# Rabbit poops everywhere?



## TheMadMarchHare (Dec 1, 2013)

Hi, All! Just looking for some advice on keeping my almost-one-year-old rabbit!

I have had him for about 6 months, and started in a cage. But, I decided he needed a bigger space, so we built him an enclosure...this didn't work out for long. We put his litter box in the corner he liked to use the bathroom, and he did pee in it consistently for the most part. The problem was the pooping. He poops EVERYWHERE! Even with the hay in the litterbox.
So, currently he is living back in a tub-bottom cage, with "outside time" in a playpen for about an hour a day in the backyard (supervised of course). 
I feel really bad that he is spending the majority of his time in a cage though...what can I do? Is there something I can do to teach him to poop in a litterbox? I bring him out to hop around our room also, but again with the pooping...my husband is getting really impatient with this.
I am totally at a loss. This is my first rabbit (but I do know some about them), so I would appreciate any helpful advice!

Thanks,
Kayla & rabbit Haigha


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## PaGal (Dec 1, 2013)

For litter training: make sure you have a large enough litter box. Have litter in the litter box and no where else. You can place hay for munching on in the corner of the litter box or hang a hay rack above the litter box so that your bun must be in the litter box when eating hay. Buns tend to potty while munching. Clean up any poops outside the litter box and place it in the litter box. For urine soak up some with a piece of paper towel and then place this in the litter box. Clean all surfaces with a vinegar/water mix, this gets rid of all odor so the bun will not potty there again based on smell.

Buns will mark their territory with poop so that may be why your bun is pooing everywhere. All buns are not the same but my male stopped leaving poo everywhere after a few months. Your bun may be marking a lot since it is a new area to him so he may slow down over time. Typically though a bun is considered litter trained when it pees only in the litter box and no where else. It is very rare to have a bun that doesn't drop at least a few poos while out running around.

Having your bun neutered if he is not may help. Also try placing a litter box or more than one in the room he plays in, not just in his cage. You may also want to limit his space at first until he is using the litter box well and then over time and as long as he continues to have good litter habits enlarge his space. Good Luck!


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## honeybunnies (Dec 1, 2013)

Well said PaGal :goodjob


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## TheMadMarchHare (Dec 1, 2013)

His litter box is the size of a cat box! I have been putting the hay on the far side, so he has to be sitting in the box to reach it. He does a serious amount of pooping...not just a few! Majority of it is outside the litter box. I have not tried putting the poop in the box, but will do that! I used to just vacuum it up. Occasionally he will pee outside of the litter box, but it is rare.

My bunny is intact, and the vet said that neutering would help with peeing, but not likely with pooping?


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## zombiesue (Dec 1, 2013)

I think that's probably wrong. There's a good chance it will help with both, although my one neutered rabbit still poops outside his littebox with relative frequency, it's easy to just vacuum it up with my little hand vacuum, takes maybe 20 seconds lol.


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## Blue eyes (Dec 2, 2013)

As PaGal said, it's not unusual for a bunny to drop lots of extra poos when establishing a new area. This dissipates in time. It's just one of those things where you need to wait it out awhile. Eventually it will subside. Fortunately, bunny poos don't have an odor and are dry and easy to just sweep up. It's just part of life with a bunny. 

If he's urinating in the box, that's a big deal. He'll get better with the poos if he has consistent access to an area (so he can establish/mark it as his own).


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