He likes to pee on me.

[KweenElmer]

 Puck, my little holland, is about 3 1/2 months old.  He’s sweet, fearless, sinfullly adorable, and… he likes to pee on people.  It’s happened to three different people — twice to the very lucky  me.   The internet seems to have a couple schools of thought.  Either he is being territorial and is claiming  us as his, or he wants us to be his little bunny mates.  

What does this really mean?  And more importantly, how do I make it stop?

Any insight you can offer would be great.

[jerseygirl]

Hi ! I just read your post in the Lounge. Great to see another Aussie here! Just some quick questions. How has the dog and bunny bonding been going? Also, does Puck pee on you while you are sitting on the couch? Is the couch time a new thing for him?

These things may all be related to his peeing….

[Beka27]

Neutering should help greatly if he’s not neutered already. It might be that he’s marking you as his, or marking your furniture as his. If you’re holding him, you may be holding him a bit too long until he cannot hold it any more. Or he may be using that as his way of saying, “Okay… I’ve had enough petting, I want down now so if i pee on you, you will put me down.” How are his litterbox habits?

[bunnytowne]

Gosh Cotton has started doing that to me too.   usually I am on the floor with my pillows and he plays around me.  Now that I  lie on the couch sometimes.   He will come up dig on me a lot then wee.   3x in the past week.  GRRRR.

Perhaps he is claiming me and the couch as his.      Maybe your same situation too? 

With my other couch I dont’ have anymore I would put plastic garbage bags on the cushions and several months then the behavior stopped.  Finally.

Now with a different couch it has started up again.    Maybe they are trying to get their smell on the furniture also.

I kwow it can be so annoying especially since this couch the cushions dont’ come off to be washed.

OH usually when this starts we stop letting the buns on the couch or put a shower curtain over it to discourage  peeing on them and at least save the cushions. 

[KweenElmer]

Posted By jerseygirl on 02/12/2009 5:29 PM
Hi ! I just read your post in the Lounge. Great to see another Aussie here! Just some quick questions. How has the dog and bunny bonding been going? Also, does Puck pee on you while you are sitting on the couch? Is the couch time a new thing for him?

These things may all be related to his peeing….

(unfortunately I originate from the US of A, but I have been living here for 3 years now.) 

Bonding has been good.  They coexist quite well, we haven’t worked up to full on friendship yet though.

As for the couch being new? Yes and no.  For a while we would just sit with him there and hold him.  That is when the peeing started, but now he knows how to get on the couch and plays on it all day long.  Still with the peeing.  And it is becoming more frequent. 

He isn’t quite four months yet, so stirll a bit young to be fixed right?

His litter box habbits are pretty good, actually.  I very rarely have to pick up any little pellets (the other type of poops however, he just drops wherever).  THough since his free peeing on the couch, he’s started dropping pellets as well.

[jerseygirl]

Sound territorial. Especially with the dropping of pellets too. I would prevent him from being on the couch for now. A Neuter will certainly help.
Do you have a litter box on the free range area for him? When you say “the other types of poops however, he just drops he just drops wherever” are you meaning the territorial scattered poop or the smelly, softer cecal poop?

[Addy]

Just gonna throw in a couple cents.

I have posted a few times about my problems with Addy spraying/peeing on me. Do everything you can now…before the behavior is too strong with him. The best defense would be to just not provide the situation. When Addy was new to me, and I was seriously uneducated about the bunnehs, I always had him on my lap (especially for car rides X-( oiy!). Anyway, he started to pretty much always pee on my lap…and sometimes on other people too. I found the best way to hold him for long periods of time is to be standing. I took him to a rabbit show for a couple hours (took him outside once to let him down and go pee…and he went pee…it was awesome.) and he didn’t pee on me. (Cute rabbits there, omgz. And a girl was shocked that I got Addy neutered, cuz he apparently has good markings…pssh. Yeah, on my legs.) For the peeing on the couch issue…I’d just refuse access or cover it up.

Addy hadn’t sprayed me for awhile until the other day when I really made him happy and petted him and snuggled him…then his rear end went berserk. It’s kinda like… I know pretty much what triggers it… but it’s all the good stuff.

[KweenElmer]

Sorry if I’m unclear. Puck isn’t a hundred percent with his litter box, but he’s pretty damn good. He doesn’t territory pellet outside of his cage unless in the litterbox (except for the couch, which is only a recent development). The cecal poop however, he likes to leave in his favorite spots — like the dining table. I have a litter box outside of his cage that he does use.

To break the habit, would it be useful to scold him if I catch him in the act? I’m not sure if rabbits are the same as dogs in that regard.

[jerseygirl]

They don’t really understand punishment. The best deterrent is to say “No” or clap your hands loudly right when they’re doing the unwanted behaviour. To put them in “time out” or cage time does not have an effect. Sorry to go off from what you originally were asking about….the issue of leaving cecal poops about is a little concerning, he may be over producing them. This can usually be remedied but adjusting the diet.

Back on topic – the peeing! My thoughts are it is most likely due to his age, bunny puberty and being unfixed. I “think” Bucks can be fixed from 4 months old onward though some vets will only do them as young as 6 months. Anyway, this should help some. If you want to continue bonding with him by holding him etc, maybe put some plastic then a towel on your lap first. Sometimes you can catch them as the just about start to pee. you see the tail being lifted up. If you can catch him in time, pop him in the litterbox, then reward with head pets or a small treat when he does pee in the box. Hopefully he’ll learn to seek out the box as it gives him positive attention.

Funnily, I believe they just don’t get punishment but they do seem to understand positive reinforcement! They’re playing us I reckon!

[KweenElmer]

Yeah, he started to look at me funny. Every time he gets on the couch, I just stare at his butt, waiting for the tail to twitch. I sit there thinking to myself “I have hit a low, i’m waiting for the bunny to pee so I can pick him up and move him.” Sigh.

Re: Cecal poop.
What in his diet would cause the over production of them? Pellets, hay, veggies? All three?

[jerseygirl]

Often it is due to the diet being to rich. High in calories and or fats. If you have the dilemma I have here in Oz, most pellets available are lucerne based (known as alfalfa in US). While lucerne pellets and hay is ok for young bunnies, it can be too much for some and should be replaced with grass hay based pellet and hay before they reach a year old. I still feed my 1 yr old a lucerne pellet but only little (1/4 cup per day).

Some bunnies are more sensitive to certain types of veggies too, so it’s really a matter of trial and error to find out what it causing it. Also, be an idea to have it tested in case it is a bug that is causing a gut imbalance.

Have a look in FAQ’a under “Messy Butt/Loose Squishy Stools – aka: PoopyButt:” and in Diet section also.

[Beka27]

Boys can be fixed when the testicles descend, anywhere from 3.5 to 4 months. I agree to do it as soon as possible to help break this habit.

[luna]

My bunny Henry was a sprayer too so i really do sympathise with you. It is really unpleasant. I was never quick enough to stop him as he was very cheeky. I would spot the tail going up,and lift him straight away but he was so dedicated to the cause that he would twist his bum around and manage to spray the whole couch and half the carpet anyway before i had a chance to remove him.

 

I put a towel on my lap when handling him and luckily the couch was leather so i could disinfect and wipe it down. I had to get down on my hands and knees everyday to try and spot the wet spots on the carpet and clean them up. I also tried putting him back in the cage but that did absolutely nothing because i could let him out a few hours later and the behaviour was repeated all over again. I would recommend limiting his floor time until he is neutered and protct things he may soil with towels, blankets etc. Our washing machine was constantly on at this time. Good luck with your little guy…

[MimzyBun]

I have a baby dwarf, she is super sweet and energetic and loves giving kisses and licking the bottom of my feet whenever she gets a chance. I’m not sure how old she is but still fairly little. I don’t have her fully potty trained, I’m not sure which would be the best way to do that without her being in her cage all the time and we love to let her run around because her little personality just shots out when she’s running around. For some reason she loves to pee and poop on me though. I think she is still to young to be spayed and hasn’t presented any signs of puberty and I’m concerned this will be something she continues to do into her adult life. Is there anything I can do to get her to stop going poop ad pee outside her cage and more specifically on me.

I love her so much and I’m not a bit upset that she’s been doing it but I want to make sure that It won’t be a life time issue. She especially likes to do it after taking a nap on me, she’s a cuddler! ?

[Bam]

MimzyBun, this is a very old thread, we ask members not to revive old threads because it might create confusion. Please start a new thread on the same subject! You can just copy your post into a new topic and give it a new headline. (You create a new topic by clicking the Add Topic-button inte upper left corner of your forum-section of choice. If you can’t make it work, PM me and I’ll help.)

I’m locking this thread, looking forward to seeing your question in a new thread.

[Author]

Messages