sometimes my bunnies do that too. i don’t know why. maybe u can get an extra litter box and then u can put the clean one in right away so she won’t be able to pee in an empty spot. i have also let my bunnies out of their cage when im cleaning the litter box. when i step away and their litter box is being cleaned i will shut the door so they can’t go in and pee until its back.

I imagine it’s because the corner where the litter box used to be is clean and doesn’t smell like her pee – in that case, she wants to mark it and make it smell like her! I don’t know if there’s anything you can do other than shut her out of her cage until you get the litter box back in place.

I’d also recommend trying a second litterbox. Have that one filled and ready to go and swap them immediately. Maybe even throw a few poops in the clean box so it’s already “marked”. This way you can take your time to clean it out well, and then next time swap that litterbox back in.

Posted By Billie on 02/04/2010 03:06 PM

Am I overreacting in thinking she’s urinating deliberately? Can bunnies plot revenge?

 No, you’re not over reacting!  They may not necessarily “plot” revenge (though I’m not entirely convinced!) but they do certainly communincate with pee. That’s been my experience.  Might be because she doesn’t like you messing with her space so she pees to reclaim it. I have witnessed deliberate peeing from my Doe for a variety of reasons.

Maybe you can distract your girl when you let her out by giving her a treat (even fresh veg or treat hay) in another place and then go about cleaning her box while she’s preoccupied.  If you find she won’t be tricked and is monitoring you, put a thick stack of newspaper in the toilet spot if she insists on doing this. Then you can just toss it if she toilets on it while her box wasn’t there.  She may get used to you cleaning it and get over it.

Newspapers are becoming more expensive in my area than the litter I use… they keep raising the rates. I would not consider a second litterbox an unnecessary expense, but rather something to save you time and headache. You could either use the second box somewhere else in her run area, and then clean that one first and swap it out when you clean the cage, or just stow it away until it’s time to clean. Keep in mind, litterboxes should be replaced about once a year, since after a certain point, it gets harder to fully clean out all of the build-up and this can cause a smelly house even with a “fresh” litterbox. It’s true that it is another bunny expense, but it’s a very minor one compared to food, hay, litter, and vet care.

What kind of box are you using? Cat boxes are VERY inexpensive, you can get a medium-sized, simple one for about $5 or less.

Yeah, I would recommend a second litter box… Leroy has 4 Check Walmart. I get his large cat litter boxes there for $3

Good luck! Bunnies can definitely be little stinkers

Haha I had to laugh at this! It’s like speed litter box cleaning! Yea I would recommend getting another box. I am always afraid my bunnies will do this, so I shoo them away from the litter box area until I am done.

I use regular dishpans from the hardware store or even the dollar-plus store for litterboxes.

Chiming in not to give litter advice but to share that Three Separate times Yesterday, Coco stood in front of me, turned her back and lifted her tail to pee on the floor.

I am not entirely sure what i did that SO offended her, but I was clearly on the List as far as she was concerned. At the third intentional Pee, She got caged for a couple of hours. Today has been fine ( and normally she is Fine with her litter habits) but she is definitely a gal who communicates with her urine.

I suspect I failed to properly greet her in the morning, or she thought I was paying too much attention to Jackson, or Who knows, really… I did do a deep soak of Vinegar and Baking Soda on their litter pans, so she may have been protesting that they were TOO clean ( Yep, she has protested when I make the boxes TOO clean)

So my answer to “can they deliberately pee to express their displeasure?”

OH yes.

haha Baleful. I empathize with you. I think Jersey and Coco were cut from the same cloth.

(((Strength)))

Noot always does this-except he just pees anywhere. I have to hold him while I change the litter box (I’m quite talented, holding bunny with hand armpit and face, while changing box) and then I plop him in the box and he pees then.

I wonder if it’s like, you don’t have to ‘go’ but you walk by a washroom and decide you kinda have to?

Posted By wendyzski on 02/08/2010 08:52 PM

I use regular dishpans from the hardware store or even the dollar-plus store for litterboxes.

This is another excellent suggestion!  I know many dollar stores have those big, deep dishpans that you can buy… for a DOLLAR!  lol