I got my rabbit around 3 years ago. He was litter trained when I got him, and he quickly got used to my setup and had good litter habits. About 2 years ago it started going downhill. Now he still pees in his litter box, but half the time will poop outside of it leaving my room smelling bad. Is there a way to fix this? I have to clean his enclosure almost daily because it is so bad. Thanks!
Rabbit is not using litter box
- Thread starter Basil14
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If a rabbit is peeing 100% in the litter box, he is considered trained. The poos are a different issue. He should be getting most of them in the box as well. Stray poos are to be expected but shouldn't be an issue and certainly shouldn't be causing odor issues. Healthy poos will dry and crumble and don't leave odor. They should be simple to sweep up. If this is not the case with what is going on with your rabbit, then perhaps there is something else at play here.
Could you post some photos of the setup he is usually in? That may help give us a clue. If there are some of those poos in the photo... all the better.
Could you post some photos of the setup he is usually in? That may help give us a clue. If there are some of those poos in the photo... all the better.
Is he neutered? How old is he? Are you seeing any cecotropes or just the round fecal balls? Does it smell directly after he poops, like a skunky or onion smell, or does everything smell all of the time? Do you have any other pets in the home?
He is neutered and he is around 3 years old. His poop looks normal. It smells on and off, so I’m not exactly sure. I do have a cat who is completely litter trained and the cat does not go by the rabbit much.
If his little poop balls do actually smell right after he deposits them, he is most likely poop marking his territory, and the most likely cause for this would be because of the cat. He's letting your cat know that that's his territory.
Instead of sweeping up all his poop, maybe try leaving some in the main areas he's leaving it, to see if that stops him wanting to remark it with new poop. You can also try keeping your cat completely away from your bun and keeping your door shut so your bun doesn't ever see the cat. Then once he's able to feel secure that his territory isn't being encroached upon by the cat anymore, the poop marking might subside.
An alternative would be to try and help your bun get used to your cat, but only if this can be done completely safely, with out risk of your bun getting scratched or hurt. Keep in mind that even the simplest scratch/bite from a cat can cause a deadly bacterial infection. It's also essential to keep your bun clear of your cats litter box due to the risk of ingested litter, and toxoplasmosis from cat feces.
https://rabbit.org/journal/2-11/cats-and-rabbits.html
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Relationships_with_rabbits
Instead of sweeping up all his poop, maybe try leaving some in the main areas he's leaving it, to see if that stops him wanting to remark it with new poop. You can also try keeping your cat completely away from your bun and keeping your door shut so your bun doesn't ever see the cat. Then once he's able to feel secure that his territory isn't being encroached upon by the cat anymore, the poop marking might subside.
An alternative would be to try and help your bun get used to your cat, but only if this can be done completely safely, with out risk of your bun getting scratched or hurt. Keep in mind that even the simplest scratch/bite from a cat can cause a deadly bacterial infection. It's also essential to keep your bun clear of your cats litter box due to the risk of ingested litter, and toxoplasmosis from cat feces.
https://rabbit.org/journal/2-11/cats-and-rabbits.html
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Relationships_with_rabbits
Thanks for the replies! Surprisingly my cat is scared of my rabbit, so he doesn't go by the rabbit very often. I will try and keep him completely away though.
Thanks again!
skipidragon
Well-Known Member
If it keeps up, you might want to take him to a vet. He might have a bacterial or urinary infection.
The bun isn't peeing out of the litter box or having any urinary issues. He's just leaving poops around the room.
