I’m Confused

[NHarris]

Hello everyone, I haven’t been on for a while so I hope you’re all well?

Q. My dwarf lop bunny, Currant, is now nearly 4 months old and we’ve had him since he was 7 weeks old. I litter trained him with success fairly quickly which is great – he only goes in his cage and the one litter tray we have in the living room. Our flat is fairly small so I don’t think there is a need for more trays.

In the last few days he has been leaving 3 or 4 poops/ pellets in random places such as our bathroom and the kitchen when we’re in there (he follows me around the flat). It’s always too late for me to notice him doing it as it’s so few – is he marking terratory or is there another explanation?

I’ll be grateful for any feedback. Many Thanks x Nina

 

 

[MooBunnay]

If its just a few it sounds like territorial markings. If they are “strategically” spaced out it also indicates territorial markings. Do they have a scent to them? Usually territorial poops have a stinky scent to them. Either way, if it is just a few it doesn’t sound like he has lost his litterbox habits, however, if it gets to be more, he might need a couple litterboxes spaced out around the house.

[Gravehearted]

Bunnies are pretty territorial and it sounds like Currant is marking the flat. It also could be partly his hormones coming into play – has he been neutered yet?

[NHarris]

Hi, thanks for your posts. No the droppings don’t seem to be stinky but they are strategically placed. Is there any way of teaching him not to do this or will he stop once he’s been neutered? He’s 4 months old and vets here won’t do it until they’re six months old. I don’t mind picking up a few poops but would prefer it if he just did them in his cage and litter tray – can this be done?

Thanks again for your help MooBunnay and gravehearted x

[MooBunnay]

Hello – I haven’t really been successful in stopping my bunny’s at marking, but after an inital “marking” of their area, they usually do not do it again unless another bunny gets close to their cage, or runs through their area. Is Currant your only pet? If so, after an initial marking session he may be satisfied with his work and not do it again for awhile. However, my bunnies are neutered, which may be the reason that they only do the territorial markings every once in awhile. A new visitor to the house may also set Currant off on another marking session lest someone else come claim his territory Its always so funny to me because my bunnies always mark in these hard to get to corners under tables, and funny places and I’m thinking “really, I promise, you can have that area, you don’t need to CLAIM it! I can’t even fit in there!”

[PocketFaeries]

LOL, MooBunnay!  That is funny…I hadn’t really thought about it, but yes, they can have those tiny corners and little itty bitty house spots, can’t they!? 

[Sarita]

Even after neutering there isn’t any guarantee that their won’t be the occasional poop around.

[kralspace]

Now that you mention it MooBunny, how in the world DO they get those poops in those out of reach places? My dutch Daisy has been marking in some places I KNOW his big fuzzy behind can’t get in (I’m built the same way so I can talk…lol). Maybe they shoot  them in there like marbles when we’re not around?

In one room I have a haybox for the bunnies and the kitty box side by side and the bunnies will lay down a perfect circle around the kitty box. Doesn’t work on cats, they just get annoyed having to tiptoe through them.

[Author]

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