CinnaBun Has Poor Litter Box Habits

[voldybrenda]

Hello, 

We adopted our first bunny about a month ago, and as soon as he got comfortable in his new home, he began pooping and peeing a lot in different corners of the apartment. We tried putting some of his poops in his litter box, which we read to do online, but he just started pooping in his litter box in addition to the corners of the apartment. We even got him neutered in the hopes that it would help with these issues, but it didn’t. After the operation, he began hopping up on the couch and going on the couch. He started peeing on me while I was on the couch, as well while I was on the floor. We tried limiting his space in the apartment for the last couple of days, but it seems like he held in all of his pee until he jumped on my lap. How can I get him to pee in his cage/litter box? I saw a recent post with a similar issue, but I thought our case was unique enough to warrant another post. Thank you for any advice you’re able to give!

[Wick & Fable]

For efficiency sakes, I’m pasting what I replied with on a similar post, but I’ve made some modifications based on your specific situation.

Before that though, I will mention that there is a post-neuter craze which occurs following a neuter and in some cases can last 1 to 3 months. During that time, hormonal behaviors like peeing on things (you) to claim it can by amplified. So this could be a temporary surge that will lessen in the next few weeks.

You’re off to a good start. Cleaning up accidents and moving them to the boxes is good for sanitary reasons and to help make the connection, but more will need to be done since she’s not picking up on it. Think about it this way: You need to clean a litter box regularly, so there are times when your rabbit needs to know that the litter box is where she needs to go, even though it doesn’t currently smell like her. The learning isn’t “Oh, my pee and poop never stay here so I guess I shouldn’t go there anymore.” It should be “Oh, if I need to go, I need to always go here.”

To make that “here” connection, you mau need to physically move hwr to the litterbox every time she pees or poops, since the poop being there isn’t enough for her.

I trained Wick (and still do) by doing a short hiss every time he pees outside his box. I then immediately take him to the litter box. It’s a better teaching moment if I hiss and stop him before pee exits, that way I put him in the box and he pees in it, so I can praise him for that perfect litter box behavior. After doing this constantly, he got it, to the point where if I put him in a litter box randomly, he’ll pee if he has a pee built up in there (very helpful when I suspect he is in search of a place to pee but isn’t thinking about the litter boxes).

I watched his butt madly, pretty much all the time. I do the same for poops as well. In fact for poops, I’ll put him in the box, and he’d jump out sometimes and drop a poop and I’ll then immediately put him back in the box for pooping directly outside the box.

Do you think this is something you could try? The hiss works well for Wick because the sound spooks him and gets him alert (helpful for training purposes), but mainly you just need a consistent sound so it becomes associated with “you’re about to go in the litterbox because of what happened right when I made that sound”. If you know he tends to pee on you, be ready to make a sound once you see that butt arch to pee.

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.

[voldybrenda]

Yes, I definitely think that’s something we could try! I never heard about the after neuter phase either. If he pees on the floor, do you think it’s a good idea to put a paper towel we used to wipe it up in his litter box in addition to putting him in it?

[Wick & Fable]

The paper ywoel is good, yes!

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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