Help needed with foster bun’s litter box habits

[BunnySlave]

Ok so we’ve been fostering a boy bunny for just over two weeks now. He’s about a year and a half old and was neutered recently on June 30. We’ve also got cats, a dog and kids who LOVE the bunny. He’s adorable but so far his litter box habits haven’t been good. He poops out of the litter box constantly even though we keep it full of hay (newspaper on bottom and hay on top) and we bring the litter box into whatever room he’s in. He also pees outside the box, typically on blankets on the couch. And get this … he’s also started putting his rear against the side of his area (an x-pen) and will manage to pee outside of the cage! He did this a couple times just today. I’ve been messaging with someone from the shelter and she seems to think it’s territorial plus the fact that he was living outside before he was caught. Could his hormones still be an issue? It’s been five weeks since he was neutered! The cats and dog get along with him good so I have no idea what to do! I’d like to adopt this rabbit but he needs to clean up his act. ??‍♀️

[kurottabun]

It’s normal for buns to mark their territory when they enter a new environment. Two weeks doesn’t sound that long to be in your home so he could still be marking. On top of that, sometimes it can take more than five weeks for hormones to die down post-neuter, so that could also be a reason.

Have you been actively training him to go do his business in the litter box? Try limiting his space in a pen for now until he gets litter trained. He will most likely choose a favourite spot to pee, so put the litter box in that spot. If he pees anywhere else, soak it up with a paper towel and toss it in the box. Then wipe the area with a vinegar + water solution to rid of the smell. Toss stray poops into the box as well.

I recommend getting non-clumping wood pellets instead of newspaper for litter. Newspaper gets pretty icky when it’s wet and could also cause their feet to become stained. The hay doesn’t do much to help absorb pee. You could use the non-clumping pellets for your cats’ litter boxes too Don’t use clumping litter because it’s dangerous if the bunny ingests it.

Bunnies like to eat and pee/poop at the same time, so a lot of us put their hay in the box or in a hay rack beside it.

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