Why is Kirby doing this?!

[kirbyultra]

Kirby has been pretty good about using the litter box, but in the last 2 months he's been getting liberal about his poop spots! He would poop a few in his fave napping spot and a few around his pen. The other day he pooped a full load of about 10 poops on the floor of his pen. Then twice he pooped full loads in his napping spot. I just fully disinfected and washed his condo this morning. I came home this evening to find over 20 poops in his napping spot in the condo!!! He has been getting naughtier and naughtier I don't know why! I tolerate random single poops all over the pen from Toby because he's unneutered and young but I expect Kirby to be cleaner. He's just starting to act up recently and it's getting worse. Why?? What can I do to deter him from pooping so much where he isn't supposed to?

He keeps his business mostly in the litter box, but he's never been this bad. Could he be defending his territory from Toby? Especially since Toby's entering puberty...?

 

[Pipp]

How long have you had Toby? He's probably reacting to his presence.

All of mine will do that when a new bunny (or sometimes new cats or humans or other changes).

I remember when Jan (Luvabun) came to visit and sat on the couch. She came all the way from England and wasn't even wearing clothes her bunnies back home had been around, but Dill and Sherry were bent out of shape for WEEKS about a stranger sitting on their couch.

Can you say 'poop fest?'

sas :biggrin2:

 

[Pipp]

PS: They do eventually get over it... usually.

Although all my bunnies are marking their territory by pooping and peeing at all the entrance ways to each other's areas. I have too many coming and going lately to know if that's going to stop or not!


sas :bunnydance:

 

[kirbyultra]

I've had Toby for 2 months but I could almost swear Kirby's been acting up now and again since slightly before that. Not as bad as the last couple weeks though!!

 

[BethM]

My Tobi (female) has been perfect about her litter habits until we moved. Since then, all the bunnies are in the same room, and she's been pooping all over her pen. I think it's just territorial.

 

[kherrmann3]

My guy, Toby, is pretty bad about his litter habits when there are other bunnies in the apartment (maybe it's just a "Toby thing" LOL!). He was fine prior to us having a foster, then his habits went out the window until she was gone. He was bonded to another rabbit, and was doing pretty well, but then they got in a fight and it was back to his pooping fiestas. Then we got rid of Emma (his "buddy"). Toby was going back to normal on the stray-poop scale. Then, we got Sammi. Since then, Toby's been pooping in his pen, on our carpet (everywhere!) and just wees where he sees fit. In our case, it's territorial. Toby even did this when he first started living with my boyfriend and I (Toby hadn't lived with another male for the first two years of his life - he didn't like the competition). Yeah...

Maybe it just has to do with the presence of "Tobys". lol Three of the posters in this thread have a Toby/Tobi.

 

[kirbyultra]

kherrmann3 wrote:

maybe it's just a "Toby thing" LOL

LOL Agreed!!!

I gotta get these guys bonded, maybe it'll be better. Kirby is napping closer and closer to Toby so he clearly wants to be friends. Toby, being an energetic teenage bun just wants to be wacky and scares him all the time. I would get him neutered asap but I just don't feel too good about Toby going through a surgical procedure yet. He's small and he's a little thin in my opinion. I don't want him to get any thinner in post-op.