Litter training (again)

[GardenSpots]

I have a foster (doe). Have no idea of her age, but probably 2-3 yo at least. She is afraid of just about everything, but at the same time has made a lot of progress with her fears so I think she will eventually come around. She does allow you to handle her, but she will not, however, ever be as people oriented as my male is I don't think. I originally got her right after Thanksgiving to foster with the intention of adopting her as a buddy for my male if they got along. I had her in the house two weeks, but she was drinking a ton of water and then peeing a lot (naturally). Every time I would try to let her out of the condo she would pee large amounts on the carpet, but keep a clean cage. So, she went back to the rescue for 3 weeks to try to figure out if there was a medical issue. She did end up having a urinary tract infection which was treated and so her drinking is now more normal.

I got her back last weekend to try again. She keeps a clean, dry cage (except for the occasional poop) as long as the surface is hard (linoleum). The first time she was here she'd pee if I put soft things in the cage but I have not reintroduced those yet. We are back to peeing within minutes every time I try to let her out (and now she is also then wanting to drink it - yuck!). She is in a run space that is about 2X6 feet attached to a 2X3X4 cube condo. Lots of territorial poops also. She was spayed right before Thanksgiving, so hormones should be subsiding. I have been doing the usual - cleaning up with vinegar and or Nature's Miracle. Then I put her back in the condo so the tarp can dry. Within 5 minutes of letting her out again she is peeing and then drinking her pee. What is up with that???

Originally I was soaking up the pee and putting it in the litterbox, but it is not that she doesn't get that part as she does not pee on the condo floor. Any fresh ideas on how to deal with this? Is this normal 4-6 weeks post spay? Do you think she's going to get it? Bonding the two of them was so easy it wasn't even funny, so I'd really like to try to make this work. However, with my house set up I do not have a way to house her and give her run time off the carpet and there is no way to have a permanent expen setup where I could give them a run space covered by linoleum or something. I have to get her not peeing on the carpet or it's not going to work well long term.

Any thoughts?

 

[GardenSpots]

I should add that the condo area and run space now has a tarp over the carpet, so she is not peeing directly on the carpet.

I did try to make the run space smaller, but that did not seem to matter. She still pees within minutes of getting out of the condo.

 

[lovelops]

I have no idea but wanted to throw something out. I bought a two level cage from someone that told me that they had a ferret they rescued that the people never gave water to and kept cooped up so they had no space to use the bathroom, so the minute the ferret got to go out and ran around it would drink all the water it could even if it was in the toilet and then would pee. Possibly it was a similar situation? Just a thought...

 

[GardenSpots]

I don't know. It is so frustrating. She can be in the condo all day whille I'm gone and not have an accident. Let her out, and within 2-3 minutes she is peeing a lake right outside the condo.

I have started sitting there after I let her out waiting for her to lift her tail and start peeing and then trying to startle her with clapping or something to get her to stop and then shoo her back into the condo. Not sure it's the right approach, but as she is getting more comfortable leaving the condo, I am hoping she realizes when she pees out there she loses the priviledge to run around. I am not sure what else to do about it though. I don't want her to think she is in trouble for leaving the condo or something like that.

I will give it a few more weeks and see if we can make any progress. The two of them get on together so well I hate to give up too quickly. This is my first time with rabbits, but I have house trained my fair share of dogs over the years, so I know it won't happen over night.