Theory on litter habits

[Karla]

I have a theory, which I would like to put to a test. So please let me know how old your bunny was when it was neutered, and if it has good or bad litter habits.

My theory:

Molly has horrible litter habits, whereas Karl is 100 % litter trained. Karl was fixed when he was 7 months – Molly was spayed a few days before she turned 3 years.

 

I have a cat that I got from a rescue when he was 4-5 years old. The vet fixed him when I got him, however, whenever my cat is on a pillow or a duvet, he gets sexually excited. The vet told me that because he had been fixed at so late an age, his instincts are intact, and that is why he still has this urge.

 

So, this morning I thought perhaps it is the same with Molly. She was spayed as a grown-up, so her territorial instincts may just be intact and that is why she insists to pee and poop everywhere to mark her territory, whereas Karl doesn’t have this need.

 I wonder if it makes sense. If not, then Molly has no excuse not to behave

 

 

[feeona]

sugar was fixed at 5 months was littler trained before hand and also after, no probs apart from the the little poop trail here and there

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I think you are totally on the right track.

I probably can’t help much-not sure exactly when most of mine were done.

Kahlua-spayed around one year old. She has excellent litter habits but will pee on purpose when mad.
Rupert-neutered as an adult, his litter habits are immaculate
Chuck-neutered as an adult-immaculate litter habits but will pee on blankets.
Noot-neutered-no idea when. TERRIBLE litter habits

[Sarita]

I agree with your statement. Spaying and neutering at a young age can make a difference with litter box habits.

Also I have to wonder if Molly ever used a litter box at all in her former life – that makes a huge difference as well. Molly was also a little overweight and did not have the best care before you adopted her so her circumstances overall probably contribute to this as well…poor care overall. So I think that also being introduced to a litter box at a young age can also make a difference. I think it’s really all relevant.

[Sarita]

Although now that I think about it, some of my rabbits who were older and spayed at a later age have impeccable litter box skills so then again, who the heck knows. I guess there’s alot to consider.

[Elrohwen]

I think that is absolutely a great theory. Once those sexually mature behaviors are ingrained, it’s often impossible to get rid of them with spaying and neutering. Even when the hormones are gone, the bun still does the behaviors.

My bun was 4-5 months when he was neutered. He had perfect litter habits before and after though, so I can’t say the neuter changed anything for him.

[Furface]

I have 4 buns;

Bugsy came as a baby, spayed at 5/6 months – perfect pee, 90% poop in the box

Buddy came as an unneutered rescue between 4 & 5 years old. He didn’t seem to know what a litterbox was. He insta bonded to Bugsy.
I had him neutered within a week but he got an infection so had to live beside Bugsy for 30 days w/ play time together.
As soon as the infection was gone they were living together & she litter trained him within 2 weeks – same, perfect pee, 90% poop in the box

Thumper is a recent rescue. He is 3 years old & came neutered so I don’t know when he was done.
He came with good litter habits – perfect pee, 80% poop in box (never really seemed to mark over the other smells either)

Peeka is a more recent adoption (April). She is also 3 years old. She came NOT spayed. She is still not because I got lad off. She will be spayed as soon as I can get the almost $500 together. She came from a lady who cried when she left with me & took good care of her for the 6 months she had her. She adopted her from a little girl – I don’t know any circumstances. She came with phenomenal litter habits – 100% of everything in the box

So to sum up – out of 4 the unspayed 1 is the only perfectly litter trained 1.
She doesn’t even kick any stray poops out? It’s like she went to “Be Kind To Your Slave Finishing School!”

[TARM]

My bunny boyz were fixed as soon as their testicles dropped. Their litter habbits are NONEXISTANT. They poop and pee BESIDE the box. I moved the box over a smidge, covering up where they go and they moved over too. Gah!

Digger and Marshmallow were fixed later in life, no idea how old they are, and they have pretty good litter habits.

Little turds. Figuratively and literally.

[Karla]

It seems that the theory is good, but it doesn’t work in practise according to your experiences  

 

 

[Pebble and Dante]

Pebbles was litter trained at 8 mo old, and spayed at 9 mo old. 100% GOOD litter habits. Here is the weirdo thing. She was trained to use the Yesterday’s News litter – which she would spend all night visiously digging out of her litter box, in the morning Mom (me) would sweep it all back up and put it back in the box. UNTIL 2 weeks ago, I visited a bunny rescue here in Phoenix (free nail clipping and stinky cleaning) and they advised me that she probably didn’t care for the texture of the litter. So I tried putting the litter on the bottom of the box, and covered that with “spent” hay that she was done eating. Voila!!! No more digging like a manic all night. Hurray for Pebbles she is doing a great job training her new Mom!

[TARM]

Hmmm. I use pine pellet horse bedding. Maybe they don’t like the way it feels. I thought it might be the the lip on the box is too high. I’m thinking about getting them a puppy litter box because they’re large and have a low lip and the ones at the rescue seem to work really well. Maybe I should cover up the clean pellet litter with the hay dregs from the bottom of the hay bin…

[Monkeybun]

Its definitely possible your buns dont like the feel of their litter, my Monkey will only go in her box if its the nice soft carefresh stuff.

[FluffyBunny]

My rabbit was 2 years old when he was neutered and has completely perfect litter habits. He’s never bitten, humped, or sprayed.

[Beka27]

It’s going to depend on the rabbit. Both of mine are 100% with the litterbox… the only stray poos are “fly-balls” when they hop out quickly and one gets kicked out.

Meadow was adopted at 4 months approximately, spayed at 7 months. She had a few mishaps very early on, but was pretty much perfect up to and following the spay. When bonding, we had some territorial peeing but that resolved quickly.

Max is about 4-5 years old maybe? He was adopted at about 3 years old… neutered anywhere from 1.5 to 2 years old. Definitely as an adult and well-past puberty. His litter habits are spectacular… but he does hump Meadow… a lot. She doesn’t care too much, so all is good. I don’t think he has ever peed or pooped anywhere outside of the box…

[wendyzski]

Pepper was spayed at around a year after living in a park.  She’s got almost perfect litter habits.

[lucy7]

my two, lucy and taffy were both spayed at 5 months. nutmeg(who is 9 weeks) will be spayed at 5 months. spay/neuter helps litter box habits alot i can imagine, because all mine never miss. not once.

[BinkyBunny]

Both Jack and Vivian were spayed when they over two years old and their habits are very very good. Jack has always been a territorial as far as “spraying”. He also is humpy for both sexual and dominance reasons, though that is much better now, but he will always have a tendency for that I think. But as far as peeing and pooping in their box, they are very good!

Rucy was spayed when she was estimated around 1 1/2 and always had good litterbox habits.

My first rabbit, I got spayed within 6 months, and he was also very good with his habits and never sprayed.

The only rabbit I have had that could not be fully litterbox trained was Bailey – even when she was not fighting the symptoms of E.cuniculi (she was e.c. positive) She was a very dominant stubborn marker. The only thing that helped sort of hinder that was constant reassurance with pets that she was queen when she was out and about.   EDITED TO ADD:  I forgot  about Bailey’s life before I adopted her  and how that might have had something to do with her marking issues.   Animal Care and Control had taken her from someone (it was a neglect case) when she was estimated to be around 1 1/2 – 2 years. She was then spayed, and I adopted her shortly after.   

I loved your profile write-up!  I was going to ask if they were bonded etc to see if that may have anything to do with her marking and it was very helpful to read your profile. 

[skunklionshow]

I think Karl is one of the cutest rabbits I’ve ever seen.  Want to trade?

Leo:  Got neutered around 3 y.o.  Prior to that he was taught to use his cage as is potty, he wouldn’t use a litterbox in the cage.  He only had spraying when he shared classroom space w/ another unneutered male.  Jessica got him in line, but occassionally I end up w/ behavioral peeing issues that need recorrection.

Jessica:  Wasn’t speutered until 3 y.o.  When she was living w/ her bunny roommate, spayed female Oreo, she developed excellent litter habits.  Then she got impregnated and had a major bunny battle w/ Oreo and lost her habits.  They regained when she was fixed.

Our new Chewy is unfixed and a potty nightmare!!!  I know I should restict her space until she develops some habits, but she was so free-roam deprived in her previous home, that I’ve been letting her roam all evening.  She will get speutered in 2 weeks.  I’ll push the hardcore litter training then.

Final Thought:  In re: to behavior.  The majority of behavior is learned.  A pet may very much maintain their urges, but more acurately, the “urge” behavior was pleasurable and therefore reinforced by the pleasure they gained.  This is not really explainable to the toileting, except that they likely don’t rec’v any type of specific consequence/reinforcement w/ the potty.

[FluffyBunny]

I should mention that I got Mr. Bunny just 2 days after he was neutered. He never bit, sprayed or humped even then, so it may just be that he’s a very gentle rabbit. Although his litter habits were awful for several weeks after being neutered, he practically taught himself to use the litterbox; within a month of his neuter, he was perfectly trained.

[Karla]

It’s really interesting to read about your bunnies and their litter habits – keep them coming!

I was kind of hoping that my theory made sense, because it would take off the frustration with Molly. Then I didn’t have to think out causes and solutions every day, but just accept that this is the way Molly is. But I am working on new methods, so I will soon update Mollys litter training thread (if it works…).

 

[Beka27]

You’ll *always* find that in regards to rabbits there are NO “ALWAYS” and NO “NEVERS”… this is a challenge that we Forum Leaders face b/c the advice that worked well for members A, B, C will be of absolutely NO HELP to members X, Y, Z… every bun is different and every situation is different. It helps to kind of talk things out tho…

[angelicvampyre]

My theory they do it to piss you off! Bugz was not allowed out of his cage as i was trying to keep him quiet (yeah right like that was going to happen) so my nicely litter trained Bunny PEED all over his food bowls KNOWING that I would have to open his cage and then he could escape and then spent all day peeing outside his cage till finally i moved his litter box outside for him! yeah get a rabbit fixed makes litter training easy… yeah seeing that fact… hmmmmm *glares at Bugz*

[jerseygirl]

Yep!
And another theory: When you think you have them figured out, they change tactics.

[angelicvampyre]

I think they sort of do it to make as get mad at them cause we get mad and then get guilty for getting mad cause they are only a little rabbit and then they get treats from your guilt!

[Karla]

Haha, yeah and Molly is probably doing it because I give her treats every time she does in fact use the litterbox. So she knows that if she just continues to pee outside the box once in a while, she will get loads of treats for doing something that she knows perfectly well how to do.

Clever little bugger.

[Moonlight_Wolf]

Fern was spayed at six months and Thistle at about a year, they both have good litter habits but Thistle took a lot longer to teach.

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By jerseygirl on 10/17/2009 05:24 AM
Yep!
And another theory: When you think you have them figured out, they change tactics.

HAHAHA!  That isn’t a theory…that is a plain and simple fact! 

[Furface]

Posted By BinkyBunny on 10/17/2009 12:56 PM

Posted By jerseygirl on 10/17/2009 05:24 AM
Yep!
And another theory: When you think you have them figured out, they change tactics.

HAHAHA!  That isn’t a theory…that is a plain and simple fact! 

Buddy read this post & I guess he didn’t like me bragging – he just peed on my couch – 1st time in 2+ years

I’ll keep my mouth…fingers shut next time

 

[Jenna, Chubs & Comet]

We got Chubs when he was about 9 months old and he’d been neutered two months before that. He has wonderful litter habbits for the most part. He has never peed anywhere but his box (well and now a couple times on the tile but that’s because of bonding and poop/pee wars), and he always poops in his cage or box. I don’t know what it is about his cage but he poops all over it. I don’t really mind since it’s not on my floor and is easy enough to clean but still relatively annoying, considering that he knows exactly what the box is for and still poops in it the majority of the time…odd bunny.

Comet too is perfect about peeing, and also poops in his cage space, just like Chubs. I can’t figure it out but as long as they keep it in the cage…hmm..

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