Pooping and peeing just in front of litter box

[Bunny Hugger]

I posted something similar to this awhile ago. Our bunny is litter box trained, about a year and a half years old, neutered, very well behaved easy going guy. A few weeks ago we had some issues where he started pooping just in front of his litter box. Thought maybe it was related to some changes in his hay as well as he ate/destroyed a bunny willow basket that week which he had never had before. Things settled down back to normal but over this week he has been consistently pooping in front of his litter box and leaving small pee puddles as well. He is a free range house bunny and doesn’t do this anywhere else in the house (and he has access to 3 floors!). We are not sure why he is doing this or what we can do to fix his potty habits! We have tried moving the hay to his litter box so he can eat and poop, but he will then just throw his hay far away from the litter box – he doesn’t seem to like eating while sitting there. We also try to clean it up right away, but he often does it while we are at work or while we are sleeping. He does not do it as often when we are home (although he still will occasionally). 

Any ideas?

[vanessa]

I don’t remember if you tried a larger litter box, lower, different shape, etc. My little boy is currently doing the same thing. I noticed a while ago he was peeing just in front of his low profile litter box. But he wasn’t doing that with his high profile box. I just took a dish cloth, folded it, and placed it under the lip to catch his pee. Yesterday morning he was in one of the spare rooms, and he walked on the bare wood floor to get there, so I figured he woudl make his way back on his own. But he didn’t. None of my bunnies like walking on the bare wood floor. He pooped in the room, and flipped over the plastic vent guard, and used it as a litterbox to pee in. I’m glad he thought of using the plastic vent guard, instead of the carpet! I pulled the rug closer to that room, so he would feel free to step out. No more problems there. But he is peeing in front of his low profile box again. It is on the folded dishcloth, but still… I think I might try a higher profile box. He has numerous litter boxes). He is just finishing a course of antibiotics, so it isn’t a UTI. So… that’s what I’ll try next. Remind me… have you tried different litter boxes? I don’t always use the expensive animal litter boxes. Anything that has the right shape – and is inexpensive – will do. Even a plastic storage container with an entrance cut into it.

[Bunny Hugger]

He has a large corner litter box that he has no problems using – tons of space and low to the ground. He also has a smaller one on a different floor that I onow he doesn’t like as he doesn’t use it (he has peed in it once in 2 months). I see him hop on and off his big litter box all the time and he uses it fine when I am home for both poop and pee. It seems to be more of a behaviour thing but I’m not sure why. For example, his pee puddles are quite small and do not actually seem to be what you would expect when he relieves his bladder.
Kind of cute that your bun created his own litter box! Jax will actually run down 2 flights of stairs to use his litter box, that’s why I don’t understand why he is having these “accidents”

[vanessa]

Maybe he needs more reinforcement??? Treats when he uses his litterbox?

[Bunny Hugger]

Hmmm. That’s a good idea, he’s very food motivated. Although I still think it’s strange that he uses it when I’m home. I just watched him sprint from the living room downstairs to use his litterbox, not a drop of pee or poop pellet outside of it!

[vanessa]

That’s cute. Mine normally also only goes in the litter boxes in his rabbit room. He hasn’t left a drop of pee or poop in my bedroom ever. I periodically turn off the lights, and check the carpets for dried pee, with a uv light. It works well.

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