Rabbit litter box problems

[wolfie]

Okay, so Benjamin always goes into his litter box to pee or poo now, but the problem is he hangs his rear end off the edge of it! So it ends up on the newspaper, not in the litterbox! He's been doing this for about a week now. He can easily fit in there, and he used to turn the other way when he went...

Any way I can train him to use it properly?

[wabbitwuver]

Hmmm...yes this is a problem....my rabbits do this but I don't really need to help this(well Spice does and so does Oreo!But Hershey is SO well litter-trained!!!!). Maybe next time you see him trying to pee that way pick him up and flip him around the other way, if he needs to go really bad he won't care what position he's in! Well good-luck!

PS- Bad old Spicey decided to pee on my lap today:rolleyes: I gotta get her spayed soon or she'll never be properly trained!

[Aspen and Misty]

I think he needs to be nuetered for one thing, I know he is probly to young, but this will help solve alot of your problems.

For another thing the litter box may not be big enough for him. Jaxom has a litter pan that he could stretch out in and pee/poop in without going over the edge but he always did.

A way that I check is the litter pan 2 inches longer then him? If not then it's time for a new litter pan. Also, one with taller side would probly help.

Ashley

[wabbitwuver]

I thought Benjamin was already neutered? I didn't see "anything" in the pictures with his behind showing....well good advice.....a taller side would definitly be good(Know what would make a good litterbox...part of a crisper out of an old fridge, there is one lying around here somewhere and I'm just tempted to use it!

[Aspen and Misty]

I think he is only a couple months old (like 4 months or so) So no, I don't think he is nuetered.

You can buy a larger, taller litter pan for 7 dollars at the pet store (Prices may very in your area)

Ashley

[wolfie]

Thank you both. ^_^ Maybe his litter pan is too small for him now.

And no he's not neutered. He's 3 months old.


Originally posted by Aspen and Misty
I think he needs to be nuetered for one thing, I know he is probly to young, but this will help solve alot of your problems.

Actually this is the only problem he has. My good boy! ^_^ He used to try to get at the wires behind my desk, but he stopped that now. I was actually thinking that I won't need to get him neutered, since he is so well behaved (I read online that while females need to be spayed to prevent cancer, males should be neutered only to stop annoying behaviors). Or perhaps it's because he's so young?

[Karen]

It's because he's young that the serious "male" behavior hasn't kicked in yet. Do get him neutered when your vet says he's old enough, and that way he'll always be your good boy!

Miss Hoppy has always had the "ferret" litterboxes. They're triangular with two high sides and a low one, and tuck into the corner well. But she is a little bunny, not quite 4 pounds and she's been full grown for a long time now!

[wolfie]

Originally posted by Karen
It's because he's young that the serious "male" behavior hasn't kicked in yet. Do get him neutered when your vet says he's old enough, and that way he'll always be your good boy!

Ah. Thanks! ^_^ Yeah, I love him how he is - I'll have to get him neutered then.

[wabbitwuver]

I got Hershey neutered when he was 3 months old....and Sugar, the vet said the rabbit should be any age between 3-8 months....If it was dangerous she wouldn't have done it!

[wabbitwuver]

My BFF who owns Cinnamon(the father to ALL the litters my rabbits ever had) got Cinnamon neutered recently, she says he loves to be petted and handeled and uses the litterbox better, neutering DEFINITLY mellows out the rabbit and makes him a great....or should I say GREATER pet!:D Hershey got better too he is my best behaved rabbit! Sugar was always friendly!

[Aspen and Misty]

Originally posted by wabbitwuver
I got Hershey neutered when he was 3 months old....and Sugar, the vet said the rabbit should be any age between 3-8 months....If it was dangerous she wouldn't have done it!

As far as I have heard rabbits should not be nuetered before the age of 5-6 months old, it runs to much risk. However, they used to say that about dog's and now they are nuetering them at 8 weeks old. I personally think I would wait, it's better to wait and have a spraying/ mean bunny who eventually will mellow out, then to have no bunny at all.

But, your vet might think diffrently, again, they are your rabbits, you may do with them as you please.

Ashley

[wabbitwuver]

To me neutering is not risky as it is done on the outside of the males body. However it does depend on the rabbit and the vet! My vet specializes in rabbits, she knows whats she's doing and talking about! If my rabbits where at risk she would tell me! The only way I know a neutering can go wrong is if he has liver problems or infection....this can happen with any age. As for spaying I definitly would wait until about 6 to 8 months! We also all know you can't get a male neutered passed the age of 4 years!

[Aspen and Misty]

Originally posted by wabbitwuver
To me neutering is not risky as it is done on the outside of the males body. However it does depend on the rabbit and the vet! My vet specializes in rabbits, she knows whats she's doing and talking about! If my rabbits where at risk she would tell me! The only way I know a neutering can go wrong is if he has liver problems or infection....this can happen with any age. As for spaying I definitly would wait until about 6 to 8 months! We also all know you can't get a male neutered passed the age of 4 years!

My rabbit vet also specializes in rabbits and doesn't do male nuetering untill they are 4 or 5 months old. A female it is 5-6 months old.

Ashley

[wabbitwuver]

All vets are different!

[Daisylover]

4 diff. rabbits vets here in Michigan recommend spay/neuter starting at 16 weeks of age. This way the hormones don't get the chance to "kick in", and more importantly, the bunnies don't really have a chance to develop bad habits..... Young rabbits also recover much quicker than older bunnies, plus it makes their urine smell less strong and calms them down dramatically, since their behavior is not hormone-driven. And, male buns can get reproductive cancers, just not nearly at the rate of the females.

[wabbitwuver]

One thing I have learned from my vet....cancer in females isn't common! This will start a great arguement won't it? well vets are out for your money! My vet simply cares of the animals not the money she says that death from spaying is more common than death from cancer....she said if I really want it done I can but 1. It's a waste of money and 2. it's REALLY REALLY risky. My vet doesn't lie! She knows, she went to vet school! And all other vets around here went to either school in P.E.I or Ontario,they were all taught the same thing, soem vets are greedy some care more of the animal! Anyways g2g post more later,bya.

[Aspen and Misty]

Originally posted by Daisylover
4 diff. rabbits vets here in Michigan recommend spay/neuter starting at 16 weeks of age. This way the hormones don't get the chance to "kick in", and more importantly, the bunnies don't really have a chance to develop bad habits..... Young rabbits also recover much quicker than older bunnies, plus it makes their urine smell less strong and calms them down dramatically, since their behavior is not hormone-driven. And, male buns can get reproductive cancers, just not nearly at the rate of the females.

Thanx for the information Daisylover. You are so knowledgeable on all of this stuff!

Ash

[wabbitwuver]

I hope your not saying I'm not knowledgable. Who here is a vet? I would think no one! All this info u got is from books,ineternet sites and greedy vets! You may waste ur money but I sure am not wasting mine! Spice would most likely die anyways, she is WAY WAY WAY overweight!

[Aspen and Misty]

Originally posted by wabbitwuver
I hope your not saying I'm not knowledgable. Who here is a vet? I would think no one! All this info u got is from books,ineternet sites and greedy vets! You may waste ur money but I sure am not wasting mine! Spice would most likely die anyways, she is WAY WAY WAY overweight!

1. Why don't you do something about her then. You relize the fact that she is going to die because of this and you do NOTHING about how! God, I don't even know what to say to someone like you!

2. No, I was NOT saying you were not knowledgable, Daisylover is the one who taught me most of what I know about rabbits, I consider her to be very knowledgable, so sue me .

O and you saying that my vet just takes my money, Yea thats why she is gives me discounts and reduced surgeries. Thats why she allows me special fees and to not pay them at the time of the apointment but at a later date. Thats why she allows me to get ALL of our medicine for like half the price. Yes, because she wants my money you are so right. She discussed with me about the risk before nuetering Jaxom, she also said it wasn't nesecery but it does stop bad behavior, WHICH IS TRUE and is a PROVEN fact by MANY owners. So don't go and say this wrong because I know that one of our very own members had a bunny named Thelmer who was a mean and nasty bun, then she got spayed and WOW what a diffrence! Jaxom used to spray and then he got nuetered and boom, he stopped. O and btw this might shock you but ALL vets go to medical school, I know, CRAZY :rolleyes:

Ashley

[wabbitwuver]

You shouldn't freak like that! That's quite.....heinous....if you ask me....and imature.

Still seems like you don't think I care about my rabbits or treat them wrong. Well you can think what you want about me and my rabbits but you know what I REALLY don't care what you or others think. Spice isn't dieing and I didn't say she was, I said she would die if I spay her since she is overweight, my vet said she wouldn't even be able to get at her uterus & ovaries. Maximum weight for female Mini Rex is 4.5 lbs Spice is 8lbs(well i could be wrong,the last time she was weighed was a few months ago and she was much bigger then). I love Spice more than any other animal on the planet and always will no matter what. When she had a small stomach ache I cried & cried and couldn't stop, I spent every second with her, I'd never let her die, ESPECIALLY at 2 years old....She is living until she is atleast 8 and I'm amking sure! Her mother Muffin, lives outside 24/7,she has had an abcess for a few years now and is 6 years old, and has been have babies continously since she could have babies, She is still in perfect health and is defintily not spayed! Rabbits are tougher than you think,they are built for tough!
A big enemy of mine is the House Rabbit Society(Missouri), they are the ones who say spaying is SO important. HRS defintily aren't vets they are a rescue team they think they know everything,they don't, no one does!
My vet says the only way you should spay a rabbit is to stop aggression(Spice sure isn't! she is the sweetest thing!) or if you have a male then spay the female but she recommends neutering the male instead. She is a Rabbit Lover, I think she might love rabbits more than me!IMPOSSIBLE!nah she can't! But my point she knows what she's doing,she knows what she's talking about and the only rabbits that have ever been lost by her where rabbits who were sick and putdown! They specialize in rabbits there, when I bring them in she absoloutly goes crazy over them! She told me SO many rabbits are overweight now a days, she said there was a HUGELY fat one and the owners were like "oh that's the skinny one" I wonder how big the fat one was!:eek:
Anyways I shall be working on my Spoicley and will decide when the time comes what is right for Spice,spay or no spay.
As I said before this will cause an arguement for sure! But....everyone has there own beliefs! And I really don't think u shoulda freaked like that! It sure wasn't nice and I hope you don't try to get to me or make me mad because first off it's not working and you'll just get yourself into trouble! I would rather be friends than enemies, you decide!

[Aspen and Misty]

Beleave whatever you want to beleave and like I've said before they are your rabbits and you may do as you please.

Ashley

[wabbitwuver]

yesss....thank you....dont wrry my bunnies are in good hands!