She pees outside the box!!! Grrr…

[mrmac]

I have two bunnies, a boy and i girl, they are litter box trained and have been for some time now, BUT she has a tendency to pee right next to the litter box when she thinks no one is watching hehe…Their cage has a metal pan on the bottom and her pee is like eroding the top layer of the metal. i have a wooden blockade type thing curved into the corner of the cage to stop peeing there (that was her old spot). There is a little corner spot between the log thing and the litter box and that is where she pees. Whenever she goes to that spot she digs the toys off the spot (that I tried to put there to stop her), I stop her when I can, and pick up the pee soaked bedding and put it into the littler box but she keeps doing it! I have tried cleaning that spot really well with soap to get the smell off of it but she still continues. Any ideas to try?

[princessangrypeppers]

Does she sit in the litter box, and just back up so that her pee falls next to it? If so, you can try using a high-back litter box, like this one:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=17535&cmpid=09csegb&ref=3312&subref=AA&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=0031424000000

[mrmac]

She will actually scoot her butt right next to the litter box (on the outside of it) and pees next to it.

[jerseygirl]

Can you move the box into that corner more. She may like the feel or the corner on both sides of her to go. So you have a metal base floor but also have bedding on the floor outside the litter box? If so, take the loose bedding out from around the litter box or provide alternate bedding, old towels, faux sheepskin etc. So the two share the litter box? Can you post any pic of the litter box + cage so we can see the problem spot?

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

This will be a bit tricky but you’ll need to keep a close eye on her, and catch her in the act. When she scoots up to pee, or looks like she is going to, pop her in the litter box and then praise her afterwards. Give her a treat.

Remember she’s not being difficult or mean-to her, going in or next to the box is the same thing and she’s just doing what she thinks is good Keep your patience and she’ll get it.

[mrmac]

Yes they both share the litter box. The problem spot is where the ball is. Sorry its kinda small.

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[KatnipCrzy]

I would take the bedding out of the cage and replace it with something else that does not resemble the litter.  A piece of fleece is what i use for my bunnies- it is cheap and easy to wash. 

[mrmac]

I am kind of worried about covering their floor with something else because they eat everything and it seems like they would et sick…I am probably wrong but it just makes me worry? If the smell was underneath some other kind of fabric, bedding, etc wouldnt she still smell her pee on that spot and still continue to go there?

[jerseygirl]

Definately take out the loose bedding – that may discourage her a bit. I don’t think it’s confusing her as such as you said they’re both litter trained, but the pee not being soaked up may discourage her as many like there space to be clean. It does seem like protest peeing, perhaps do to you blocking off her old pee spot, or any other changes you’ve made. Is there an addition of anything else that’s new? A toy, sipper bottle, type of litter, litter box? It can be a simple thing that has them protesting.

You could try using some sea grass matts for them to lie on. If they eat them, no worries!

[mrmac]

There isnt anything new in their cage at all which is weird, it has been the same since they have had that cage? I did block off her old spot, and sometimes at night they both will jump behind the blocking wall and push it down but they dont really pay much attention to it. In her new spot I pile their toys up and she will dig them out and then pee but if I dont put something there then I’m afraid that the bottom pan of the cage is just going to rot right through if theres enough pee over time.

[evansvillegirl26]

here is the box i use! Tempe raises her butt and pees everywhere but this totally fixed the problem!! I got it at petsmart

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[mrmac]

Soo I went to the pest store yesterday and I bought one of those spray odor eliminator things and tried it on the pan of their cage. I have tried everything to get her to stop peeing outside the litter box, so I figured I’d try it at least. I cleaned out thier cage and she threw a fit!!! she was sooo annoyed that it didnt smell where she wanted it to smell, she would like nibble at my fingers if they were in her way, overall just really annoyed. She wouldnt stop going to those same spots that obviously didnt smell like her anymore. I couldnt keep her from doing it…I tried but it was like every 2 seconds she was going over to the spots. At some point I am planning on either a new cage or adding onto what they have now and I dont want her peeing like that. She really just thinks that that spot is supposed to smell!

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