stop using his litter box ?

[butsy]

have one health question, butsy ( 9 month old mini lop) is fully litterbox trained. she used to live freely in my room . but i have noticed she started eating my walls... so we bought her a big cage/hutch . when i bring her out in the pen she wont pee or poo in her litterbox . i heard that could be health related,. is it true ?

 

[Maureen Las]

If you give us all the info provided in the link it will help us get an overall picture of all possible health issues if any.

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=44529&forum_id=16

 

[elrohwen]

So is she not using her litter box at all? Or just not using it while she's out of the cage?

 

[butsy]

she will always pee and poop in the same corner . there are a few pellets around the cage . i dont know if she drags it there by accident or .... i am going to read the link you guys just sent me and answer all ur questions

 

[butsy]

** out of the cage she never uses her litter box

 

[butsy]

alright we live in NB, she is a nine month old, 4.6 pounds, white albino female mini lop.her poops and pees are normal. as for litter, in the bottom of her cage is a puppy pad and hay . she is neutred/spayed? she has went to the vet once befor(nothing serious, i made a mistake haha) and she isnt on any medications. she eats rabbit pellets, i do give her treats. carrots, lettuce. dry bananas, normal bananas, brocolie. and pumpkin seeds for rabbits . (not all these everyday) i do give her treats daily tho. everything else is good, although she does drool when she eats carrots, her chin is all orange

 

[Inle_Rabbitry]

She may feel that her cage is the new litter box instead.

Or, if she is actually both urinating and deficating in no particular place, she may have some health issues such as a urinary tract infection or kidney stones. If you suspect this, then she should visit the vet.

If it's only her dropping that are being misplaced, then this can be normal as she may just be passing soft feces (fecese ment to be eaten) and doesn't consider them to be hard feces (which should be deposited in the litter box)

 

[butsy]

she doesnt have a litter box in her cage because the litter box is to big .. it is a big cage tho, and she has her corner with the puppy pad

 

[elrohwen]

It sounds like she just thinks her whole cage is a litter box.

Outside her cage, does she hold it? Or just pee/poo everywhere? If this is the case, I would clean up anywhere she has gone and put it in her litter box (clean up pee with a tissue, then put the tissue in the box) and it will help her get the idea. It can also help to confine her to a smaller space while she gets the hang out it.

How large is her cage? And how large is the litter box? A bunny really shouldn't be in a cage that's too small for a litter box as you can find boxes in a number of sizes.

 

[butsy]

no outside her cage she pees and poops everywheres and i have tried putting her pee and poop in her litter box . i should go another litter box . the one i have is the bottom of a guinny pig cage . she is out of her cage most of the day in an xpen, but during the night and when we are not home she is in her cage . she used to live in my room without a cage or anything but she started chewing on my walls and the landlord got mad . we recently bought the cage

 

[elrohwen]

Has she always peed everywhere outside of the cage, or is this a new development? If she has always done it, I think it's probably more a matter of her needing more litter box training. If it's new, it could be the sign of a UTI.

 

[butsy]

well we just got her the cage so ... so i should make her an app. ?last time i brought butsy to the vet, the vet laughed in my face . i dont want to be wrong again .....

 

[Pipp]

butsy wrote:

although she does drool when she eats carrots, her chin is all orange

Unrelated to the question, but best to keep your eye on this, might well be the start of a dental issue.

A change in litter habits may be a sign of a health problem, but lacking them in certain areas in the first place isn't.

How long ago did you move her? It sounds like hasn't settled into to her new digs yet, she will leave territorial markings everywhere.

Sometimes is takes a month or three, especially with juveniles.

You should be able to take the used puppy pad from her cage and put it outside where you want her to go, and she will go there.

She may go everywhere else for awhile, too, but she will settle on the spot previously used.

You have to make sure all the spots she has used before to pee are thoroughly cleaned with vinegar. That will take the scent right away, she won't be compelled to remark. (Unless its disputed' territory, anyway, ie: like the cat's sleeping spot or in front of the bf's chair).


sas :bunnydance:

 

[butsy]

her teeth are checked and they are perfect she has only been in her cage for like a month, i will try washing the carpets better !, thanks

 

[Maureen Las]

This has nothing to do with the issues you posted but if you are not feeding hay (timothy or other grass type hay) it is very important to start. Good quality hay will help her keep her teeth ground down and also is essential for proper functioning of the GI tract.

If you place hayat one side of the litter box often the buns will jump in the box to eat and also poo and pee at the same time.

 

[butsy]

yes butsy has tons of hay in her cage !! i woke up this morning to let her out, and she has peed dark orange, almost red . i'm going to make an app. today for her at the vet.

 

[Maureen Las]

dark orange or redare probably just pigments in the urine whch is normal and often occurs with rabbits

can you post a pic of the urine?

 

[elrohwen]

Dark colored urine is usually perfectly normal. It's especially common with a bun who has eaten a lot of carrots or spinach lately as the beta carotene can make their pee darker.

 

[butsy]

ohhhh ok good!! it really scared me !

 

[tonyshuman]

If it continues, even after cleaning the carpet pee spots well (white vinegar does a good job at getting out urine), I would have her checked for a UTI. Bunnies usually don't continually pee outside of the box if they've been spayed or neutered unless there is a urinary tract problem.