RE-litter box training

[kattrav]

I have two bunnies, one of which is about 10 months and I have had her since January...she is very good with the litter box, didnt have much of a problem....I have recently saved a classroom bunny a little over a year old. They are now best friends and I have had him for a few months. I was told he was litter trained but since I have had him he is just going EVERYWHERE...he is also peeing on every type of soft surface I give them to lay on! I have a feeling he was kept in a cage a lot before I had him so maybe he was clean in his tiny cage, but since I dont lock them up he has a castle now (from his point of view). My only option may to be to lock him back up for a while, but wont this destroy the bond my buns have or at least be very confusing. Or do I lock them both up together? How do I deal with one bad bunny and one good one? I cant stand the thought of locking them up or separating them. What should I do?

 

[tonyshuman]

If he's peeing in one particular spot, you could put a litter box there. Also, cleaning up the urine with vinegar/water 50/50 solution may help since it gets the smell away and they stop identifying the place as a potty place. That's not always going to work though. I think putting a box there is going to be your best bet.

A lot of times bunnies will change their litter habits when another bunny enters their life. For instace, my bf's bun was great with the litterbox, and when we got him and put him in the bedroom with a baby gate separating his space from my bunnies' space, he poops and pees right by the gate to mark his territory. He only poops and pees there, and in the box, though, so it's definitely deliberate. This may have happened with you little boy. Also, neutering will help with litter training, which I'm sure you already know. (don't know who's neutered and who's not)

 

[tonyshuman]

(hit send before i meant to)

I also wanted to add that I find I have to give my bunnies time to adjust to a large new space. They're both free roaming in my apartment, but when I first get them or move or go visit my parents for the weekend, I have to restrict the amount of space they get to roam to a small area until they're comfortable with that area and then expand the area they get to keep them peeing in the box. I think if they're "lost" they "forget" where the box is and then just go wherever. If you do cage them up for some time, which I'm sure is fine provided they get several hours of run time a day, I would cage them up together, though. Maybe limit them to just one room at a time, and then gradually expand the territory they get, if you really don't want to cage them up.