Not using potty anymore!!

[Coco the Lionhead Bunny]

My 6 year old Lionhead bunny Coco has been potty trained for a very long time, and now for the past maybe two months he hasn’t been using his potty much and instead doing his businesss next to or around his potty. I’m not sure why he has been doing this and I’d really like him to continue using his potty and not do his business in his cage and the areas around the potty. What should I do? The potty seems clean right now and I even got him a new potty three weeks ago because the other one was old and gross. I regularly change his potty and everything. What happened?

[Rookie]

You changed his old potty to new…bunnies are creatures of habit and don’t like too much change. It’s like taking the raggy blanket of a toddler. You can give them a new one but they won’t like it.
You might have to do the potty training all over again like when he was little.

[tobyluv]

Since this has been happening for 2 months and you only changed out the litter box 3 weeks ago, it seems like there must be another reason he isn’t using his litter box much any more. Is it possible that he has some arthritis in his back legs or hips? That can make rabbits reluctant to jump into a litter box, if it’s painful. If he is still easily hopping around and jumping on furniture, then arthritis is probably not the reason. Is it possible that he could have a urinary infection? Have you noticed any straining when he goes to the bathroom? If you suspect he could have arthritis or any other problem, a vet visit is in order.

[Coco the Lionhead Bunny]

Posted By tobyluv on 2/25/2017 1:14 PM
Since this has been happening for 2 months and you only changed out the litter box 3 weeks ago, it seems like there must be another reason he isn’t using his litter box much any more. Is it possible that he has some arthritis in his back legs or hips? That can make rabbits reluctant to jump into a litter box, if it’s painful. If he is still easily hopping around and jumping on furniture, then arthritis is probably not the reason. Is it possible that he could have a urinary infection? Have you noticed any straining when he goes to the bathroom? If you suspect he could have arthritis or any other problem, a vet visit is in order.

His cage is two stories. One bottom layer and one ramp going up to the second small layer. He goes up the ramp and to the other layer just fine and jumps on the bed all the time. His urine looks like it’s a good color and I was watching him use the bathroom earlier today and it doesn’t seem like there are any problems. He is not lethargic, has a great appetite, and gets very excited when I come Into the room. Could it be that his litter might be too dirty and he doesn’t like it so dirty so he uses the floor? I clean about every week.

[Rookie]

I have to clean Rookie’s litter box twice a day. If it gets wet enough to touch his bum he will pee on very specifically my side of the bed and I have to change sheets. Try cleaning it more often and see if it changes anything.

[Azerane]

Certainly try cleaning the box more often, I clean mine every day (though I have a pair so it’s like cleaning every 2 days for one). Some rabbits are fussy that way, if he uses it well right after you’ve cleaned it and less and less over the course of the week, then that’s likely the issue.

As mentioned though, a change in litter habits is often an indicator of a health issue. If he has a urinary tract infection you won’t always be able to see any difference. I would be getting him looked at by a vet just in case.

[tobyluv]

It doesn’t sound like arthritis or mobility problems are the reason for him not using the litter box, but litter boxes should be cleaned more than once a week. I have 2 bunnies, they have one litter box on the screen porch, where they spend most of the daytime, and one in the house. I scoop out the wet, poopy areas daily.

[Coco the Lionhead Bunny]

I will try to clean the potty for often and see what happens. Usually when I clean it he uses it for a day or two and then stops. So it might work. I’ll see what happens.

[Coco the Lionhead Bunny]

Good news! Coco is using the potty again and rarely goes potty outside his cage

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

That’s great news indeed! Rabbits can be very fussy about their toilets, and if they’re not clean enough according to their standards, they’ll find their own spot.
Fingers crossed that he’ll continue to use his potty.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Great!

[Author]

Messages