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Please help me with Ralph and his behavioural weeing

runhardlivelong

Warren Scout
I've posted before about Ralph. He is a young rescue bun that I have had for 6 months.

First month he was fine, completely toilet trained. Since January he has wee'd everywhere. No particular area, sometimes in the tray but more often and not on the floor.

He is neutered. He has a bonded female Lola (no accidents from her). He has seen the vet and had urine dip and health check: normal.

I am 100% this is behavioural based on the fact that they both recently spent two weeks in my patents summer house and had NO accidents... Came back and two days with nothing before it all started again.

I've put carpet over the floor now because my floor boards were being ruined. This does seem to help but not completely.

This is what I have done so far:

1) Penned them into a smaller area (still does it even when this is done)
2) Given them more trays (same problem)
3) Tried moving the trays to where he wees (no pattern in where he wees so this doesn't help)
4) carpeting the area, to give him more of a clear idea of what is his area, as I have wooden floors (works for a day or so, then fails)

My previous bun Walter who died and then I got Ralph used to live in the same area, BUT a I thoroughly cleaned the area, and it initially wasn't a problem for 6 weeks!

I am not joking when I say I am at the end of my tether. I love my bunnies, but I've had a enough of wet floors, wet carpet. I've thought of getting rid of him in the worse moments (which I wouldn't do!).

I'm thinking of putting him outside, which seems cruel, they have unlimited space inside, and they wouldn't get that outside as I have a tiny yard.


Please please please help.
 
We use Megazorb covered with loads of straw/old hay not eaten..They like to nibble on it whilst doing their ablutions.

So a couple of options to try

1. Cover 'zorb' with hay
2. Bigger litter tray might work
3. Change litter

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
 
We use Megazorb covered with loads of straw/old hay not eaten..They like to nibble on it whilst doing their ablutions.

So a couple of options to try

1. Cover 'zorb' with hay
2. Bigger litter tray might work
3. Change litter

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

Thanks appreciate your advice. Their litter trays are plenty large enough for the two of them (they are the big underbed ones)

Will give a change of litter a go. All ideas worth a try!
 
I couldnt wait to get Timmy outside for behavioural issues. I think if Id have kept him inside i would have wanted to rehome him also. No only did he wee where he shouldnt but he was VERY destructive. As soon as the sun came out he was outsode to live. Better for me and better for him. Hes a lot happier. x
 
I couldnt wait to get Timmy outside for behavioural issues. I think if Id have kept him inside i would have wanted to rehome him also. No only did he wee where he shouldnt but he was VERY destructive. As soon as the sun came out he was outsode to live. Better for me and better for him. Hes a lot happier. x

Thanks. It just makes me sad as I don't at the moment have the money to do that. Other option was to get a large dog crate and convert it, keep them in there whilst I'm out and monitor them unsupervised.

What do you think?
 
Did you see Chris Packham's programme called 'The Burrowers'? Weeing was presented as a natural part of marking territory.

I have made the litter tray a better place to be by putting meadow hay in topped with something even more desirable: rose petals, timothy hay, plantain etc.
 
I had this problem with the male half of a bonded pair. I separated him for a few hours and lo and behold, I found it was actually the female making the puddles. It's worth considering, or at least giving him the benefit of the doubt if you can't be 100% sure ...
 
I had this problem with the male half of a bonded pair. I separated him for a few hours and lo and behold, I found it was actually the female making the puddles. It's worth considering, or at least giving him the benefit of the doubt if you can't be 100% sure ...

It was to doe with me, too. Chris Packham said that it was because the alpha doe would mark her preferred compartment in the burrow to show that she had claimed it.
 
I had this problem with the male half of a bonded pair. I separated him for a few hours and lo and behold, I found it was actually the female making the puddles. It's worth considering, or at least giving him the benefit of the doubt if you can't be 100% sure ...

I very much doubt it's Lola. Her wees are much darker than Ralph as he drinks lots. As it's been going on for so long I have many many times witnessed him doing it!!!!
 
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