Sick rabbit? Please help!!

[Meagan]

I have a 3 year old silver ( mini Rex hybrid??)
Here's the thing Rico is starting to not always go in his litterbox.. Alot more then usual. He is also freaking out ALOT more when ever he thinks he is about to get picked up. I wouldn't say he is lathirgic, he has always been kinda lazy. He is eating greens and pellets drinking water as well. His poop and pee look fine.
But he is acting strange. When I pick him up he makes a chittering noise now that I have NEVER heard him make before yesterday. It softer than the purring sound he usually makes. Now he is bonded with another male rabbit who is 9 months. But they are still getting along great.
Idk what to do, IDo my best to NOT take him to a vet, because every time he goes on a car ride or vet he gets the beginning stage of stasis.. And he will get sicker.
He has always been like that even when he was a baby so I wach him closely. He gets stresses out extremly easily.
Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[JBun]

It's possible it's just behavioral, and he just really doesn't like being picked up. But it could also be that something is causing him pain when you pick him up, and that chittering sound is a response to the pain. With him also peeing uncharacteristically, outside his litter box, it could be that he has a UTI. If you don't want to risk taking him to the vet, maybe you could phone the vet and ask about taking a urine sample at home, and bringing it in to the vet, instead of bringing your rabbit in. Another possibility would be a kidney stone, but I think you would need to take him to the vet to check for that.

 

[Meagan]

Yea he doesn't seem to feel bad. I just gave him some cranberry treats and he got super excited ran to me and he jumped all around! And he played for a minute too. Also when he has an accident it's always right next to the litter box.. Like right next to it.
But I'll call the vet see what they say.
Rico has always been very set in his ways
He gets super upset when I clean his room, castles, litterbox.
He will spend forever getting stuff ' exactly' where he wants it.
He always has sorta tantrums..
Like if he doesn't get his wAy, or I move too much of his stuff.. Etc
He will flick like 6 times, then sit in a corner (maybe sulking) with this look on his face..
Idk.
I can't tell yet..

 

[JBun]

Yeah, our buns can be so finicky sometimes

Another possible reason for him peeing right outside the litter box may be he doesn't like the feel of the litter on his feet. I had a rabbit that wouldn't use hers, so I had to try a few different litters, and when I found one she liked, she jumped in there and started rolling around in it, and then started peeing in there after that. She just didn't like the feel of the pine pellets that I had started out with, and liked the aspen bedding much better. Other rabbits I've had to cut down the side of the litter box so it wasn't so high to jump over as she was getting older and it was getting harder for her to jump into it. So you may just want to try a few of these things to see if it is just something to do with the litter box that he doesn't like.

 

[woahlookitsme]

I was also going to suggest changing the type of litter. Also hanging up some hay right above his box would encourage him to go in to have a snack and poo at the same time.

 

[Azerane]

How high are the sides of the litter box? If they're not very high, he may be hanging his bum over the edge when he pees, Bandit started doing that as he got bigger.