Territory pooing?????

[sally]

Hi all, my rabbit and my cat have lately been spending more time together in an attempt to get them to be friends, they can now be in the same room together and they just kinda ignore each other for the most part. Thing is since yesterday, the rabbit (who has no name) has started pooing, and peeing in the corner of the lounge , next to the dining table, as she loves to sit under the table, but so does the cat, is she doing it to tell the cat to get lost basically, because they both like sitting under there. I moved the rabbit into the lounge with us, once id bunny proofed it, to get her to be more used to the cat and vice versa. they are good together now, the curiosity is fascinating to watch, as the days went on the rabbit got more brave and would run up to the cat for a sniff, as soon as the cat moved tho she was away lol

 

As far as the pooing goes, i have been cleaning it up and putting it back in her tray, as up until yesterday she would go back in her cage to poo, so when she does poo , i put her back in her cage in an attempt to teach her that if she poo’s she isnt allowed out. Will this work?

I will put a photo up of them together in a minute aswell.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

P.S she still isnt spayed, money is so tight, would this have anything to do with it?

[sally]

[Sarita]

I think that continuing to clean it will help. Will keeping her locked up in her cage help – maybe, maybe not. I don’t think keeping her locked up is totally the right thing to do if she has been able to get out before – seems a little mean to me. You might consider putting a litter box in that corner too to see if that will work and she will use that.

It does sound like a territory issue so getting them use to each other might stop it eventually. Will spaying help – probably but it takes time for the hormones to settle down after a spay too.

[sally]

I know, I feel awfull putting her in her cage, but she goes in there still aswell, its like as soon as she gets out she goes straight to the corner and poo’s . To be honest I dont mind her pooing as its so easy to clean up, but she has done one wee and its actually discoloured the carpet , We are getting new carpets or flooring (havent decided yet) so its not a major problem that it has stained. but still, i’d rather she didnt poo/wee at all outside of her cage.

I thought they had got used to each other, there is no “chasing” goin on anymore, and the rabbit is the most curious , and she has stopped thumping whenever the cat comes in the room so I thought we had progress!

[Sarita]

Yeah, I totally understand about the peeing. I would try an extra litter box in that corner too.

[sally]

Well tonight, I put down a mat for her to go on, to save my carpet, she went on it as i knew she would, but ive left it there untill its bedtime, so she doesnt keep doing it, so far so good, and she has surprised me tonight by jumping up next o me on the sofa, she is becoming more friendly which is nice!

[QueenThumper]

 I’ve heard that rabbits choose a corner where they prefer to do their doo-doo and will go there even if the litter box is somewhere else.  Every time I designated a spot for Thumper to use the litter box, she’d always choose a different spot.  My solution for this was to just put a litter box where she was going, worked like a charm.  

I’m thinking maybe it isn’t a territorial thing so much as it is that’s just where he/she feels comfortable.  If it was a territorial thing, the droppings would be scattered around everywhere instead of concentrated in a particular spot.  My suggestion would be  to put the litter box there instead, or just put another one there.

[BinkyBunny]

The one thing that can happen between cats and rabbits is that rabbits will expect cats to follow rabbit social rules. (and cats will have nothing of it) So even if they are not fighting or chasing, a dominant rabbit may mark or start a “latrine” area to re-emphasize their presence to share or to claim an area.

I know with Jack, if P-kitty hangs out in the same place, Jack is more likely to mark and pee in the area that is being shared. Jack is a very dominant male, while Vivian does not mark at all around p-kitty. She just will physically charge or box p-kitty if he does something she doesn’t like. So really, it’s an individual thing. :0)

[sally]

Ive put another litter tray down in the area, and she half uses it half doesnt! oh well its an improvement, now I have a new bun too so once they are altered and I start them bonding im sure it will just flare up again lol

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