My bunny pees and poops everywhere! Help :(

[Chainida]

Hi,

I currently have two bunnies Mochi (3 years old) and Benji (7 years old). I recently got Benji about a month ago and he and Mochi bonded very quickly. I have them both free roamed in my room, but Benji keeps pooping and peeing everywhere. I got him from this lady who kept him in a cage, but said he was pretty potty trained. Since I’ve had him he’s been a nightmare (litter box wise). I have been giving him time to adjust to the new environment which he is doing really well with, so I don’t know what it could be. Mochi also isn’t very territorial and she doesn’t mind sharing the space. I also use the same litter box that Benji used to use before I got him. Btw there’s no particular spot that he likes to use the restroom he literally does it everywhere.

Any tips and advice would be great!

[jerseybunnies]

What age did you get him? If you got him before he reached maturity and got hormones he could of lost his litter habits, especially if he is not neutered now or if he was neutered after these habits developed. Was it possible that he wasn’t actually trained before? Some people will say it to get you to adopt the bun. It might be best to keep him in an xpen where it is contained to try on litter habits, but at this point if he’s had this habit for almost 7 years it might be tricky. So, how old was he when you got him? Was he neutered? If so, at what age? Did the habits start as soon as he was home or gradually? Could it be because maybe your second rabbit is territorial and doesn’t want to share the box? Hope this helps! If you provide some more details, I could narrow it down for you! 🙂

These are just my suggestions. Please seek an experienced veterinarian if you have medical needs / questions. Thank you! 

[Chainida]

I just got him two months ago so he was still 7.   Benji’s old owner kept him in a cage:( but she did have a litterbox for him and said that he used it. Yes, he is neutered and I currently have two litter boxes for my rabbits, but they don’t mind sharing at all. I’m not sure exactly what age he was neutered, but I’m sure he’s been neutered for a couple years now. I’ve also had a problem with him using the bathroom since I got him. I don’t really want to keep him in a pen because I want him to stay with his bunny wife.

[DanaNM]

It could be a case of giving too much space too quickly, especially since he was used to being confined. When he poops, is it single poops, or piles? The first is territorial, the second is just laziness. Same with peeing, does it seem like spraying (peeing in a line or scattered), or big puddles?

They are also a relatively new bond, and sometimes it takes a while for litter box habits to improve again after bonding. There can be a temporary increase in marking (like they are staking out their new home as a couple), but then things start to calm down.

In either case, it can help to go back to a kind of litter training boot camp, where you restrict the space to a smaller area (temporarily), like the size of an x-pen. Make sure there is no bedding or anything soft in the pen, and only have hay and litter in the litter box. Soft litter like care-fresh seems really good for litter training. Then when things are looking good, you can slowly start to increase the amount of space they have.

There are some more advanced tips and ideas here: https://binkybunny.com/infocategory/litterbox-training/

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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