Using the bed as a litter box

[Ricki911]

I have 3 rabbits Marco (5), Radar(4), and Fifi(2) they are all neutered, and spayed. I adopted all 3 from a local shelter in which I volunteer at, and all have a history.

The 2 boys were completely litter trained, and are free run (no cages), but use litter boxes.

Fifi was not litter trained when I brought her home, she was in a cage. But due to behavioural problems, she improved greatly free run (no cage).

She did a good process, she pees in the litter box but then started pooping outside. I would put it in the box, and she got the hang of it.

I went away at the end of November for a week. Now this is the first time I left them (specifically Marco). He has bad separation anxiety, he was abandonded a few times in his life, and then dropped at shelters (so if you leave long periods, he gets upset, pees and poops everywhere, chews the bed sheets, etc).

So when I left I knew he would be a problem, as my sister was babysitting them. She doesn't understand marco (or any of my animals as all were rescued). So while I was gone he enjoyable used my bed as a litter box (and my sister let him). I put a tarp down, so luckily it wasn't a big mess.

But since then he has been going on the bed. When I am home (whether I sitting on the bed, or anywhere in the house he wont go on, or use the bed). But when I am not home he uses it. Not since he is, the other 2 are as well.

I have tried everything, I sleep with a tarp on the bed. But getting tired of washing the bedsheets every day. I even put a large bed rail on, and he got over it then peed the entire rail, then went on my pillow.

Could he still be mad at me? It was several months ago though, and is it just a habit now to use the bed. They are all free run, and I don't want to put them back in cages, as its taken years to get their behavioural issues in check and bearable.

 

[whiskylollipop]

I don't think he's mad at you. I assume your 3 bunnies are bonded? With bunny friends around it's unlikely that he'll have separation anxiety. This is dominance behaviour, he's trying to be the Big Bunny and marking on territory that smells like you (your bed) so you'll get the hint who's the boss around here. When you were gone, he probably saw the chance to usurp your position and took it. That your sister just let him didn't help either.

It's a behavioural problem you'll have to correct. Get a puppy pen and limit his space for now, put him in with in a litterbox and make him earn the right to more space by correctly using his litterbox. You can let him out for exercise only when you're around to make sure he doesn't ever step on the bed. Once he learns, you can gradually increase his space over the course of a few weeks, and by then hopefully he'll have broken the association of going to the bathroom and your bed.

 

[lovelops]

Now, I have to be honest, I have had bunnies peeh and pooh in areas because they were mad also... in addition to it being a territory issue. It could be a little bit of both Laura Bunsnuggler.. especially since she said he had been taken to shelters before on more than one occasion... just a thought...

Vanessa

 

[whiskylollipop]

Now, I have to be honest, I have had bunnies peeh and pooh in areas because they were mad also... in addition to it being a territory issue. It could be a little bit of both Laura Bunsnuggler.. especially since she said he had been taken to shelters before on more than one occasion... just a thought...

Vanessa

Of course

I've had my own boys pee on the carpet because they were annoyed that we were being too noisy. But when the peeing misbehaviour has been going on for several months after the fact, I'd tend to think it's got deeper causes.

Then again, all bunnies are different and some may very well be heavy grudge-holders! Either way, it's a behavioural problem that can be fixed with some enforced rules and boundaries on the human's part.

 

[Ricki911]

Marco was adopted at least 5 times (on paper), from shelters. He is roughly 5 years old, he was fixed before he came to the shelter I volunteer at (so I honestly don't know how long he has been fixed).

When I got him, I was told he would never be around other rabbits. He was in past homes where they would bring in another rabbit, and he would attack them, they would take him to a shelter. The last home before he came to Ontario, locked him in a garage, and just fed him (no outside light, no talking to him, etc). He was going to be euthanized there, and our shelter took him. He was adopted 2 -3 times at our shelter, and brought back because he peed on things, or chewed wires (yes I learnted with the wires LOL).

I brought him home, because when I went to look at the rabbits he attacked me. I was told he would never be around rabbits (as he was my first and I wanted a friend for him but he attacked everyone he went near- which I assume was his history).

I had him almost a year (I adopted him in the May, and got Radar the following March). Took almost 7 months for Marco, to come out of his cage, and just sit on the floor beside me. I let him do his own thing, he was much more happier outside the cage. So I started with the cage being in the room, and then he just never went in it.

I originally fostered Radar (as my original goal was to get Marco use to other bunnies not necessarily bond, but just having them around). It was a hump, he use to take fits, throw things, and not eat. But once he realized he wasn't going anywhere, he latched onto Radar like glue. He follows him around, cleans him, etc.

In which I didn't have enough room for a larger cage, so Radar became free run with Marco (which both seem happier). Radar was adopted a few times at the shelter, and was attacked by other rabbits, and by a dog. So he was very nervous, which I think helped Marco (he was the dominant one).

Fifi I just brought home September, she minds her own business. But she will go over and clean the boys, and they clean her. She sleeps with them, I had no problems with the boys and her. I brought her home, and she was a foster who had aggression, and attack people. I put her on the floor with the boys, and she just cuddled right up to them, and they started cleaning her.

I honestly have never left them for a full week. Maybe a day or two, but in that time I pay my Dad to come in and play /feed them. This trip my Dad went with us, so the only one around was my sister.

Marco since having the others around, he doesn't take fits as much, or chew up things. But just this week I was away, my sister only came to feed them (so I assume she didn't talk to them, or sit with them). Marco has his routine, and if you don't stick to it he throws his litter box, chews my clothes, eats the bag of pellets (in which I now store in my car).

I took him to the vet mid December, I came home the first week of December. Just before Christmas I took him to the vets, and she said she sees nothing wrong. She ran tests and everything was normal. She did say he had some anxiety, and many times change in routine because of his past life could trigger it.

I cant see anything I changed that could cause a problem other than this trip. Food, etc is all the same, living position is the same.