Urgent: no Imorovement- Nightmare rabbit, doesn't care about litter box, neutered!

Hi Everybody!

Hope you're all well.

I came here a few months ago for advice regarding bonding my two rabbits and had such great suggestions that worked that ever since I have been lurking for any further help... I thought I would be able to fund the answer to my current issue but after taking on board the advice given to other posters, nothing has worked, and to be totally honest, it's getting me quite down! I'm really hoping someone has had a similar experience and can give me a light at the end of the tunnel!

I have two rabbits, one male 29 weeks old (neutered for approx 12 weeks) and one female, 11 months (spayed for 7 months).
She is an absolute DREAM! I won't dwell on her in this post but she has perfect litter habits, is affectionate, chilled out, she's just easy to own! She's like the previous rabbits I've had throughout my life so is may be why I have had a shock.

The rabbits are house rabbits, they had s little struggle getting bonded and are now seemingly fine. They've never fought since their bonding period, and the only thing I see sometimes is if the female thinks I have food, and thinks the male will get it first, she humps him. Otherwise, no dominance issues that I have witnessed.

Anyway, onto the issue.

Rusty, the male, is a nightmare. I mean he's hilarious and I love him but he is like a split personality. I'm now 8 months pregnant and I can't keep up with it. My boyfriend, who has never owned rabbit is just getting agitated but the whole thing.

I have tried EVERY method suggested in this forum and he just sprays urine everywhere. Non stop. Poos everywhere. Poos as he runs. Poos on us. Poo on the sofa. Poo outside his litter box. He sees off the sofa so it hits the floor, he has weed on me a couple of times (never a male), and he just spot wees all over the carpet.

It is making me so upset. I'm not usually so emotional so bear with me (!!) but I can hardly bend let alone keep up and the house just looks trashed every time he is let out. Here is what I've tried:

1. Their cage is two storey (he can follow litter guidelines within his cage by the way). It is in the middle of our living room, amd they are not free range at the moment due to his issues. :lol: I read advice to confine them to the cage for 2 days, then to slowly increase the space. I was only to increase the space if he could keep the co fined space clean.
I added a small puppy pen onto the edge and made it relatively small. After two days I let the, have space into the puppy pen and placed a litter tray in there. He used it and also pooed all around it, and weed. I kept cleaning it and picking the poos up and putting it into the box. He didn't get any better after 10 days and in fact managed to jump over the top of the pen so that he was out in the living room (I have to say, he's very intelligent - he's managed to climb up my body like a cat while I was standing up!)

2.ive tried giving them the space and putting loads of litter boxes out everywhere with hay. He goes in it some of the time, and then just marks everywhere when he feels like it. It doesn't matter if there is 1 or 6 boxes, he marks the carpet, me and furniture in the same way.

I put the poos in his litter box and the wet tissue with his urine into his box. Doesn't help. I tell him NO and try and move him when he wee's. He doesn't care, just looks at me and does it slightly further away. They just drop out of his butt when he runs around!

He doesn't seem to have any health problems at all, he is active, very interactive, eats and drinks well. I really feel he is doing it on purpose to be honest

if anyone could maybe suggest why he is getting no better after neutering and different methods, and possibly suggest something that would be great.

By the way, I know he isn't perfect. The odd poo and the odd wee are not an issue to me, but the state he is creating, I just can't bring a baby into and keep up this upkeep along with monitoring him. But I am ok with him doing a few random poos! I even had a midwife appointments at the house and she made a comment.

I know this is long, but I wanted to show that I've tried different approaches and done my research so that fit helps anyone if they can think of a next step.

All I can think of is that his behaviour is somehow hormone led and is a response to your pregnancy and if so may improve once you have the baby.

Hopefully someone else will answer soon.

Sounds like you have been doing all the sensible things to help improve the situation. How frustrating for you.

Rabbits poo all the time, everywhere. That's a fact.
They poo more if they are excited, if they want to claim something as there's. Mine used to poo in droves by the back door - the entrance to 'their' territory (it was my house - not sure they ever understood that).
Spraying - horrible. But neutering should have fixed it, surely? If not, I'd have to re-think their accommodation. You might be a lot more comfortable if you find them a shed and run and keep them outdoors.

No, you can't live like this. It could be that he is competing against your OH. I know it sounds odd but rabbits are sometimes odd! I think the best way forward would be to give them their own space whether still indoors or out (although it's too cold now to put them out) and keep them in that. You say he is good in his hutch, possibly as he knows that is his territory.

tulsi said:

All I can think of is that his behaviour is somehow hormone led and is a response to your pregnancy and if so may improve once you have the baby.

Hopefully someone else will answer soon.

Sounds like you have been doing all the sensible things to help improve the situation. How frustrating for you.

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Thanks for your response - I never thought about the pregnancy actually.... But I got him just after I was pregnant so I can't really compare his behaviour to anything!

I do feel like I've tried the right things, but maybe he is just extremely resistant and will need a longer period of something tried with him.

happybun said:

Rabbits poo all the time, everywhere. That's a fact.
They poo more if they are excited, if they want to claim something as there's. Mine used to poo in droves by the back door - the entrance to 'their' territory (it was my house - not sure they ever understood that).
Spraying - horrible. But neutering should have fixed it, surely? If not, I'd have to re-think their accommodation. You might be a lot more comfortable if you find them a shed and run and keep them outdoors.

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I totally agree about the pooing, but this is my fourth duo and I have never seen anything like it. He can do 30 in 3 minutes, and I've seen the whole carpet covered! Maybe I was just lucky before and this is my karma

I do think he thinks it's his territory actually, so it's interesting that you're saying that. I wondered if he was still competing with the female but they seem fine!

I have actually been considering a shed as an option. I've never had rabbits outdoors and it seems cruel time (I know loads of people do it I would just need to get my head around it).

I think it looks like he's spraying when he does it off the sofa, but I think it's just the angle. I probably shouldn't have used the word spraying as it doesn't smell or stain the carpet like it used to - he just likes to do it from a height.

tonibun said:

No, you can't live like this. It could be that he is competing against your OH. I know it sounds odd but rabbits are sometimes odd! I think the best way forward would be to give them their own space whether still indoors or out (although it's too cold now to put them out) and keep them in that. You say he is good in his hutch, possibly as he knows that is his territory.

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Do you have rabbits outdoors? Do you find they're just as content? They live it when I put them in their run so I know they're very happy outside.

The only other space I have is the garage and it's so drafty. I just feel mean but my boyfriend doesn't even want him out of his cage now and that's too mean for it to continue like that.

Thanks for your input

All mine are outdoors. I think they prefer it especially if they have a partner. I did have 6 rabbits indoors last winter each pair had an enclosure, but they didn't seem to be any happier!

Oh wow ok!!! I will do a bit of research into that then and see if it's doable once it gets warmer. I do have a shed - but people break into them a lot around hear so perhaps s big hutch would be good with a run if I can fix proof it.

Thanks

One more question -
Is there any point trying to retrain him? Going back to the restricted space access? If so, how long would you do this for?

Interestingly, I've out him back in his cage because he just did 28 poos and 2 wees in 5 minutes and left the female out, she is being far more interactive now he's inside..... She usually keeps to herself when they're both out,

Sometimes it isn't possible to retrain them. We don't understand why he is doing this. Can you give them an enclosure indoors so they stay in it. How much space could you allow for them so that they are still indoors but in their own space if you get me. This way they will be happy and so will you.

I just wanted to update that for now I've put them back into the restricted space using the puppy pen. He is marking all over this space but I'm just continually putting back into one of his three litter trays. Hopefully if I stick to this for long enough he might stop!

Interestingly, I have NEVER seen the male mount the female. The female always mounts him in the presence of food so I assumed she was the boss. Anyway, yesterday I found him mounting her - I'm not to sure why - he did this 4 times in quick succession.

I'm wondering if they have t yet figured out who's in charge yet and that might have something to do with the marking......?

I think some rabbits just can't be litter trained. My first bun was like Rusty and he had to live outside because it would have been umhygienic any other way. I think with litter training they either seem to get it almost straight away or they never do, so a shed is probably the way to go.

Zarla said:

I think some rabbits just can't be litter trained. My first bun was like Rusty and he had to live outside because it would have been umhygienic any other way. I think with litter training they either seem to get it almost straight away or they never do, so a shed is probably the way to go.

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I am starting to think that could be the way you know. But I'm giving it one final committed go so I'm 100%! I don't see s massive change so I do think he's going to be an outdoors man soon ....