Pooping D.R.A.M.A.

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 7sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 2 months ago by Monkeybun.

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- 01/25/2011 at 6:05 PM
  Brooke
  Participant
  5 posts
  Buddy is a Newzeland White (albino) male bunny. He is litter boxed trained… or so he was… A few years ago he started pooping right outside his litter box in the living room (which he only has access to when I’m home and in the room -most of the time). I put multiple letterboxes down where he was pooping to try and send the message “no you poop in here”. That didn’t work. I got dog letterboxes (they are large w/ one side that dips lower for easier access) thinking maybe he was being lazy. That wasn’t the problem. So I sat in front of the litter box every night and watched him like a hawk. Any time he pooped outside the box I would send him to his “room” aka cage. This eventually fixed his naughty behavior. Once he “remembered” to use the litter box I felt like I shouldn’t have to sit on the floor to police him and resumed sitting on the couch. I am a pharmaceutical sales rep so when I get home at night I have additional work to do on the computer. A task which is not very easy or reasonable to do on the floor while trying to watch a naughty bunny… Well Buddy has been back to his old tricks for quite some time. Because I am not sitting on the floor watching his every moves I often “miss” catching him in the act of pooping in front of the litter box. I don’t punish him b/c I feel that it’s not right to unless I catch him. When I do catch him I yell “Bad boy Buddy go to your room. Stop pooping in front of the litter box”. He knows what he’s done b/c as soon as I yell “Bad” he takes off running for the kitchen where his cage is. Then we go around the table a few times before he gives up and goes into his “room”. I will let him out after some time has passed and he just does it again (I swear he saves all his poops up for this night time fight). I am exhausted of this game he is playing w/ me. I feel that he is doing it for attention. I feel like he does it b/c I’m not giving him 100% of my attention 100% of the time. Oh and did I tell you he likes to jump into the box to eat some litter and then jumps out to poop?!!! ARGH!!! I keep threatening to make bunny stew out of him or trade him in at the rabbit rescue for a grateful bun…(but then he does something cute and I melt) JK…. PLEASE help me. I find his behavior disgusting and embarrassing. How do I stop this bad behavior? Also, don’t know if this is important, but he (and his girlfriend who doesn’t have litter box drama) have the run of the kitchen (with access to their cage) all day long. For the most part Buddy does NOT poop outside the litter box in the kitchen (they have a large dog litter box next to their cage so they don’t have to go into their cage… spoiled I know)… he seems to poop outside that box if I come home late… but some days he does leave me a few surprises just because.
  
  I would GREATLY appreciate any suggestions you all might have to help me stop Buddy’s bratty behavior.
  
  Thank you.
- 01/25/2011 at 8:50 PM
  Isabelle
  Participant
  468 posts
  I would suggest to stop yelling at your bunny, it really doesn’t work. Sometimes it can be hard to be a bunny mom, but yelling just doesn’t stop anything, and may make things worse by frightening your rabbit or instigating this ‘fight’ as you call it. Is he neutered? And what is his age? If he is not neutered, and even if he is, he could be marking his territory. If he is younger, it might the cause too. Older bunnies are more inclined to develop good litterbox habits. I’m new to bunnies myself so I can’t give you too much advice, but a quick fix for the moment would be to lay down a mat under the litterbox and area where he is going, where when he goes it is not hurting your floor. I would suggest perhaps limiting his space to an x-pen or play pen, until good litterbox habits resume, then gradually increase the space.
  
  Dutchess will poop outside of her litterbox, but she refuses to use any litterbox except the one in her habitat, and she poops in her hay (next to litterbox), which is a normal bunny behavior. So I do not punish her for that at all, I pick up some and leave some, and it no longer bothers me. Please don’t give up your bunny for this, there are ways to help this. I’m not as experienced as other members are, especially forum leaders, so I’m sure they’ll have some suggestions as well.
- 01/25/2011 at 9:38 PM
  longhairmike
  Participant
  1069 posts
  bunny pillls are odorless and messless. just tell any guests that you dropped a box of coco puffs.
- 01/25/2011 at 10:12 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  If he is doing it for attention, then you yelling at him is giving him what he wants. I suggest either ignoring him, and just cleaning it up, or limiting his space, and giving him more positive attention. He isn’t pooping to be bad, it’s just what bunnies do
- 01/26/2011 at 5:58 AM
  Brooke
  Participant
  5 posts
  Good point re: the yelling. Negative reinforcement huh?!
  
  He is about 6yr old and is neutered.
  
  I do have a mat under the litter box. He sometimes pees on that or just past it onto my carpet (grr). I think he is just being a bratt. Unfortunately if I just “ignore” him, He branches out to a wider area outside the litter box pooping everywhere (like a 5 ft area).
  
  Maybe I will stop letting him out and see how that goes… I just feel bad b/c I know that he needs exercise and I don’t like keeping him locked up more b/c he is being naughty….
  
  I would never get rid of him b/c of his naughty behavior (his girlfriend has destroyed MANY items which is much worse than the pooping IMO) . I just joke about it. I actually rescued him from my neighborhood. Someone had let him loose. I am also involved in a rabbit rescue in the area…. Just venting
  
  Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
- 01/26/2011 at 9:39 AM
  Isabelle
  Participant
  468 posts
  Perhaps right when you get home you could spend 30-60 minutes playing and interacting with your bunnies, and then get to your work. That way he might not feel as if he needs so much of your attention, as he has already gotten it. Also if you talk to him a lot while you’re working, even if it’s just what you’re doing to help you concentrate more, it might seem to him that you’re speaking to him. I know when I’m doing something and Dutchess pokes at me, if I just start talking to her and reach down for a pet a few times, the talking makes her mellow out a bit, and she’ll lay down next to me and take a nap.
- 01/26/2011 at 3:59 PM
  Brooke
  Participant
  5 posts
  Isabelle,
  
  I did just that this evening actually. Funny though… Buddy didn’t want anything to do w/ me lol. Just kinda hopped around me and THOUGHT about getting close enough for some love. I did have to leave unexpectedly about 30mins later… have been home again for about an hr and he has behaved. But it’s still early lol. Hadn’t thought about talking to him about my work. I definately stop to pet him throughout the night. He gets lots of rub downs . Thanks again for the suggestions. I really appreciate it.
- 01/26/2011 at 4:38 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  One of my buns gets depressed if we don’t talk to him much, poor little man. So we talk to him all the time, and recently moved his pen into the computer room, where me and hhe hubby spend alot of our time. He is much happier being able to see us and hear us all the time He’s definitely a people-bunny.
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