Spayed Rabbit No Longer Using Litterbox

[luna_cecelia_rc]

I have had my rabbit, Luna, for 5 years now (she is a rescue and is estimated to be about 7 years old). She was pretty good about using her litterbox until about 8-9 months ago, when she started peeing outside of the litterbox (not just once in a while)–including on the floor and on the couch. We had her checked for UTIs and bladder sludge–nothing came back abnormal. She does have arthritis, but the vet says it is mild, and it is managed by medication (e.g., she still hops on the couch without issue, so we don’t think she has trouble accessing the litterbox). The vet thinks she is just misbehaving and suggested re-litterbox training her like a baby. She has had some dental issues lately, but her litterbox habits were getting bad even before those issues started, and she is getting her teeth taken care of every 4-6 weeks now.

The peeing and pooping outside of the litterbox is getting very out of hand lately. I am cleaning up pee spots multiple times per day, and we have poops everywhere. Charlie, our other rabbit, is better with the litterbox than she is, though I have caught him in the act too. I have been picking Luna up and placing her in the litterbox when I catch her peeing, wiping up the pee with paper towels and putting them in the litterbox, and spraying the affected areas with vinegar. We did briefly try restricting their space, but it did not seem to work–though perhaps I didn’t give it enough time because I always feel bad for them when they have less space.

I love them dearly, but honestly I am at my wits’ end right now–would appreciate any advice! Other techniques for getting them (mostly Luna) to adhere to her litterbox? Should I get a second opinion from another vet to double check? Any cleaning techniques that may be better for neutralizing the odor?

For context, she and Charlie (our other bunny, who we adopted 8 months ago and is bonded with Luna) live in an ex-pen and are allowed to free-roam in our living room when we are home to supervise (which is most of the time, since I usually work from home). They have a large litterbox with a hayfeeder in their pen, as well as a litterbox on the other side of the living room for when they are out. Her litterbox habits were getting bad even before we adopted Charlie.

Thanks in advance!

 

PS: She peed on the floor as I was typing this 🙁

[Bam]

If its both poop and pee its not consitent with a UTI or ec. That is of course good.

I dont believe she is misbehaving or lazy though. Rabbits do things for “reasons” -often instinctive or hormonal (not just sex hormone-hormonal, there are many hormones aka signal substances). This  sounds more like some kind of territorial marking. Is Charlie neutered/spayed?

Rabbits frequently (pretty much as a rule) temporarily lose their litterbox habits when another rabbit is introduced. This happened with my two buns, Snoa and Mango. It didnt get better, but I dont know if it would eventually have subsided, because the male bun sadly died before they’d been together a year even. The girl bun’s litterbox habits pretty much went back to perfect right after his passing. Their relationship was great -no fighting, lots of mutual grooming, lots of cuddling, they happily shared food etc. Still something disrupted their litterbox habits.

If you havent already, add another litterbox. They might like to use one each. Always refresh the hay in it (dont put down too much at a time, old hay is not tasty for rabbits. According to my bun, hay gets old after like 30 minutes 😁) What type litter do you use?

Also check the soles of her feet, “part” the hair to see properly (then put the hair back). Buns easily get tender foot soles which could lead to sore hocks if not dealt with. (Tender feet can make it uncomfortable to sit in the litterbox, depending on the litter. I put a layer of “old hay” where my bun sits in the box, she is a rex so she has sparse hair under her feet).

[LBJ10]

I agree. Considering the new bunny corresponds with the loss of litter box habits, it seems very possible that this is territorial in nature. Even if bonded, bunnies can have poop and pee wars… even one-sided wars.

[DanaNM]

Hmmm, it could be territorial, but has your vet considered EC? Urinary incontinence can be an early symptom. Bun Jovi also lost his box habits as he aged and I thought it was just due to aging, but as time went on additional EC symptoms appeared.

It could be due to the other rabbit as well, or at least that’s contributing. I did have a bun with very bad dental issues that also had bad litter box habits, so it’s possible that’s contributing as well.

One of my bridge buns, Bertha, was a bit on and off with her box habits. I noticed that when I cleaned with vinegar she kept re-marking that area. Once I got a carpet shampooer and cleaned with enzyme cleaner (nature’s miracle carpet shampoo) she finally stopped marking that area.

It honestly sounds like it could be a combination of things rather than 1 single issue. I wonder if it would be worth putting her on some daily metacam (for both arthritis and possible dental pain), and possible treating for EC as a next step. Then cleaning any soft surfaces with enzyme cleaner and restricting the space somewhat for a few weeks to see if things improve?

 

. . . 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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