Litter soaked with pee!

[Ela]

Hello, everyone! I just got my bunny, Tiberius, not too long ago. He’s adjusted really well and likes to explore, binky, run and hop onto boxes. He really is a joy! He’s about 7 weeks old and is not neutered. He was litterbox trained before I got him and has been very good at keeping his waste in the boxes, but I do have an issue as of recently.

He’s been drinking a lot of water (I was so happy and relieved, he didn’t drink or eat much at all when he was first adjusting – I chalked that up to stress – now he eats and drinks like a champ), but with all that water comes an almost flood of pee!!

The first week I got him, it didn’t seem that bad. I was using Care Fresh at the time and he wasn’t drinking as much water as he does now. Now, I have to change the boxes morning and night! The litter I use now is Oxbow’s Purr Comfort Bedding. It absorbs enough but it’s moist at the bottom (which causes the litter to stick!!) and I find myself cleaning it all up twice a day…

So, I’m not sure if him peeing a lot is due to him not being neutered, I don’t know if it’s the quality of the litter I’m using. I just don’t know! But I’m worried because, well, I worry constantly being a new bunny mom lol.

I do have an appointment with the vet on the 16th and a neuter set up the 23rd, so we shall see what the professionals say, but for now I thought I’d turn here for some peace of mind, haha.

I love him so much, but the litter box issue has been a little frustrating. On my wallet (I would like to not spend so much on litter so often) and my white vinegar, haha.

Extra note, he eats a balanced diet with unlimited hay and poops just fine and is an active and curious, little bun despite this issue!

Thanks in advance!

[tobyluv]

Sometimes, excessive water drinking and peeing can mean a UTI, but it could be that the kind of litter you are using just isn’t the best for a litter box. I wonder if that is meant more for bedding and not to use in a litter box. To save a lot of money, you can buy wood stove pellets (plain, with no accellerants) or horse stall pellets, such as Equine Pine. You can find the wood stove pellets at home stores and the horse stall pellets can be found at Tractor Supply or feed stores. They come in 40 pound bags for around $6.00.

If your bunny is only 7 weeks old now, that means he would only be 9 weeks old on the date you have set for a neuter. That sounds way too young for a neuter, the testicles probably wouldn’t have descended by then.

[Muchelle]

I’ve solved the pee issue (in summer especially he drinks more and pees a whole lake’s worth) by lining the litter box with paper such as the advertisement paper from supermarkets and such and then on top of that I use wooden pellets for stoves. I make sure to buy the kinds that say 100% natural wood and I spend about 4€ for a 15kg bag. In summer I change his litter about every 2 days, while in winter when he drinks less I can stretch that to every 3-4 days.

[Ela]

Sorry, I meant 7 months, not 7 weeks. So, he should actually be just about 8 months now >_< It was really late when I made the post…
It seems wood stove pellets is pretty tried and true, I’ll take a look around!

I also read around that if he eats more hay, he’ll naturally want more water. Could that be why he’s peeing so much? The output does match the input, but he does lap up quite a bit each night. Maybe he’s bored?

Sorry, I think I’m just rambling now, lol. I guess I really can’t rule out anything health wise until his appointment.

Thanks, guys.

[tobyluv]

7 months makes a lot more sense! Rabbits that eat a lot of greens, especially if they are moistened, may not drink as much water, so it seems like bunnies that are big hay eaters might drink more water. If Tiberius had a UTI, you would likely see him straining while peeing, or being in some kind of discomfort, or you might even see a little blood, so it sounds like he probably does not have a UTI since you didn’t mention seeing any of that. There are some medical conditions that might bring on excess thirst, so definitely tell your vet that he is drinking a lot of water lately. Hopefully, he is just a bunny that likes to drink a lot.

Welcome to Binky Bunny! I hope that Tiberius gets a good report at the vet and that he recuperates quickly from his neuter surgery. Make sure that you have plenty of his favorite greens and veggies on hand (and a little fruit) for when he comes home after surgery. Some rabbits may not feel like eating much afterwards, so you need to have tempting foods on hand.

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