Concerned about urine

[Firsttimer]

Having given up on the free range idea Pepper and Dylan and now living in a large pen and I cover the floor with towels because I have wooden flooring.  Whenever I put hay down in it the rabbits get excited and get lazy with their litter habits because they just want to eat.  Lately I have been putting down a white towel and have noticed that when one of them pees on it the colour is slightly red.  I’m not sure whither to be concerned or not?  They are both eating and drinking as usual and both friendly and active so I would have thought they were ill based on their behaviour.

[jerseygirl]

Hi lornatrae, I was discussing this with a member today. Urine can range from yellow to orange to red. A pale yellow colour urine will turn to a reddish colour once it’s exposed to the air for a while. Also, some veggies can colour the urine.

With the litter training, I would opt to put down some non absorbent flooring, like a peice of vinyl. That way, if they pee out of the box, you can soak it up with paper towel and then put that in the box. Then hopefully, they learn where it is supposed to go. Sometimes, with absorbant materials as flooring, they’ll use it as it take the moisture away and they remain clean (which is what they want!). So they may find it a convenient toilet.

The hay is a good litter training tool. They do like to eat it and toilet simultaneously so try putting the hay in one end of the litter box or a feeder suspended over it. Maybe even designate this as the only place for hay until their litter box habits have cemented in.

[Sarita]

Most of my rabbits urine is reddish brownish – the ones who aren’t good with their litter boxes for various reasons, so I wouldn’t be concerned like jerseygirl mentioned.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Yup the first time you see it, it’s shocking but very normal ! *phew!*

I don’t know why but they love peeing on towels, so only one of my buns (the one who doesn’t pee on towels) gets towels

[Firsttimer]

Wow I am so relieved, I was all set to take them to the vet tomorrow but was expecting to look stupid in front of him as I wouldn’t have known who was doing the peeing and if they were actually ill. 

With regards to the towels I’m a bit stuck as to what else I can use for flooring.  Since we have no carpet I went through a number of things to put down for them so they could get a grip on the floor.  My problem was that Pepper eats absolutely anything including rubber bath mats, plastic flooring and so on.  So the absorbancy thing is an issue.

[Author]

Messages