Litter Train Help!!!!!!!

[ChuckandCinnamin]

I have a mini lop bunny “Chuck” that will be 2 months old on September 12th. He has a huge bunny condo that we made for him with two levels. The cage floor is lined with cotton towels, there is food in one corner with a water bottle, his hideway in another with toys, and he sleeps up top on the second level. We added in a litter box to the one corner and he was using it, but would continue to poop all over the cage floor too. He hasn’t really peed on the cage floor, just in his litter box. I added timothy hay to his litter box too. We let him explore and run around the room and he really enjoys it and jumps all over the place and he would always run back into his cage and pee and poop. He was out of his cage for hours and would not make a mess anywhere in the room. Recently, he has been going poop all over his cage floor and when we let him out he has been pooping on the floor like he has not done before. He gets mad when we dont let him out and yanks on the cage door. We never forced him back into his cage, he always willingly goes back in. I’m confused why he is all of the sudden pooping outside of the cage, and why he poops all over his cage floor, but will poop and pee in the litter box too???! I don’t know how to get him to just poop and pee inside the litter box. Help!    

[LoveChaCha]

I think he maybe getting near the hormonal bunny stage. He will need to be neutered very soon. 4 months is good. Boys tend to get into puberty faster compared to girl bunnies. Rabbits will have bad litter habits in puberty.

Does he do his business in a specific place? If so, put the stray poos into the box. Rabbits are smart and will eventually catch on. That is from my experience though.

Good luck

[Beka27]

I agree with Brittany, it is very likely hormones are kicking in a bit early for him. Baby bunnies are notoriously messy anyways, and that is usually how it happens… their litter habits are perfect and then all of a sudden, they lose them. You might want to try reducing his freedom until the habits improve. If you notice him pottying on the blankets, try removing those (some bunnies like to potty on soft surfaces). Are there any other rabbits or pets in the house he might be reacting to?

[RabbitPam]

Actually, I’m going to weigh in on the opposite side here, ie. I think he is still in the baby stages and not hormonal, but rather still learning new habits. He’s only 8 weeks old, and it’s even better to start with a bunny who is nine weeks developmentally, so he may just be trying to get it all right in his new home. I would take every stray poo you find and put them all back into the litter box as soon as you spot them. Also, you could put out a second litter pan outside his cage where he likes to roam and poop, so he has the option of not having to find his way back in time to go. Sometimes little ones don’t hold it, and once they poo elsewhere they think that must be OK too. You can teach him to use a litter box no matter what, but you can make it more convenient.

And congrats on having a baby who is great about peeing in the box! That’s not always guaranteed with his age. He sounds adorable!

[RabbitPam]

Am combining the dupe post with this one. Jersey replied:

He’s entering bunny puberty. Their litter habits can often go haywire during this. You might notice a change in the smell of his urine also. Are you planning to get him neutered? Bucks can be done pretty much when their testicles descend.

And Lintini replied:

Yup, exactly what Jersey said. I called my boys the “stinkybinks” until they were neutered. They are fine until puberty then they were making a HUGE mess in their pen, poops all over! Once you get him neutered his potty habits will once again greatly improve.

(It worked! I will delete the dupe post now, Beka.)

[ChuckandCinnamin]

Thank you for your suggestions!!! He did good today and only had a few stray poops in his cage, but when I let him out of his cage, he keeps going behind his cage and pooping which is behind his litter box. I blocked it off and he pooped right by where I blocked it off! I have a 7 yr old dog in the house too, but they get along really well and Chuck enjoys jumping over him and hanging around him, so I do not think that is the issue…As for getting him neutered, I am pretty sure I am going too, but he is still too young, on Sunday the 12th he turns 2 months old!

[Monkeybun]

Wow… how old was he when you got him?? If he is just turning 2 months on the 12th, he must have been far too young to be away from mama bun

[Otti]

Maybe he doesn’t want to risk being ‘trapped’ in his cage by going back in to poop after you let him out? So he poops as close as possible to his litter box without having to go back in to do so? It sounds like he wants to do the right thing but likes his freedom LOL

You should try what RabbitPam suggested and add a litterbox outside his cage, where he’s going right now while he’s out…

[Beka27]

Otti makes an interesting point. An additional box in the exercise space might help too.

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