Toilet Behaviour Change – Free Roam

[WallsOfGab]

Hey! So, my bun Pavus is about 3 years old and neutered! He’s been littertrained and sure, he has an accident every couple of months or so but nothing major. Now I’ve moved in with my partner, and we’re in a much larger space so he can get the run of the apartment, the backyard, and the common space. 🙂 The problem is… now he’s peeing EVERYWHERE. It doesn’t even matter where anymore – I understood the poop trails… it’s a space he’s getting comfortable with… but the pee is relentless and it’s so… odd?

For context: He’s a travel bun – he goes EVERYWHERE with me. He’s actually been to my partner’s place twice before I officially moved-in and he was actually on perfect litterbox behaviour in the winter months. He’s well behaved in just about every place we go to. Then spring rolls around, and we let him outside, and he’s an absolute disaster. I thought it was spring crazies, but this is just never ending.

Now if I don’t let him outside, he revenge pees… If I let him outside, he pees anyway. He’ll pee in the hallway, he’ll pee in the kitchen (which we have now baby-gated). I’ve vinegar’d spots to death… washed the rugs to death… got an anti-marking spray and it seems to SORT OF work but then he pees elsewhere… He’s got a clean bill of health now (he had a bout where he needed antibiotics but that has long been finished). Broham has 4 litterboxes now… FOUR.

I’m at a loss… and I don’t want to just throw him outside whenever I don’t want to deal with him as a solution. I’ve been apartment hopping since late 2018 and I’ve finally settled in a place where he has more than just a bedroom to be in, and now TWO loving parents (my partner dotes on him to death – they love each other). If anyone has suggestions, that would be fantastic. Thank you!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="294"] This doinky boi on a bike ride after eating dandelions in the woods[/caption]

[Louiethebunny]

Even though he is neutered I believe this is territorial marking. Although he has been in the new place before, and territorial behavior is significantly reduced with neutering, it still occurs with some rabbits. He’s probably in the new places running free, thinking how everything smells new, and just wants the place to smell like him. Because of this, the behavior may continue until he’s completely comfy in the new place. For now, I would use vinegar to deodorize the areas he marks.

[DanaNM]

How long have you been in your new place? I agree it sounds territorial, maybe from traveling so much and being in a lot of new homes?

Any new smells in the new place? Maybe living with a new human triggered something as well?

Generally the recommendation is to restrict his space a bit until his litter box habits return, then gradually give him more space.

. . . 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.  

[LBJ10]

Perhaps he’s feeling territorial now that this new home feels like it might be “permanent”. You said you were apartment hopping. I wonder if he never really settled into any of these places.

[jerseygirl]

What a cutie!

He’s actually been to my partner’s place twice before I officially moved-in and he was actually on perfect litterbox behaviour in the winter months.

Did he have the free-range back during those times?

Then spring rolls around, and we let him outside, and he’s an absolute disaster. I thought it was spring crazies, but this is just never ending.

This is interesting. It is known desexed rabbits can still have a rise in the sex hormones during spring. I think it’s from the adrenal gland.  If this is the case with him, there is still a chance this will stop on it’s own, fingers crossed. But I do wonder if he is having some early changes to his adrenal gland. We often hear of older, neutered rabbits that start to display more hormonal behaviours later in life. My own began this around age 6. It’s thought it might be similar adrenal disease like ferrets get. But it can also be pituitary gland. I wonder if it would be worth having his testosterone levels tested?

My other thought (if this is medically-based and not purely a marking behaviour) would be E.cuniculi.  Some incontinence can be a symptom of active EC infection. Is he very deliberately peeing or just seem to be unaware?

Either way, it looks like you might have to restrict him some. 🙁  The four litter boxes reminds me of a member who had to retrain her rabbits litter habits. She did this by having the pen basically filled up with litter boxes. As the rabbit improved, she was able to take them out one by one.  Even a pen and one box would be good to observe him in for the time being. To see if he is actively avoiding the box even in a smaller space.

[WallsOfGab]

Thanks for the replies! It very well could be a territory issue… 😕 Awman!

How long have you been in your new place? I agree it sounds territorial, maybe from traveling so much and being in a lot of new homes?

I brought him with me on vacation since early February of this year and has since stayed, even when I went to the city to pack all my things and move in. So nearly 5 months now!

Maybe from a lot of new homes… With the travelling, he actively wants to go out and about and gets upset if we don’t “go” somewhere for a long period of time. He’s a weird one. LOL

Any new smells in the new place? Maybe living with a new human triggered something as well?

Perhaps just the smell of my partner in general? The only thing I can think of is the neighbourhood cats who pop into the house sometimes (our yard isn’t fenced yet, and the door is open with the hot weather). Generally, he has no issue with this but maybe he differentiates “cat that lives with me” and “cat that lives outside” somehow, although he’s gotten familiar with them? I know for sure he’s not afraid of them – he’s constantly the awkward kid who wants to hang out with the cat gangs when he’s out and about.

Did he have the free-range back during those times?

Yes, he was completely free range back in those times – cutting him off from the kitchen was actually a recent thing. The only thing at that time he didn’t have access to was outside, because it was winter and very cold.

My other thought (if this is medically-based and not purely a marking behaviour) would be E.cuniculi.  Some incontinence can be a symptom of active EC infection. Is he very deliberately peeing or just seem to be unaware?

Seems to be deliberately peeing, as it’s in certain spots and not entirely random. Before we blocked off the kitchen, he peed in front of the fridge. After, he’d pee on the hallway rug, or by where our shoes are, or the closet where he keeps his food… and… oh… yep… That sounds like territorial now that I’m writing it out. 😛 His health was fine when we checked him in in… March-ish? Because he was peeing quite heavily and straining. They didn’t find much except some high levels in his liver I believe (it was hard to understand, I live in the middle of Sweden and I’m not native here). We did all the tests on him including an ultrasound, it hurt my wallet, but it just ended in him getting some antibiotics and then he was fine.

I’ll see if I can close him in and re-potty train! Thanks so much!

[WallsOfGab]

I just want to update this because I’m just screaming on the inside. I’ve kept him between his crate, and outside, those being his “safe” spaces, and the house in general just being a place to get from point A to point B. I’ve fed him in his crate. His crate is “his place”… and have been ever so slowly, ever since… been acclimating him. Restricted his “territory”, and slowly opened it up. We got to a point where we could let him in the house a couple of hours and that lasted all of 2 days. He has peed on the floor… by the corner of the couch. Because of course. I’m not entirely sure what else do to besides just swim in pee for the remainder of his days. So I guess there’s that.

[pinkiemarie]

Back to square 1 with reduced territory slowly opening it up. If you can add a litter box (if you haven’t already) in the open area that may help as well as he may be more willing to go there than to go all the way back home. I would suggest, if at all possible with arranging pens, to start with the largest area you know he can responsibly handle and move the pen out an extra few feet every few days. It’s a pain but it may help because he can smell up just that small area at a time so it smells like him and not be so overwhelming with ALL the space. You could also put a pen in the new area and have him play there just in a small pen with a litter box, so also allowing him to get his scent on things but hopefully in that confined space he’ll be good with the box. I have 3 rabbits who are still bonding and their litter habits are atrocious near their house and the litter boxes but I have 0 issues out in the larger play area so I think it’s a matter of giving him more time to acclimate and adding another box or two. It’s possible your house is bigger than mine too, of course, so you may have more work than I did to get him behaving the way you want

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