Edson pooping and peeing by front door!!! Help!

[JK]

It’s been a very long time since I have been on this wonderful site and I need advice! I have a huge problem!  Edson has always been the perfect bunny.  Never ever pooping outside his litter box – not even a random poop anywhere UNTIL NOW!  As some of you remember he would not venture outside his room no matter what.  That all changed and he’s free range. He never chewed or was destructive in any way.  That also changed months ago. You should see the molding in my living room!  It looks like a beaver has been here. Anyway, that all is under control. We got a puppy 7 months ago and he is great friend’s with him and our other dog.  I have had to put a baby gate up between the living room and the hallway because I didn’t want the puppy roaming the whole house. The gate has been up for several months now.  Occasionally I would take it down and Edson would come in the living room. No problem until twice I discovered he had peed on the dog bed and one time on my white chair! Baby gate back up and he no longer is allowed in there. Three days ago he started pooping by the front door and yesterday and today I found he also peed.  I know he’s mad that he can’t get in the living room but why now? The gate has been up for months now. What can I do to deter this behavior? I cannot have people come in and be faced with poop and pee!!!! Plus we are going away next week for 5 days and for the first time ever I am having a very trustworthy person come in and take care of Edson and the cat. I have got to solve this before then. He’s going to have to be confined to his room unless I can figure out what’s going on here.  HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RabbitPam]

Well bust my buttons if it isn’t Knowltons and Edson!!!!! How the heck are you? (Well, you just told me that. LOL)

First must say good for Edson for venturing out and joining the family. I am betting that he’s marking his territory. I think he’s finding more spaces at home to call his own, and in case those dogs think it belongs to them, well, he’s setting them straight.

Other option is that he finds he has to go and it’s either too far or he’s not sure where he left the litter pan so just goes. I would suggest putting a litter pan, just the cheap rectangular cat ones (come in pretty colors so not too ugly) discreetly by the front door for him to use. Then mop up the urine with paper towel, drop it in the new pan and see if he catches on. If it’s next to/behind the door as it opens, it won’t be unsightly for guests until they’re inside and it’s too late.

[Deleted User]

It could be the scent of dogs making him mark even though your dogs get along with him. I have one rabbit who marks against my dogs just as a dominance thing.

[JK]

Hey Rabbit Pam!  Good to hear from you!!! I can’t put a litter box THERE, first of all GROSS secondly there’s just no room! Pretty narrow. I know he can hold it as he has gone much farther than the front door.  He’s just mad as a hatter that he has been blocked from the living room. Is there any spray or any other kind of deterrant? Perfume? I pulled up the rug but I don’t know if that will stop him.  Any other ideas?

[JK]

Petzy – he’s never been a “marker” before.  We have had the puppy now for 4 months and the other one for a year and a half.  No marking ever until about 3 days ago. Why would he mark now?

[Deleted User]

If he has been clean around the dogs before then it is not a marking behavior.
Maybe he is a ‘spaceholder’ bunny. I mean by that, some rabbits feel that if their territory is quite large, they need to leave droppings to mark it up so that the space is readily recognizable as theirs even if they are not near. This is just a theory…

[RabbitPam]

Admit to the gross decore. I’m trying to rearrange my computer furniture today while fitting in the nic cubes blocking the wires, etc. and it still looks like a cyclone ran through the room.

Has he had a check up lately? If there’s something wrong that’s making him pee and poo where he shouldn’t, maybe he can’t hold it? Check for any new smells in the area. Sometimes we do something new without realizing and it sets them off. Otherwise, a wash down with vinegar and water might do the trick as a deterrent. The smell dissipates so it won’t bother you after a few minutes.

[JK]

That makes sense but not really in my case because he has had  freedom for a couple years now and never done this before. Nothing new or any new smells. I will try the vinegar. I did use Nature’s Miracle to no avail. Wish these guys could talk!

[Deleted User]

Weird. I am at a loss. Maybe your rabbit is going through a midlife crisis?

[JK]

Great.  Just what I wanted to hear…

[jerseygirl]

Could an animal have come up to the door that he’s picking up on? Or the dogs have brought something up to the house? 
 

Or could there be changes in the puppy due to maturing? Like with rabbits, their pee can change smell when the hormones arrive, could the puppies smell seem different to Edson? That maybe the puppy has also marked at this door?

[JK]

So thank you Rabbit Pam maybe the vinegar worked!  I picked up the rug and scrubbed the whole area with water and vinegar and he did not poop there at all yesterdfay.  Not sure this is solved but I’m slightly encouraged! And just maybe there was a weird smell there that only he could detect that bothered him.  Thanks you guys. I’m crossing my fingers…

[Michelle&Lolli]

Just wanted to share that Lollipop likes to pee and poop in front of my door too. She’s always done it too and all I could think of to do is block it off when they’re free. Such a pain in the butt. Little dingbats. Their pen is in the living room so when I let them out, I use it to block the tv and the door. To top it off, for a while she was pooping/peeing in front of the pen as close as she could get to the freaking door. arrgggg. LOL

[JK]

So weird isn’t it? So far so good though. If he does this again I will try moving the gate down the hallway away from the front door. That’ll be sure to piss him off. Doesn’t he know his privileges of freedom will be revoked if he keeps this up????

[jerseygirl]

Doesn’t he know his privileges of freedom will be revoked if he keeps this up????

Haha. I know! That’s what I say too but I still let them have their way. Give ’em an inch and they’ll take a mile!

[Michelle&Lolli]

Doesn’t he know his privileges of freedom will be revoked if he keeps this up????

Yes, but honestly, I don’t think they care. They just get mad when they don’t get their way. LOL At least mine do.

[RabbitPam]

Here’s hoping the vinegar solution continues to work.

Nose rubs to Edson.

[MimzMum]

I just want to pop in and say HIIIIIIIYYEEEEE!! *waves at JK and Edson* Gosh I’m glad to see you both here again. Even if it is because of behavioral issues.
We just got a new dog a few months ago and I’m still dealing with some territorial eliminating on Mimzy’s part. Must be a loppy thing. But he says hello to Edson.
Don’t be a stranger, come back and see us again when you return from your trip and safe journeys to you!

[JK]

Hi there MimzMum! Does your dog get along with the rabbits? My two do and it’s very cute. I’ll have to post a couple pictures. The vinegar is working! Two days in a row with nothing!!! I hate having no rug there but if it works I’ll have to deal with it. I just hope Edson will be ok only having someone come in once a day. Jeez I just typed out the instructions and his are 5 times as long as the cat’s! I did find a wonderful person so I do trust her. Had shoulder surgery 5 weeks ago so the thought of shlepping all the bunny stuff to the sitter was too overwhelming. This woman is great because she leaves detailed notes and will email me. Is there anything earthshattering that has happened with anyone on this site in the last few months I should know about????? I will try and get on here more frequently. I have missed you all and our crazy stories. We might need to start a puppy site…

[JK]

Dang. Just got home to 2 poops by the front door. At least it wasn’t 40.

[Balefulregards]

Vinegar RIGHT AWAY. When Coco does this, the only way I can deter her is to keep on top if the sitch with cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.

If I miss one spot, I find she has quadrupled it overnight and I now have 5 spots to do….

Long Live Vinegar!

[JK]

OK I am going to douse the WHOLE area with vinegar. It did seem to work for 2 days. Thanks.

[Author]

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