Post bonding re litter training

[Kirstie Taylor]

Hi everyone,

I have two rabbits (free roam) one male (Percy) and one female (Minnie) I’ve had Percy just over a year and he’s been neutered. He originally lived alone and took to using a Litter box straight away. Around 4 months later I brought Minnie home, I kept them separate for a month for her to settle in and then bonded them slowly, she was also fine with her litter training alone and has been spayed too.

when I first paired them together they were fine with using their litter boxes. They are in their own bedroom whilst I’m at work which has two litter boxes changed every 48 hours. I use a puppy pad, in a tray topped with woodchips and their hay at one end. One box has a cover for privacy. They do not get fed any other hay outside of their boxes. They also have lots of toys, climbing bits and hidey houses.

my problem is that Minnie picks and chooses when she wants to use the litter box and when the floor is more her thing! Which means that whilst I’m at work Percy will also smell the toilet on the floor and use the same spot for himself too!

When I get home I clean the wee up and get rid of the smell with vinegar and water and put the poops back into the tray too. But it keeps happening – sometimes there will be no accidents and other times there may be lots.

does anyone have any experience with this or any advice on things I can try. I’m forever washing their cushions and stepping in wee!

[DanaNM]

Hmmm how long have they been bonded? Sometimes in a newly bonded pair the habits get worse for a while and then gradually improve.

What type of flooring do you have around? Sometimes buns (especially females) will pee on anything soft. I had one bun that could not have any blankets or beds of any kind because she would just pee on them!

If you have soft blankets, beds, etc, I would remove those for now and see if things improve. Low-pile carpets usually don’t cause issues.

Also, I noticed (with that same bun that peed on soft things), that the areas I was cleaning with vinegar started smelling REALLY strongly of vinegar, and I think she was actually re-marking them to mask that smell. I switched to using a carpet spot cleaner with natures’s miracle carpet shampoo and she stopped marking that spot! So you might also try something like that.

Some people also find it useful to send the buns to “litter box boot camp” where you restrict their space for a bit until box habits return, then gradually increase the space.

. . . 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.  

[Kirstie Taylor]

Thank you for your advice!

they have been bonded for 4 months so far.

I’ve been  to the vets today and my make rabbit Percy has a urine infection so hopefully antibiotics will clear that up and that may have an effect on the litter training problem.

In their bedroom I have laid the soft foam floor tiles that are used for kids playrooms on top of wooden flooring. They seem to pick and choose which type of flooring to pee on.

i have removed the soft cushions/ bed that they had as per your advice and I’ll see if that helps, I’ll try using the bunny spray cleaner instead as it has a more natural smell so maybe they won’t try to re scent that as much as the vinegar.

if I have no luck I shall try confining them to their bedroom for  few weeks to try and get them re trained.

thank you 🐰 🐾

 

[DanaNM]

Ahh, yes if he has a urinary infection that would definitely explain it! I bet things will improve a lot once that is cleared.

. . . 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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