The Bunny Basics

Angela · Joined: 07 Aug 2008 Posts: 10

This may sound like a really strange topic. Haha. :]

Please if anybody has any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated. As you know bunny food can get quite expensive, and I can't afford to keep buying bunny food for the strange way that he is using it...

My rabbit Socrates who just recently got out of the hospital has been litter trained. He struggled with it for a while after leaving the hospital because he had to relearn all of his motor skills. But, as of right now, he seems to have figured it out for the most part, with the exception of a few pee spots here and there. But this BRAND NEW behavior of his is driving me crazy.... I just can't figure out why he would do something so bizarre... He goes to the bathroom in the little bowl that his pellets go in. It is a 10 oz bowl, so as you can imagine, it would be difficult for him to confuse it with his cat-sized litter box. Even though its tiny, he'll still hop right in it and go potty like its his own little human potty! It's really adorable actually.... until I see the mess! Already today I've given him fresh pellets three times.... and he will eat very few (if any at all,) and then go pee on them. I temporarily switched him to a different brand, since the store didn't have his favorite in stock (though he has never been a picky bunny). Is this his way of telling me "These are yucky!!" or could there be some other reason behind his behavior?

Whatever the reason is, I have no idea how to go about teaching him [/i]not to pee in his food. It seems to me like just changing his bowl and giving him fresh pellets is only reinforcing the bad behavior, but what else can I do? Also, I've only been giving him these new pellets for four days now so this behavior is completely new.

Another thing that could affect it is that last weekend, and then last Friday until next Friday, me and my buddy have been/will be at a house that is pretty new to us. I am house sitting for my employer and I needed to bring him along so we could keep each other company. They have two large dogs that can be pretty scary for a bunny because they're not bunny friendly dogs, but I've kept him confined to the upstairs of the house where the dogs are not allowed. Still, I know the new place and the scary loud noises of the dogs barking can be very scary for a little bunny, since he has never seen a dog in his life! Could this maybe be his way of expressing his discomfort with this scary new place?

Has anybody else had this experience before, or is my guy a bit strange? I can't see why or how this would be normal bunny behavior... Suggestions?

P.S. Another potty question... Is there a reason why he pees in the litter box, but poops everywhere? The poop doesn't bother me a lot, but I was wondering if successful potty training includes a bunny who poops primarily in his litter box, or do they always leave droppings indiscriminately?

TheBunnyBasics · Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:32 pm Post subject:

Silly little bunny! Bunnies can be very picky. If at all possible it is good to stick to one brand of food. If the behavior continues you might want to try a different bowl, one that can attach to the side of the cage and elevated a little so he can't jump right in. Also you might try switching back to his old brand and see if it stops. It is probably not because of that but you just never know with bunnies. They have their own way of communicating!

Peeing and pooping outside of the litter box can mean a few different things. Many times a bunny in a new environment will leave poops around the perimeter of his area as a way of marking his territory. Picking up the poops and putting the in the litter box can help. But if it is because of marking his territory it should get better when he feels safe and comfortable. The poor little guy has been through so much and so many changes he may just be trying to establish something as his own. And the scent of the dogs may exacerbate his need for marking.

The last two bunnies I adopted had been at the shelter for 4 years and were pretty timid when I got them home. For the first few weeks they would leave poops around the edges of their room. As they became more comfortable with their new home and me, the behavior stopped and now they are great with their litter boxes. It did take a few months and a few different litter boxes for them to let me know where they wanted the litter box.

Hope this helps some. Very Happy