Litter issue

[Mr Majik]

Hello everybody

Im after a little behavioral expert advice. We have three buns, one of then, our neutered male Mr Echo. we have had for 3 years. He is litter trained and very clean.

Then there is Ruby, or first doe.we have had her for just over a year. She is pretty much litter trained but has days where she forgets and goes everywhere. We have started her "training" again.

Then that leaves Tallulah. She is the yougest (actually the daughter of the first two, befor Mr Echo had the snip) not quite a year old. In her cage she is litter trained, not a poop out of place (apart from the odd one that clings to her paw as she hops out the tray) but when we bring her out for play time she is a veritable muck spreader! I have tried and tried various methods for litter training her. Asides from sterilisation as she will soon be our breeding doe.

I currently have blocked off a spacious corner of the living room that i can sit and watch her in during her play time. In this corner there is nothing but a cussion for me to sit on and the litter tray. Still she pee's and poops all over.

The pee is not so much a problem, she squats just before so i have time to put her in the litter before she does it. But she poops while walking, hopping... Basicaly there is no warning, they just pop out!

We are currently bonding the other two buns (i should say RE bonding as they were mated) now Mr Echo has been snipped and would like Tallulah to have p,ay time at the same time as them. But she cant be out unsupervised.

Does any one have any sugestions? Advice?

Thanks
MM

 

[FreezeNkody]

It seems as if she's territorial pooping. not sure if Doe's do that, I know my male does it. Don't think you can curb the territory poops unless you spay. but you said she was going to be a breeding doe?

 

[Mr Majik]

I have heard of doe's doing that and could understand ruby doing it as shes older and bred. This one though is not yet mature.

The only thing i can think of is sheer excitement. The sort of thing that sometimes bothers children "so excited i could poop" she is very excitable and incredibly cuddly!

We've been trying to get her bored of being out (not so much bored, but wanting the novelty to wear off) unfortunately for us this is one very easy to please bun

 

[FreezeNkody]

I know my male sometimes Poops when I pet him..lol I've only had him a couple weeks I rescued him from a girl. I've just gotten used to cleaning up poo every 10 mins..

 

[agnesthelion]

Yes it is most likely her marking her territory. Although there is never guarantee, spaying and neutering is the best bet to improve litter habits. You won't ever be able to get an unaltered rabbit to have good litter habits. Especially if they live with or near other rabbits. Their hormones will constantly drive them to mark their territory.

As far as your other two, if the doe isn't spayed just because they mated before does not mean they were bonded. Do be careful as her hormones could make her grumpy towards the male and a fight could ensue. She also could have false pregnancies as well. I'm from the mindset that rabbits can't be considered bonded unless both are fixed. Mating is completely different. And rabbits don't generally casually play together so letting your 3rd female into the mix for playtime could be dangerous so you will want to be cautious about that.

So if the plan is to breed her then short of limiting free run space and giving her lots of litter boxes to choose from, there really isn't much else to do obviously clean up messes as soon as possible so she doesn't smell to go there again, but it sounds to me like a territory thing which is tough to break without a spay.