Do they poop more in the Fall???

[Baron]

Hey guys! Baron had his first birthday on September 3rd and we had cake... well all the humans ate the cake, he got his shredded wheat (his favorite treat). This mid October marks a year since I brought him home.

Recently in late August he had a real thick molt. My how the fur does fly. It got into everything with a fan in it. After that, he also got the runs for a bit, what mess... but we carried on and made it through!

This week he has been pooping more than ever and even started leaving tons of presents on my bed and other places in the house. If I catch him, I place him in the litter box, but he seem be developing some kind of advanced resistance poop movement against my authority. I came home it looked as if some one let a goat or several goats in the house just to leave poop everywhere. Yes, it was that bad.

After the clean up, I let him out of our bedroom to find yet more poop! But it wasn't in his litter, no it was on the floor and on my bed. Has anyone here experienced a house rabbit break his litter training after a year? I hate to resort to getting his cage out of storage and leaving the boy locked up all day while I am gone. Normally I can be gone all day and he has the run of the house without incident. Honestly I don't know what prompted this behavior.

 

[pani]

Pretty standard question, but I didn't see it mentioned (sorry if I missed it) - is he neutered?

 

[Baron]

No, I have no plans to get him fixed either. This is just my opinion, if you wouldn't do it to your kid, why do it to a pet that never leaves the house? That is also why I don't have children, my dad was pretty strict... just joking. But no he is not fixed.

For an adult male Rex he is pretty cool about keeping the house clean or at least he has been. It has calmed down a bit, today I got back and no poop in the kitchen, dining room or the living room. The bedroom has his litter and he did poop on my bed a little and on the floor. Since he was good, I gave him a treat and he is lying down chilling out.

I have a lot of whites, that would show off, if he was "spraying" or marking his territory. He seems to mark his territory the way male deer do, he does rubbings instead. Running his chin on everything seems to be enough for him.

I guess my only question now is; why his pellets (droppings) are slightly darker and twice the size of his "normal" pellets? I will bring it up to his vet next week. I have him scheduled for an annual check up.

 

[Baron]

Vet said he was under the effects of a common cold not a flu. Also the poop has returned to normal. Good thing I did have a vet check up scheduled, because he decided it was a great time to take a fall down the stairs.

Normally he zips up and down the stairs without issue but for some unknown reason he shot down and tumbled. He broke his outside right front claw off and there was some bleeding. The vet says it won't grow back, but nothing else is damaged but his pride. The vet made a joke about it being his unlucky rabbit foot.

I put a child gate up at the bottom of the stairs. However this only lasted a week before he started thinking it was a new toy. Running across the sofa and clearing the gate. He only did that twice before I decided the gate was a bad idea.

Last night he was full of it... whatever it is... he was racing the house using me and my bed as the finishing line. It wouldn't be an issue, except he does this from 2am to 4am. I decided to take the day off and loaf about. He is still energetic and spunky, even was biting my feet as I am here typing on the PC. Good thing I have socks on. I wonder what he wants from me now?

 

[Nancy McClelland]

I don't know who did the surveys, but the average human farts fifteen times a day--the average rabbit poops 350 to 500 times a day. Neutering helped with some, but in general, they mark territory (the how I say "MINE") with poop which is why with 6 bunnies we have a giant shop vac. They all pee in the pans around their room, so that is our one and only victory.

 

[Baron]

Interesting stats Nancy, I have no evidence that Baron is urinating or marking anywhere other than his box. He has of course had accidents when something scared the pee out of him. But it was quite rare, and the bedroom is tiled so spills are a easy mop up. If he was marking in the livingroom it would show for sure (white carpet) and no wet spots in the kitchen either.

I am beginning to think Baron is an exceptionally well behaved rabbit from what I have read on the forums. Now if he could just extend that to not using me as part of his nightly races, I think he would get the pet of the year award. Last night I was sleeping when I awoke to him plowing into my face at full speed as he darted across my bed. He quickly shook it off and continued his laps. I however had to go to the bathroom and get a band-aid for cut on my forehead. It is not his fault we humans are so fragile. LOL

As to his uh... sexual needs, for sometime now, he has a thing going with an old pair of my gym shorts? I hate to inform him they are not his type.