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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum BEHAVIOR My bun is peeing and pooing all over my room all of the sudden

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    • BunnyLuv
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      16 posts Send Private Message

        Sorry in advanced for the novel. I am just desperate for help and figure more information is better. Feel free to read as much as you would like and leave any possible questions or suggestions. I am so desperate I will try anything!

        I have 2 Holland Lops, a 1 year old boy (Buddy) and a 2 ½ year old girl (Sadie) (both fixed, and fully bonded). They free roam in my fully carpeted bedroom. The problem is Sadie (who I know can and has used the littler box) has randomly started peeing right next to both of the litter boxes on the carpet or anything that is in that area including cardboard boxes and plastic mats! It is mostly in the same spot. She has also started leaving poo pellets all over my room. I am 27 and currently living with my parents due to unforeseen circumstances and if my dad finds out about all of the peeing on his fairly new carpet he will flip! I have added pictures to show the issue. The yellow circles are everywhere that she has peed.

        Background story in case it helps:

        Sadie came to me last December from a breeder who was needing to rehome her because the previous owner could not take care of her anymore. This would be the 3rd time she changed homes in her short 2 ½ years. Also, she has an issue where her bottom incisor teeth over grew and now she is missing her top 2 incisor teeth (bottom teeth have been clipped). I am not sure if either of these could be the cause of the behavior issue. 

        Both Buddy and Sadie are fully litter box trained (well I thought). I have seen Sadie use the litter box without any issues (even just barely today). And she was doing just fine when I first brought them up from the unfinished basement. Before bringing them to my room I had seen a pattern that anything soft would end up peed on (blankets, cushioned teepee, my bed, pet beds, towels, clothes). So I stopped giving them anything soft and hoped that wouldn’t translate to the carpet. Then after a month or so I was seeing random pee in 2-3 specific spots but I cleaned it up with a pet cleaner and covered it and everything was fine. 4 weeks later Sadie is peeing on the coverings and right next to the litter box (see pic). The last 3 weeks I have been doing everything I can to correct the behavior but nothing seems to be working so that is why I am here for more advice. I AM AT A LOSS!

        Things I have tried that are not working:

        • I have 2 litter boxes in my room and change them every 2-3 days and I have watched Sadie pee outside the litter box soon after I place the fresh one down. Also, I have seen her pee outside it after just a little while before seeing her pee in the box.
        • When I catch her I try to scoop her up and put her in the litter box to finish but she just jumps right out and then just a bit later I see her do it again outside the box.
        • Every time I see her in the litter box no matter what I try to tell her good job and give her a little treat. The problem is it seems to distract her from finishing.
        • I have tried cleaning up all of the pee spots very quickly, first dabbing it into a paper towel and putting that in the litter box then I clean it with vinegar water. It doesn’t seem to help. So then I wondered if it was a territory problem so I slowed down a bit and tried just using water to clean so her scent is still there. Neither seems to make any effect on her behavior and I really need to be able to get the pee out of the carpet with the vinegar.
        • I have thought about increasing the amount of vinegar to water so it was stronger to remove the smell. I don’t know if that will work. 
        • I have thought about using the X-pen to limit her space but I would feel really bad about that since Buddy wouldn’t be limited. Also that is a little difficult in my bedroom.


      • Wick & Fable
        Moderator
        5813 posts Send Private Message

          You can try litterboxes with lower lips. Another option is actually modifying how you place the hay in the litterbox. With rabbits, sometimes the devil is in the details. It looks like hay is absolutely dominating the whole litter box, which is GREAT in terms of hay quantity, but perhaps your rabbit is weary to hop in and pee there because rabbits will naturally not eat soiled hay… so why contaminate her wonderful hay supply?

          You can try bunching the hay to a side of the box. Inevitably it will get pushed and tossed around to eventually cover the litterbox as it is now probably, but see if this helps at all. I find my rabbits tend to use their boxes more when there is a more clear division of hay-side vs. poop/pee side.

          For cleaning the carpet, let a vinegar/water spray soak in for a bit before wiping it away, then you can use plain water or a gentle soap to get any lingering vinegar scent out. Make sure if you use a soap, you follow up with some water spritz and drying so there is no residue left on the carpet.

          The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.


        • DanaNM
          Moderator
          9054 posts Send Private Message

            Did this happen with the move? Or after the move?  If so, it may get better with time. I also agree with Wick about litter box set-up. I have some buns that will pee and poop where-ever they can reach the hay, so I have to have it in a rack on the far side of the box, so they have to actually hop in to reach the hay.

            For cleaning up the carpet, I have had really good luck with the Nature’s miracle carpet shampoo. I dilute it a lot and put it in a little squeeze bottle. Blot up the pee first, then saturate with the solution, blot up, then saturate again and let it sit for a few minutes. Then blot again. Works amazingly for smells and stains! I was doing the vinegar thing and one of my past buns just kept remarking the area! Then I realized it smellled super strongly of vinegar!

            I also eventually got a little bissel mini carpet shampooer, that thing was a game changer!

            I also totally understand the stress of having buns in someone else’s house. My husband and I lived with his parents for a few months last winter and I had to convert one room to a bunny room (for 4 bunnies!) without destroying it. To protect their carpet I first put down a big thick plastic sheet (like the kind you can get at the hardware store), then I put down some cheap “outdoor” carpets on top. Or you could get vinyl flooring (they have some that’s about 50 cents a sq ft and is textured so it’s not too slippery) and cut it to the shape of that area and just put that down on top of the carpet. Since you’re dealing with pee that might be a better option for easier cleanup!  Those options would also block the smells and texture of the carpet so she might mark less altogether.

            . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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        Forum BEHAVIOR My bun is peeing and pooing all over my room all of the sudden