Bunny got litter training fast but still peeing on me

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 9sd replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 4 months ago by Pebble and Dante.

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- 11/04/2009 at 8:17 PM
  megan_ann
  Participant
  32 posts
  So… my 3-month old caught onto litter training pretty quick… within 2 days she was already pretty much just using her box AND was only using her box in the bathroom where we let her run around as well, except for some marking pellets, BUT….. she keeps peeing on me and my roommate. Not right away usually but after we’ve been holding her for maybe 10-15 minutes. So I’m assuming she just has to go but… she gives no warning!!! With my guinea pigs they would always try to hold it and get skittish so you knew to put them back, but she’s giving me no warning sign here and just peeing on me out of nowhere… today she was right on top of my chest and it leaked down into my bra and she kept going even when I said no… argh. She just seems so litter-trained everywhere else, so how can I teach her that that is not acceptable and that she needs to give me a warning or something first? She just does it so gosh darn calmly, as if she hasn’t done a thing wrong.
- 11/04/2009 at 8:55 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  In her mind, she probably hasn’t. She’s 3 months, so un-spayed, might be starting to mark things as “hers”. If its after you’ve been holding her awhile, maybe try to not hold onto her as long, I know my Monkey hates being held onto for any longer than .5 seconds lol.
- 11/05/2009 at 9:34 AM
  KatnipCrzy
  Participant
  2981 posts
  It sounds more like a hormonal/marking behavior than an actual need to urinate. Is she spayed yet?
- 11/05/2009 at 9:37 AM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  That is definitely hormonal and not a litter training issue.
- 11/06/2009 at 9:07 PM
  megan_ann
  Participant
  32 posts
  Well… no she’s not spayed, because she’s only three months old! Actually now I have another problem on my hands.. she’s taken to sitting in her food dish and using that as a litterbox as well. *facepalm* What a silly bun. I’m thinking she might just be revolting because I changed her cage around (the whole thing used to be covered in bedding but now just her litterbox is) but I’m not entirely sure. But I can tell you, a whole bowl full of peed-on pellets is NOT appetizing to look at. Until I can solve this, I’m only giving her a little bit of pellets at a time, so I don’t waste too much.
  A picture of her in the act!:
  
  She’s such a goofball haha… she’s always pawing at the cage in desperation when I can’t let her out and am just changing her food, but when I WANT her to come out she just sits there and stares at me and doesn’t leave her cage. *shakes head* She’s a spit fire for sure.
- 11/06/2009 at 11:57 PM
  Lintini
  Participant
  3329 posts
  She’s gorgeous! *snuggles* What a silly girl!
- 11/07/2009 at 8:07 AM
  Desma
  Participant
  182 posts
  She is gorgeous!! What a cute sweet looking bun and sitting in her food dish! Funny! I think that she is marking you as her beloved territory since she is still a baby bun. Hunny Bunny peed on me when I first had her for a time too.
- 11/07/2009 at 8:51 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  What a cute picture! A lop eared dutch?! Amazing!
  
  Most buns do not like to be held for that long. ONE THEORY (aside from hormones) is that you TRAIN the bun TO PEE ON YOU. For example:
  
  You hold bun.
  
  Bun thinks “I want down…”
  
  Bun pees on you.
  
  You put her down.
  
  Bun thinks “That worked out well.”
  
  Next time…
  
  Bun pees, you put her down.
  
  Time after that…
  
  Bun pees, you put her down.
  
  Try holding her for a shorter length of time, maybe 5 minutes and then put her down or right into her litterbox…
- 11/12/2009 at 12:18 PM
  Jessie
  Participant
  12 posts
  I agree with the comments above. She obviously understands the concept of a litterbox. It sounds like you are just holding her too long and she has to go. I don’t hold my rabbit at all because she doesnt like it, thats not really what rabbits are for. I would recommend you spend some time with her on her own terms. For example instead of “holding” her, place her on your lap and pet her. That way, she can chose to jump down when she has to go potty. Most rabbits dont like to be held, I think the peeing thing might be meaning that you have to let her come and go as she pleases.
- 11/12/2009 at 1:07 PM
  Pebble and Dante
  Participant
  60 posts
  Violagirl~ shorter visits and return her to her litter box (maybe throw in a pinch of fresh hay), Pebbles doesn’t mind being held, but she will pee if you have her on your lap for an extended period of time. I keep the visits to about 10 min for deep tooth purr ear massage and then return her to her litter box in her xpen- she will usually sit there for a minute or two and then scamper around. Then I can hold her again. Yep, you don’t training bunny’s they train you. Other times I will place her in a chair outside and groom her, this lasts about 15 min and she hasn’t ever peed – maybe becuse we are grooming and all she can thing about is the apple treat she’ll get when we are done. ~smiles~ Keep at it, don’t give up.
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