Territory/ Bonding Peeing or UTI?

[shirlybunnini]

We have been trying to bond 2 rabbits for 5 months. In the beginning, Teddy, the new bun, would pee in his pen about once a week on the towels in his pen. We removed the towels and it happened slightly less often. He would pee in his home somewhere like once every week/2weeks. I changed his litterbox and this changed to him not peeing outside his box for about 2 months. He would pee maybe during bonding or near the other bun’s pen every few days. 

When the bunnies’ bonding sessions stopped progressing/ got worse 2 months ago, he started to pee in the front of his pen(where the other bun can say hi), about once every few days.  They have gotten better in their bonding now, so  we put them in each others homes and they seem generally okay with it. However, he always pees at least once in one of 2 places in the other bun’s home when we switch. These 2 places are very near where he used to pee outside of her pen . He will also occasionally pee at the front of his pen.  It seems like 2 months ago, he started trying to be more dominant in the bonding? Not sure. He grooms her a lot less than he used to.

Since we got him 5 months ago, he has ALWAYS peed somewhere atleast once a week, in his pen when we are sleeping(in the beginning) or next to the other bun’s pen. Now, he pees atleast once a day either at the front of his home, near her home, or in her home. It’s usually near her home or in her home. 

My other bun’s peeing habits also got a little strange since we got Teddy 5 months ago but she has only had about 5 accidents inside of her home. She also peed during bonding a few times. (Tho this peeing can be because they just had a lot of veggies) When we switched them in the past, they would territory mark eachother’s home and pee in it. Now, for the last month, only Teddy has been peeing and pooping all over her home. She, the mean one, has stopped territory marking and peeing. My girl bun is the one that has been really mean and resistant during the bonding process. She still nips him occasionally. He sometimes responds to her nipping( since 2/3 months ago) vs in the beginning stages he was pretty submissive and took the nips. don’t know if Teddy is try to be dominant now or he’s stressed. 

Anyone have situations like this with their bonding buns? Should I be worried about this peeing or is it part of the bonding/territory process?  I assumed it might be a UTI, but it has been 5 months ( don’t know if UTI’s last that long) and it seems like his peeing is territorial and calculated. The frequent peeing started about 2 months ago. Occasional peeing since the beginning. 

Everything else about him seems fine. He eats and poops fine. He might be stressed from the other bun ): 

[Wick & Fable]

If a UTI isn’t treated, it will last as long as it likes and progress. Typically a UTI can be paired with a look of strained pee and urine scalding on the back legs. Any of these symptoms, and how does the pee itself look?

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[shirlybunnini]

His privates area doesnt look dirty or anything. He looks the same as my other bun when he pees. They just pause and raise their tail up. They look peaceful. His pee is a yellow color, pretty watery no thickness. This is why I keep justifying it as a Not a UTI because it hasnt progressed and its been months. All this peeing is just gross and laborous. What psychs me out is that this wasnt from the beginning but a few months ago where it got more extreme. But I love him!

[Wick & Fable]

Are you feeding him any diuretic veggies like parsley? I don’t feed Wick parsley anymore because it makes him pee wayyyy too much.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[shirlybunnini]

we mainly feed red leaf , green leaf and romaine lettuce and cilantro.

[Dee]

I might not be understanding this right, but are they not fully bonded and living together? And you’re switched them back and forth to get them used to each other’s smell? If so, I’m afraid it might just be part of the whole process. My first set of bunnies would mark with pee and poop if we got a new chair or some other particularly appealing new piece of “bunny real estate”. It was like they were arguing over whose it was, although both would use it. But my boy, BunBun, was always a little naughty about his peeing. He would pee on my place on the couch after I had to give him meds, and loved to mark pillows as his own. Both of my 2nd set of bunnies always had/have perfect litter box habits, but would leave poops on either side of the gate separating them, and in each other’s territory when we switched them. No pee though- unless I dare to change the location of a litter box. Then Luke shows his disapproval by simply continuing to go where his potty was. I put a large Tupperware in place of where Luke’s litter box had been when I moved it, thinking that covering the floor would discourage him. I walked in later to find Lukie proudly sitting on top of the Tupperware box, next to a big puddle of pee and a generous scattering of poops. ?

Good luck! It really should get better when they are bonded ☺.

[shirlybunnini]

I hope so! My girl bun was kind of marking in the beginning but has basically stopped. It is only Teddy continuing. When he is in her home, he leaves a few poops with the pee. At the front of his own home, he only pees. He seems like a bunny that just pees more, he 9/10 times will pee on the couch or a pillow. I think anything soft. They are not fully bonded yet but hopefully are soon. We are putting them into each other’s homes and then letting the other visit so that they will hopefully get less territorial. 

[Author]

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