# Why does my rabbit keep peeing on me and everything?



## rubybaby (Jan 19, 2016)

I have a pet rabbit, we got her when she was not to old, a few weeks. Her name is Ruby and as of lately she has been peeing on everyone and all our furniture. I will be laying down and she will hop up onto where I am and pee then hop away. She also does this on my siblings beds. Why is she doing this and is there a way I can prevent this?? Thanks!


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## stevesmum (Jan 20, 2016)

She is marking territory and will need to be spayed. How old is she now?


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## samcahh (Jan 20, 2016)

She may be marking her territory if she isn't spayed. Especially if she is just doing it in bursts like hopping up somewhere, marking, and then leaving.


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## flemishwhite (Jan 25, 2016)

My experience is limited to three rabbits..actually one experience with a single rabbit eleven years ago and a now experience with two sister rabbits. All three rabbits had been caged when very young and were self-trained to use their litter box. Rabbits are very clean animals. Turning them loose in a house environment, we set out multiple litter boxes....4 for our current two sisters. 11 years ago for our then single bunny, Bunny, we had at least three and maybe four litter boxes in the house. Our experience with these rabbits is 2 fold ...

(1) Our now two girl bunnies do use their litter boxes copiously for peeing. Their litter boxes are lined with newspapers and filled with oat hay...the newspapers are just soaked with pee when we change them..they are peeing and pooping in their litter boxes.
(2) Our previous bunny, Bunny, just like our now two rabbits, would seriously use there litter boxes. However, she, like our now two rabbits, when first turned loose in our house , would deposit about a tablespoon or so of pee every here and there...even though they were obviously using their litter boxes. This was marking. This started and diminished over a 6 week time period. Pee marking by my now two baby Flemmish babies...they've been here in the house for about 6 weeks, seems to have disappeared. 

More about marking. For us, it's not a big problem...we have leather furniture and hardwood floors Bunny pee can be white colored from all the calcium in their green leafy vegetables in their diet. The white calcium can be a staining problem for cloth furniture and rugs.


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## Blue eyes (Jan 25, 2016)

Spayed bunnies are most consistent with potty training. In fact, spayed rabbits are usually 100% with the urine in their litter boxes. Sometimes younger rabbits will also litter train, but they may also 'forget' that training once hormones activate. 

Spaying is also important to prevent cancer in females. Statistics vary but the rate of cancer in intact females by age 5 is quite high. (Otherwise, rabbits can live over 10 years.)


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## flemishwhite (Jan 29, 2016)

Blue eyes said:


> Spayed bunnies are most consistent with potty training. In fact, spayed rabbits are usually 100% with the urine in their litter boxes.
> Spaying is also important to prevent cancer in females. Statistics vary but the rate of cancer in intact females by age 5 is quite high. (Otherwise, rabbits can live over 10 years.)



Agree. My experience, only three buns, is that even though they are litter box adapted, they will still occassonally deposit a tablespoon here and there for marking....I do think that after they've got everything marked, they slow down with this. But going back to the quoted comment, yes...after they are neutered, I think they stop marking. 

I think the statistic is that 90% of female bunnies get uterine cancer by the age of 5 years. 

Our previous bunny, lived for a little over 11 years.


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## Preitler (Jan 30, 2016)

flemishwhite said:


> I think the statistic is that 90% of female bunnies get uterine cancer by the age of 5 years.
> .



If anyone, please, has any evidence or this statistic please tell.

All I read is hear-say, no data. And what I know from fellow rabbit keepers here doesn't even slightly match these horror numbers.

Anyway, neutering a house bunny makes life easier anyway, their hormonal mood swings can make it - ...., interesting:rollseyes


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## Azerane (Jan 30, 2016)

90% is a very high figure. I believe a study performed about 30-40 years ago found the rate to be 80% for females 5 years and over, although the rate stated by many vet clinics and things now is 60% from 3 years. I'm trying to find an article on it.


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## JBun (Jan 30, 2016)

Preitler said:


> If anyone, please, has any evidence or this statistic please tell.
> 
> All I read is hear-say, no data. And what I know from fellow rabbit keepers here doesn't even slightly match these horror numbers.
> 
> Anyway, neutering a house bunny makes life easier anyway, their hormonal mood swings can make it - ...., interesting:rollseyes



The cancer rate isn't that high, though it can still be quite high depending on the age as well as the breed of the rabbit, according to some studies that were conducted. This link has some good info on the subject. It was written by a breeder that did some research into it and includes the references to the studies that were conducted that are often the basis for the high cancer rate that many rabbit sites use in their argument for spaying female rabbits. You can also look up the studies that were done.

http://buckysbunnies.tripod.com/UC.html


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## Azerane (Jan 30, 2016)

JBun said:


> The cancer rate isn't that high, though it can still be quite high depending on the age as well as the breed of the rabbit, according to some studies that were conducted. This link has some good info on the subject. It was written by a breeder that did some research into it and includes the references to the studies that were conducted that are often the basis for the high cancer rate that many rabbit sites use in their argument for spaying female rabbits. You can also look up the studies that were done.
> 
> http://buckysbunnies.tripod.com/UC.html



Thanks for that link, I've never seen that before.

To me, whatever the rate, be it 80% or 40%, both of those figures are still extremely high when it's something so simply prevented. Why wouldn't you reduce the risk to zero.


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## Blue eyes (Jan 31, 2016)

JBun said:


> The cancer rate isn't that high, though it can still be quite high depending on the age as well as the breed of the rabbit, according to some studies that were conducted. This link has some good info on the subject. It was written by a breeder that did some research into it and includes the references to the studies that were conducted that are often the basis for the high cancer rate that many rabbit sites use in their argument for spaying female rabbits. You can also look up the studies that were done.
> 
> http://buckysbunnies.tripod.com/UC.html


 
Interesting read. Thanks, Jbun. 

I did see support for what I have heard often - that the risk jumps significantly when does (females) reach 5 years of age. 

I also (like Azarene) feel that even if the conservative stats are at 40% for that age, that is still a pretty high (and scary) chance.


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