Behavioral pooping.

[fluffybuns]

Hey everyone! I'm looking for insight and/or advice for recent challenging behaviors with my mini rex. He's almost 2 years old and has been neutered and litter box trained for 1 year. He's super good about only pooping in his special box and never leaving any strays around the house. Recently I've been helping dog sit for a friend out of town (rabbit stayed in the spare bedroom away from the dog since they don't get along). Here's the thing, when the dog leaves , that's when I let my rabbit back out to roam the house freely and he immediately poops and pees EVERYWHERE!!! He does this for a couple of days then quits and returns to only pooping in his litter box. During this time he refuses to cuddle like usual and persistently chews and scratches furniture. I'm thinking this is his way of expressing agitation about having a dog in the house for too long re-establishing his territory. He also uses this time of escalated behavior to run circles around me when I'm walking around the house. What's freaking going on? Usually he's cool and collected all the time!!

 

[whiskylollipop]

You answered your own question, the smell of the dog in his territory is clearly the trigger. Bunnies are very territorial and now he's feeling the need to mark his territory as obviously as he can to ward off intruders. He is probably trying to rub up against you as much as possible because you also have dog scent on you, and he wants you to smell like him again. Be thankful he's not marking you with pee instead!

Since he goes back to normal after a couple of days, just wait it out, give the dog back as soon as possible, and try to remember that he is only reacting normally to "protect" the living space you and he share. In his head, he is being a responsible bunny.

 

[Channahs]

^What Laura said spot on^

We sorta went through this over the Christmas holidays. My step-daughter brought her two dogs with her on visit, and Barry was not happy about it. He stayed mostly to his room, and instead of coming out and marking up the house (which he has never done), he left poops in a ring around his litter-box. He's a very large and gentle bun, and I also witnessed a lot of chuffing while they were here. The dogs weren't allowed in his room though. Fortunately they were here only a couple of days. It took a couple of days after they left for him to settle back into his routine. I don't really approve of these grand-dog visits myself as I'm very snotty about my Barry's feelings.

 

[bunnyman666]

Trix will mark the house if visitors of ANY type come to the house. Okay- I just say that so that my wife stops letting her friends invite themselves over to use our pool

The poop and pee fest IS a rabbit's response to animal visitors, plain and simple.

 

[fluffybuns]

That's very interesting. I thought after being neutered he would lose this behavior altogether. That must be why he seems so stressed out and aggravated after dog visits, I mean it's a pretty big house and lots of work for one little bunny to cover in his scent. Although this brings me to another question regarding an upcoming move. We are moving into a new house in the next couple of months and I wonder if we are going to have to go through this all over again in the new home? I think my dog sitting days are over. My buns feelings totally take precedence over my friend's dogs.

 

[fluffybuns]

Also, I agree with everything y'all have said. Melvin certainly seems proud of himself for responding to the situation so "responsibly". He's back to his cool and relaxed self now, although now he thumps his foot very loudly when neighbors walk past the house with their dogs or a dog gets in our yard. He's even taken to thumping like crazy when raccoons get into the garden, which is very helpful for me since I can't ever hear or see them out there.

 

[JBun]

Neutering just decreases the urge to mark territory, but doesn't eliminate it altogether. Any changes of environment can spark new marking, but will usually decrease over time. If your bun still is having issues, you may need to do a good cleaning with a pet cleaner, to get rid of the dog scent. Though it's also possible he will respond to using a pet cleaner with new marking behavior. You just never know with rabbits. Silly little things

 

[whiskylollipop]

We are moving into a new house in the next couple of months and I wonder if we are going to have to go through this all over again in the new home? I think my dog sitting days are over. My buns feelings totally take precedence over my friend's dogs.

I just moved myself. Apart from a few stray poos (there always seem to be a few stray poos!) my bunnies haven't engaged in any serious marking behaviour. I think it might have helped that the place was commercially scrubbed before I moved in, and I didn't let them out until I'd settled moving all the heavy stuff, resulting in my scent being all over the house. So I guess the new place didn't feel totally strange to them. Also, their cage and stuff was all from the old house, that was probably comforting too.

 

[Channahs]

As for moving...not sure if it's relevant, but my son bun sitted Barry when my hubs and I went to Vegas for a couple of weeks. We took all of Barry's things over there. His litter box (which at home he was perfect with), his toys, bedding..etc. Barry was confused. He completely lost his litter training over there. Can't say that he hit his box once. Poor baby. But when we returned and got him back in his room, he was back as if it never happened. I'm sure until your bun is established an comfortable with the new area, there will be mishaps. Just be patient and let bun choose where the new potty area will be.

 

[fluffybuns]

Really great feedback y'all! I think moving into the new place is going to be challenging at first but nothing my old man and I can't handle. I realize some pooping incidents will come with the territory, one of the few setbacks in the joys of sharing a home with a young male rabbit. I've always said that "we don't litter box train house rabbits, the rabbits train us where to put the litter box." Cheers!