Refusal to use litterbox

[London]

Hi,

I realize litter boxes have been a topic before, but I’ve tried everything…back story: 

Billy (4 months) used his litter box when I got him 2 months ago.  About a week after we got him, he began to have pee all over his private area and his back paws…every morning and when we got home in the afternoon……The woman we got him from said she never had that problem….Vet checked him out and said he was fine.  Breeder said to NOT put anything on cage floor or it would confuse him.  Vet said TO PUT care fresh down so it would soak up his urine because it has ‘nowhere to go’ if he pees while asleep and he would still use litter box….We got him a friend (Harry) a month later….neither of them use the boxes…I have 2 large triangle boxes (we have two cages connected together) and they pee and poop everywhere!!! I have tried everything..cleaning the cage/litter boxes..leaving some pee/poop in the box….Their feeder is next to the litter box so they can eat and poop…they still don’t….I use the same litter the breeder uses, as to not create more stress for them.  She literally provided a list of what she uses…HELP. I’m a single mom and work full time…and it’s driving me nuts. We live in an apartment and when you open the front door it wreaks of urine….Thank you for any advice!!! .

[DanaNM]

How big is the cage, and how big is the litter box?

If the cage is too small, they can see the whole thing as their box. If the litter box is too small, they also don’t like to use them. Those triangle boxes are usually too small for anything other than baby buns.

Also, are the boys neutered?

If they are not neutered, they can be territorial and have bad litter box habits. A second bun in the area can also trigger this.

. . . 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.  

[kurottabun]

There could be a few possibilities:

1. If he isn’t neutered yet, it could be that his hormones kicked in. Hormones can cause a bunny to lose their litter habits, even if it’s just a single bunny. If it’s caused by hormones, neutering would improve the situation.

2. I don’t think bunnies “pee when they’re asleep”, as far as I know. In normal circumstances a litter trained bunny would go to the box and pee there before going back into a resting position. Unless they have something like a UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) going on and can’t control their pee. Which brings me to the next point…

3. Is the vet rabbit savvy? The vet needs to be one who specialises in rabbits/exotic animals. If the bunny is getting pee all over his private area and his back paws constantly, it doesn’t sound very normal and could indicate an infection or some other underlying cause. Did your vet run any tests?

4. The litter habits could be getting worse because of Harry’s addition. If both aren’t neutered yet, it’s unlikely that they will bond properly due to hormones. They must both be neutered and go through a proper bonding process (see BONDING forum for more info) to be able to live together. Until then they will both be leaving territorial poop and pee everywhere. They have to be separated completely (not even next to each other, as bunnies can pull out fur through cage bars) to avoid fights. You didn’t mention how old Harry is, but if it’s only 2 or 3 months old then it’s still a baby and baby bunnies will get along with anyone…until the hormones come.

Also, baby bunnies can be hard to sex so you may actually have a male x female combination. This is also a reason why they should be separated until they are neutered/spayed or you may end up with an unwanted litter of more babies.

[Author]

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