PEE PEE Everywhere

I have a dwarf rabbit about 4 yearsold. My children found him in the park three yearsago. He has become my baby. What apersonality. He was fully litter trained (what a surprise tous - didn't know this was possible). We have since lethimrun the house. For this time he did wonderfulwith using his box. Recently my sister came to visit - withher dog - and I did not know how sensitive rabbits could be to thischange. She was here for only a half hour. Sincethen, we have had lots of aggression from him - I have been bitbut he also has bit my large dog. It had been funnyto see this big animal soooo afraid of this little thing. Wehave gotten through lots of his behaviours since then but cannot gethim back to using his box to pee in. Just had his urinetested thinking he had an infection and it is just fine the vetsaid.How do I go back and deal with this. He has gone fromrunning the house to being locked up in a small space. Hehates it and so do I but I cannot let him run and pee.

Does he use the same places over & over,like a corner. I've read that if this happens you need to start puttinglitter boxes everywhere he goes. Right now I have 4 in one corner butmy buns still pee outside of them sometimes. I know my gray girl,Rosie, is stressed because Daisy is constantly being mean to her. Ialso will put newspaper around the boxes so if they decide to go itwill at least be on the paper and not the carpet. Also, If you watchyour bunny for that pee pee stance and pick them up and put them in thebox, he may eventually get it. I hope this helps you.

Donnette

Yes, rabbits are extremely sensitive to any typeof change...even if it's just a dog visit for half an hour.Is your rabbit neutered? He could be feeling likeheneeds to regain his territory back, and is doing that bypeeing all over the place. Getting him neutered could reallyhelp this. But also, any irregular urination/poop habitscould mean they are ill...I'd take him to the vet and figure this oneout...

-Vanessa

bunbunbaby wrote:

Also, If you watch your bunny for that pee pee stance andpick them up and put them in the box, he may eventually get it. I hopethis helps you.

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I can vouch for the effectiveness of this trick!!!

bunbunbaby wrote:

If you watch your bunny for that pee pee stance.

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Oops......too late.:shock:lol I could never catch Pebbles, once hertail lifts.:X

Rainbows!

Thanks for your reply. My rabbit is notneutered. Talked with the vet today and he did not think itwas anything (had his urined tested) but behaviour.I do think that he is wanting to reclaim his territory because he willusually only do it around my dog. But I have also been toldthat rabbits do not claim their territory with pee they do it withtheir nose - which he also does on my dog and my dog HATESit. So peeing everywhere my dog goes makes it very difficultto put anything down to catch him peeing (thankfully we havehardwood). Tried litter boxes all over the house but then mybaby gets into it as well so I am having a hard time trying to findsomething. That is why we locked him up - hoping to convincehim to only pee in his box. But he seems to save and save andsave it until someone finally lets the gate down.

The vet also felt that neutering him would nothelp him because of his age. He felt that it would probablykill him.

That sounds wrong to me, i may not know what i'mtalking about, but, four years is pretty young, considering they canlive to ten. Does this vet know alot about rabbits?

Ellie

He did admit that he did not know alot aboutrabbits but they have had rabbits in and had a few diewhilehe waslistening withhisstethescope. He said his experience is that rabbits only live5 to six years. He is guessing that my rabbit is 4 years oldbut may be older considering he was an adult already when we found him.

Oooh, sounds like the vet thatI had atfirst that was telling me not to neuter my guybecause it wasreally risky, a lot of rabbits die during the procedure. Igot a second opinion from a rabbit specialist (the other one professedto know about them, but didn't advertise the fact and wasn't on anyrabbit recommended lists).

Turns out my five-month old bunny would have been in trouble had thatvet done the neutering-- she wasa girl!(That first vet had wrongly sexed her as well).

The second vet said he only had lost 3 bunnies in three years out of"gazillions", although he also said those bunnies were old andsick. I've heard that its not recommended for bunnies overfive. I'd be a bit wary of it for that reason, but a bunnyvet can check him out and let you know.

As for the peeing part, I posted this in the bunny fights thread, but it's also relevant here.

My bunny became very aggressive -- seriously attacking thecats-- and being suddenly very un-litter trained when sheended up with the run of the house. I got her spayed, butwhat really stopped it all was establishing a much smaller territory --she was kept in her kennel for a few days, and slowly expanded to acorner of the room, then the whole room, with the cats establishingtheir territory outside the room.

Ican now leave the door open and she canleave theroom, although she doesn't all thatoften. When shedoes,she knows she's a visitor in the cats territory, andshows some respect. (She still leaves a few poops anddribbles by thecat box, but she's got her ownboxthere now, so she's free to do so).

Thecats,once bitten, twice shy,arestillnever at ground level anymore when she'saround, but at least she's not jumping upto attack them(which was happening before). But heaven help the cats ifthey come into her room.


And yes, bunnies definitely mark their territory with pee -- boys and girls.

SAS

MLD wrote:

He didadmit that he did not know alot about rabbits but they have had rabbitsin and had a few die whilehe waslisteningwithhis stethescope. He said his experience is thatrabbits only live 5 to six years. He is guessing that myrabbit is 4 years old but may be older considering he was an adultalready when we found him.

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Definitely find a rabbit savvyvet. Very important.

I agree with everyone else that you should find arabbit savvy vet. My oldest buck was 2 1/2 - 3 years old when I rescuedhim and got him neutered, so his age should still be fine for thatprocedure.

This is what my logic was (is) with putting myrabbit in a small area is that he should learn to pee in hisbox. And then I can add some space to this. But heis being very stubborn and seems to hold and hold and hold.Persistant in getting out. Maybe I need to find a betterspace with a better gate because he is persistant enough to knock thegate down and finding the dog and peeing near him. Mind you,we had him in a spot for almost two weeks without him getting out andhe still did not pee in his box. He peed on the mat aroundhis dish or around the box. I have tried chaning his litterfrom kitty litter to shavings thinking he didn't like the feel (he didbetter before with the kitty litter). Where ever my dog layshe will find the spot, smell and pee. I don't want to get mydogs nose out of joint either.

What were you using to lock your rabbit in the corner? and whichroom? I find mine is very very social and almost seems toreact negatively if he can't be around people or the dog.

MLD wrote:

Thisis what my logic was (is) with putting my rabbit in a small area isthat he should learn to pee in his box. And then I can addsome space to this. But he is being very stubborn and seemsto hold and hold and hold. Persistant in gettingout. Maybe I need to find a better space with a better gatebecause he is persistant enough to knock the gate down and finding thedog and peeing near him. Mind you, we had him in a spot foralmost two weeks without him getting out and he still did not pee inhis box. He peed on the mat around his dish or around thebox. I have tried chaning his litter from kitty litter toshavings thinking he didn't like the feel (he did better before withthe kitty litter). Where ever my dog lays he will find thespot, smell and pee. I don't want to get my dogs nose out ofjoint either.

What were you using to lock your rabbit in the corner? and whichroom? I find mine is very very social and almost seems toreact negatively if he can't be around people or the dog.

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I had Pipp in adog carrying kennel where she HAD to pee inher box, or at least on newspaper or a towel that I later put in a boxin the same spot.It's important that they pee in itonce, seeing as they tend touse thesame spot.At one point, I wiped up some pee with a kleenex and put thekleenex in the box, and that worked.

WhenI first got her and didn't keep her in her kennel longenough for her to pee in it, and she decided that my soft fluffy bedwas the best place. Ibroke her of that habit (orshe probably trained me), by putting a thick towel down on the bed thatshe started to use, and then put the kennel on the bed with the towelin it. Now I can move the kennel off the bed, and she stillcalls it home, bathroom included.

Bottom line is that they should be kept in a cage (steel yourself andignore those pleading eyes and gnawing teeth) until they've got theirpee spot well established, and then only slowly increase their run areaoutside the cage. (I eventually took the door off her kennel,she only uses it to eat and pee, she sleeps outside it). Ithink my bunny's happier with her smaller territory,actually. She feels safer,she only has to watch onedoor for predators, ratherthan having to watch the wholehouse.

Thanks. I am going to dothis. I think I was missing the point earlier. Iwould let him pee on a towel (towel to keep his feet warm and himcomfortable) and then when the towel got dirty, put it in the laundryinstead of using that to my advantage. Last night I swept upsome of his poo and put it in his box and I noticed that he did pee inthere last night. Also peed all over his running area too butdid sit to pee in his box.

Today I have made a point of watching him withhis pee stance and then will put him in his box. He againpeed in his box and then I told him good job. Hopefully thiswill all help. Thanks