Stopped using litter box?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 10sd replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 2 months ago by Jas.

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- 06/30/2016 at 10:09 PM
  BunnyBugs
  Participant
  36 posts
  So recently (this has been happening for about 2 months now maybe even more) my 2 year old neutered Holland Lop bunny Bugs stopped using his litter box and peeing EVERYWHERE. Now Bugs free roams my room day and night and has an area where his litter box, food, water and toys are and he used to be great at using the litter box! Then all of a sudden he seemed to be scared of jumping into the box?? He will even reach all the way over with his front paws to eat the hay in the litter box before even trying to jump in. So my room is covered in pee everywhere his favorite place though is on my bed which makes me extremely frustrated about. My parents are also not happy about this and today we got my carpet cleaned so they do not want him peeing on the floor anymore. I’ve tried to change things up to try and get him to use the box again but he just won’t jump in! Please help For now Bugs is staying in a small petstore cage until the situation is figured out. If it helps the litter he uses is a line pellet and sometimes some carefresh gets put in there. The litter box is large as well one made for cats and not even very tall.
  Thank you
- 07/01/2016 at 9:24 AM
  CSP
  Participant
  15 posts
  Hello Have you tried lining puppy pee pads on the ground where Bugs is roaming? Maybe you can get some play pen fences to fence off an area lined with pee pad to assist on this.
- 07/01/2016 at 10:27 AM
  BunnyBugs
  Participant
  36 posts
  I haven’t yet, The area is quite large and I never know where he’s going to pee so I would have to cover the entire floor with them :/ Thanks for the ideas!
- 07/01/2016 at 10:53 AM
  CSP
  Participant
  15 posts
  You can try a few sets of old towels so you can interchange day by day. Maybe you can attach the hay to a hay bowl, dock it on top of your pee pan. Perhaps you can encourage Bugs to poop and pee while eating hay. You may want to restrict him for the time being, or find a spot where he particularly pees/poop a lot, it could be his new litterbox area.
- 07/01/2016 at 7:18 PM
  tobyluv
  Participant
  3312 posts
  I don’t know if this article on litter box training might be helpful or not: https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/5/PID/940/Default.aspx.
  
  Sometimes when a rabbit stops using a litter box, it is due to a urinary infection or due to arthritis or some minor injury that might limit mobility. Since he is jumping on your bed, mobility isn’t the issue. Is he dribbling pee or straining when he pees? Even if he isn’t, you might want to make a trip to the vet just to rule out a UTI. It seems like it is more of a behavioral problem. The fact that he seems scared to go in his litter box is puzzling.
  
  You may have to restrict him in an x-pen and start all over with litter training.
- 07/03/2016 at 9:53 PM
  BunnyBugs
  Participant
  36 posts
  Thank you! He seems just fine with peeing I’ve watched him jump onto my bed and pee right on the shower curtain, pee is regular color. It confuses me why he is afraid of his litter box all of a sudden, could it be the litter makes his paws sore? The only way he will get into the litter box is if I put him in it then of course he eats one piece of hay then quickly jumps out. Is it possible something spooked him while in the litter box? Would that cause him to stop using it?
- 07/04/2016 at 8:47 AM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  It confuses me why he is afraid of his litter box all of a sudden, could it be the litter makes his paws sore?
  
  That is quite possible. You could try just the carefresh for a while to see if that helps.Be sure to check his hocks.
  
  Is it possible something spooked him while in the litter box? Would that cause him to stop using it?
  
  Again, quite possible and it can stop them wanting to use it. Have you moved the box from the usual spot at all? Could you make it feel like a more secure place by placing some sheets of cardboard around a couple sides?
  
  With this going on for 2 months, I’m more inclined to think it is more to do with the feel of the litter then being scared of the spot. Definitely experiment with some softer litter or even just a puppy pee pad in the box to test the theory. That’s not a long term solution but may show if it’s something about the surface or smell he doesn’t like.
  
  If what you do at home does not remedy the situation, I echo tobyluv’s suggestion of getting him checked out. Talk with your vet about a urine test and perhaps a blood test for E. cuniculi.
- 08/29/2016 at 10:16 AM
  BunnyBugs
  Participant
  36 posts
  Okay i really need some help. I pretty much had helped the litter box training out by cutting a large hole in the litter box so he wouldn’t have to jump in. Recently Bugs had to stay in our hallway with a completely different box it was a pretty high one too and to surprise me he was jumping into it! i thought wow this is great he finally can jump in the litter box himself! So when it was time to bring him back into the room I put the litter box down and he refused to use it! he wouldn’t jump in a I have NO clue why??? what would make him so scared to jump in the box in my room but jump in it when not in my room? this is upsetting and annoying because he is a real ranged bunny and I don’t want to have to cut every litter box I get!
- 08/30/2016 at 8:59 AM
  BunnyBugs
  Participant
  36 posts
  weird… seems as when i put a “step” beside it he uses that to jump in!
- 09/02/2016 at 4:10 AM
  narkut
  Participant
  48 posts
  Maybe he does have mobility problems? Or he can’t be bothered to jump just to wee? Sounds like the issue could be getting in and out of the tray. Try changing the tray itself to one with a low side so he doesn’t need to jump to get in but can just walk in. That also negates the need for you to cut a side yourself.
  
  I think there’s no harm in getting him checked out by the vet, just to rule out that he is not I pain in anyway. Good luck! Keep us updated!
- 01/04/2018 at 11:31 PM
  Jas
  Participant
  17 posts
  Hi everyone,
  My Holland lop Qiviut (a little over a year old and spayed) has also stopped using the litter box. I read through this thread looking for similarities. She is peeing specifically in her cage while she is in it, on the floor. Small amounts here and there (tonight she peed on the floor 6 times in 2 hours). I don’t think its a UTI because it is really light coloured and not thick. Maybe the apartment is to warm…she is drinking a lot of water…
  
  Any ideas?
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