oh so tired of cleaning…

[Bougatsa]

Can you share your post-spay-litter training-experiences please? Only people with one bunny though cause I think when there are multiple bunnies there must be some territorial behavior (might be wrong).

I’m still too scared and too hesitant with the spay as you all know. The pressure is going to my parents’ house and Phoebe peeing and pooping all over my room. And then mom freaks out. That’s why I want to spay her asap but if there arent very good chances of the litterbox habits getting better during the summer then I might spay her after summer. So I need to know what usually happens when females are spayed.

I’m getting sooo tired of picking up poop from everywhere and cleaning pee twice a day.. It seems like it will never stop lol! Now she is circling me and leaves 1-2 poop… Is this mating behavior or affection?

 

[angelicvampyre]

My buys where bonded before I got Anya Spayed and her litter habbits where not that great however once she was spayed there went from 50% to 100% literally overnight.

[Sarita]

I clean twice a day every day and all my rabbits are altered.

[Bougatsa]

Why Sarita? Arent they litter trained?

[Sarita]

Some are better than others at the litter box and I just like to keep their area as clean as possible – with hay and fur and food, it can just get to be a bit messy. Makes me feel better if I keep their area as clean as possible.

My two senior rabbits are not 100% great at using their litter boxes for various reasons – some is medical and some is just behavioral so it’s pretty much clean twice a day. I don’t really mind – it just comes with having pets I think.

[Elrohwen]

I’m not much help, because Otto started using his litter box the day I brought him home, and has continued to use it (even before his neuter).

But I clean a lot of cages at the shelter and it’s a pain! There’s not much you can but keep cleaning up, and try to keep her in an area that is easy to clean (wood or tile floors).

I do think spaying her would help immensely, but I know it’s not the easiest decision for you because of the vets in your area.

[Karla]

Okay, so since you prefer to hear about experiences with one bunny, I can only explain how the neuter worked on Karl – and it worked wonders.

He had quite good litter habits before the neuter. I think I only picked up 5-10 poops up a day and he never peeed outside the litterbox. About 3 weeks after the neuter, his litter habits were immaculate! I am sure the 5-10 poops were territorial droppings. It did get worse though right after the neuter!!! I don’t know if this happens to females as well, but I do know that quite a few males tend to get really bad after the neuter for a short while, so you might look into this as well in regard to your parents’ place.

PS: I am excited to hear you decided to name her Phoebe as I suggested

[Bougatsa]

Sarita I mean cleaning the many spots she likes to pee in the living room and the poop she leaves wherever she goes. She does very well inside her cage and uses mostly her litter box. So it’s not like I have to clean her own place but our living room :/

Karla I think it’s a very suitable name, yay!!

I just always think negatively “she is not going to survive tha spay” or “she will never be litter trained”…blah…maybe I should stop that, I mean why should my bunny be the exception, right?

[Monkeybun]

Exactly. The negative thinking is just pulling you down more. If my itty bitty girl can make it through a spay, so can yours! AND she’s a very good potty user.

[LoveChaCha]

My little girl got spayed in May, and has stopped peeing on the carpet!!

It is a risk, yes, and I was scared, but if you think of all the good things that willl come out of it, it will make you think more positively.

My girl has calmed down and gives kisses! A lot of kisses!!

[angelicvampyre]

I know all about negative thinking. I clean twice a day (sometimes more on weekends at the moment) as i have Bugz and Anya who are altered and Rufus who only just got clearance to be altered (he has other medical issues) and everyone is spraying and pooping everywhere, i feel like I have failed as a bunny mum. But I have to keep telling myself that in two weeks we will turn a corner. Add to that Bugz and Anya got moved into a new cage and are just making it smell like them and Rufus is in their old cage which no matter how much I clean it he still is spraying to his hearts content! You need to think positive but I know just how hard it can be. this will be Rufus 3rd Op in just over a month and with his advanced age there is part of me that is freaking out.

[babybunsmum]

i have lots to say on this subject… hope you don’t mind if i ramble on

i have had 4 bunnies as fur babies: binky (mini lop), brownie (min lop), baby (lop) and pinky (new zealand white). unfortunately the vet i went to for my first 3 buns was not an exotic vet, did not refer me to one and did not spay/neuter rabbits. this was during my pre-binkybunny days and so i didn’t even realize i could shop around. all 3 bunnies left territorial poops and puddles during their free-roam times. by the time i adopted baby bun i had a designated bunny room and she totally ruined the hardwood floor with pee stains. *sigh* the hardwood is circa 1969 but still… even after i put 4 diff litter boxes in her fav pee spots she still just found new spots. the clean-up was a huge amount of work.

by the time i adopted pinky i had found a great exotics vet who had successfully removed a lump from baby bun’s belly. i very much trusted her skills. and i had found binky bunny and understood the advantages of spaying, so i had pinky spayed. when i adopted pinky baby bun was still alive however each bun had their own room and enclosure down the hall from eachother.

for the 4 months before her spay pinky left poops all over the place (in and out of her enclosure) and regularily peed on the dog’s bed. imediately after her spay she was 100% litter trained! it was literally instant. and even after i moved the buns into the same room with different enclosures pinky still did not poop or pee out of her litter (they always had separate free-roam time & were never bonded). i have taken pinky on the couch or in my bed for cuddle sessions that have lasted an hour and have included her being a diggy monster and she has not ever once dropped a single poop or left a puddle.

bougatsa i haven’t read other post(s) about your hesitancy but i do completely understand the fear of leaving your bun st the vet for a surgery. i am a natural worry wart. lol. what helped me the most… i posted on binky bunny at every turn! i posted about what my vet said pre-spay, about my vet’s policies, and every concern i had throughout. the feedback i got helped me feel confident that i was making the best decisions. it helped me so much!

oh and pinky also would circle my feet grunting and pooping (she did this to the broom too… silly goose) but this behaviour stopped after her spay. i thought it was a mating thing but i could be wrong

[jerseygirl]

BBM, I wasn’t aware there were 2 before Baby. I think I recall you mentioned Binky once. Do you have any pics of Binky and Brownie?

Bougasta, as you can see, it’s very much an individual thing. I just hope you don’t hang all your hopes regarding litter training on the spay. It varies. As you know, the spay is important for other reasons, it’s true it can improve litter habits but there’s no guarantee. When you stay at your parents, I suggest you attach a pen (or whatever barricade) around Phoebes cage. Line the floor with a water proof material and allow this as her exercise area unitl you are more sure of her habits. Even at home now, this might be better to keep on top of cleaning up. Believe me, I hear your frustration as I’m living with it myself. Both my rabbits are neutered. Both had great habits. Both are now testing my patience! It fluctuates. Best to just give her a manageable area rather than marking up the whole house.

[Bougatsa]

Today I was this close to make the phone call to the vet and then I chickened out. It’s getting on to me again that there is a chance I am driving my bunny to her death…I know it sounds dramatic but honestly the one thought on my mind is that she might be the small percentage of does who die of spaying. Was it this hard on you too guys or is it just me?? I so not brave… I would die if something happened to her and it was because of me. Sorry for all this once again, you are very patient with me..

[Monkeybun]

It was hard, but the percentages are better for spay than for cancer. So I went for the better chance

[4Lily]

As being a bun’s parent, I was worried too, but, Lily was pretty much trained before he reached maturity, then over night he peed & pood everywhere! I got him neutered right away! Within a day or two, he was right back being litter trained! I couldn’t believe it! But he does make a few messes here & there (kids beds)! But over all he’s much better! Remember they feel how you feel, when you bring her to get spayed, be happy & calm, she will be too! The less stressed the better! Some vets even let you be there til they get sedated so there’s less stress on the bun! My vets wasn’t like that, some even let you pick them up the same day, but Lily spent the night! Lily was neutered not spayed! Make sure you are comfortable with the vet & the vet tech’s! Ask questions!

[kralspace]

It worried me too, but Dr. Effie in Dallas spayed Pringles and they let me go back while she was in recovery so I could sit with her as she woke up and that reassured me just to see her wiggle her nose.

[4Lily]

Should tell ya, I kinda knew Lily was a boy before, but weren’t sure til the surgery! So I was worried till I talked to my cousin, who was the vet tech & said that she’d be fine! & I saw a program about the dog trainer bringing animals to the vets for neuter & spays. The dog trainer was happy & calm, so were the animals!

[4Lily]

Also, when bunnies aren’t neutered or spayed, you don’t get to see the real them! Their personality comes out after they get altered! If you get them altered sooner, the better, you will see the real Pheobe!

[Beka27]

We’ve really given you all the info we can on this topic, Bougatsa. It’s up to you to ultimately make the decision of whether or not you’re going to spay. Every rabbit is different, so every littertraining story will be slightly different, but THE MAJORITY OF ALTERED RABBITS DO DEVELOP EXCELLENT LITTER HABITS. Not always 100%, but keep in mind, many cats and dogs have accidents in the house too… they’re not always 100% trained either!

Isn’t she already a couple years old? The surgery will be getting riskier and riskier as she ages, and the chance of tumors forming is increasing each day you wait. Please spay her ASAP. It’s no longer a matter of litter habits, but a matter of her health.

[Bougatsa]

No she is 7 months old. Yeah I know all the information given and I thank you so much about that. I hesitate just by fear that she might die in surgery and not because she might keep bad litter habits…

[Monkeybun]

Well, I’m just gonna put it all out there… It is Might versus Will. She MAY die in surgery, but its more likely that she WILL die of cancer if she doesn’t. So, it’s either save her, or kill her by not spaying. Sad, but true. Gotta hop to it for your bunny’s sake!

*hugs* It’s hard, but it has to be done.

[Beka27]

Oh, okay. I had her mixed up with someone else then.

Even still, the longer you wait, the longer the bad habits become LESS about hormones and more about habitual behavior. I really feel for you b/c you are getting such mixed signals and your choice in vets are so limited.

[4Lily]

When I first called the vets office for Lily for a spay, I was so scared, but I knew it was best for “her”! I asked so many questions, I think my cousin thaught I was overreacting, but I loved Lily & wanted “her” to be ok! I prepaired an area for “her” so there would be nothing to jump on or off of after the spay! But Lily was a boy & had a neuter! I did so much research, all day everyday! I finally had it with the cleaning up poo’s & pee messes & did it! I knew there was a chance Lily wouldn’t go back to being litter trained, & the behaviour issues might not just disapear, but I decided to for Lily! Lily isn’t the same as before, but I think better! This Lily is “Lily”, and we love Lily’s personality! If we wouldn’t have neutered Lily, we wouldn’t have really known him!
But this decision is up to you & we all really know how you are feeling torn about this decision! All we can do is let you know how much that decision has helped with our bunnies!

[4Lily]

also take a whole week off of work or school & be there during, and after, be with her the whole healing time! It will rebond you’s!

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