew toys or special treat hay so they’re not too upset about being kept penned up.

I don’t know if you said already….what type of litter do you use? Could Teddy not like the feel of the litter?  How many litter boxes do you have in there? 

haha! For a minute I thought it might be attention seeking behaviour. i.e It ceased once he received praise for using his box… It made me think what you said of him in your other thread too – about him staying at the door when you bring new hay yet Athena runs to where it’ll be placed? Maybe he’s just staying there near his human….tehe! They’re so contrary sometimes.

Sorry- double post

What worked for me with Molly – who has been a real pain the %#Z in this regard – was to train her like a dog. Ignore bad behaviour and praise correct behaviour. So whenever she was in the toilet, I would praise her and give her a treat. And if I saw her inside the cage, but outside the toilet, I would shoo her into the toilet. No hay was allowed to be eaten outside the toilet. And I would make sure when they got their veggies that Molly would sit in the toilet. I just shooed her every time.

But anyways, so every time she used the toilet or was just sitting in it I would praise her and give her a treat. It actually worked so well, that whenever I would pass the cage, she would come running falling over her feet just to get into the toilet box And if she was in the toilet box, she would be going crazy looking for her treat. For a while I thought she would get really fat because of all the treats if we had to do this forever, but I think I did it for 2-3 weeks and it worked And it began to show rather quickly after a week or so.

What worked for me with Molly…

Does that mean the problem is solved?!!! You’ll have to update your thread. Your post here is a timely reminder to me after giving my 2 a “stern talking to” this morning. I was so annoyed! Admittedly I was late giving them their feed and freedom this morning and they showed their discontent. I had thought after how pointless it is to show how cross I am. So I will be better and do the praise thing. Spoilt Little Scamps!

I would close off the pen so they can have that, too, during the night. I hate locking up my rabbits in their condo at night because it’s when they are busiest. I can’t wait to build a large pen for them.

Keep at picking up after them. Do you wipe the area they litter up with vinegar?

I haven’t read that book but I added it to my list of books I want to call it in from my library. I would love a book like that. I often think how animals just enjoy ‘now’ and don’t struggle with fears of what might be or might not, like us crazy people!

My pets don’t have problems, haha! I guess, they don’t seeing as I take care of everything for them! Seriously, though, animals don’t seem to have the imagination necessary for worrying about things that haven’t happened yet. Gift or curse? I think, it is because of this contentedness that some people believe animals to be ‘stupid’.