# Rabbits drinking their pee?



## nicolevins (May 4, 2010)

Lately my rabbits have been drinking their pee. I don't know why.. there has been no "change" in their diet so I highly doubt that it is loss of nutrients.

Probably a simple answer lol. I could of used Google but I wanted a reliable answer


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## jamesedwardwaller (May 5, 2010)

*nicolevins wrote: *


> Lately my rabbits have been drinking their pee. I don't know why.. there has been no "change" in their diet so I highly doubt that it is loss of nutrients.
> 
> Probably a simple answer lol. I could of used Google but I wanted a reliable answer


cannot think of any medical benefits,-(recycling)-,though there was something simular done with african children who had some disorder and their own pee was used/swabbed into the mouth to correct the problem.//.myself i havenot tried this,-,i would probably die first.....sincerely james waller


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## Amy27 (May 7, 2010)

When you say drinking it you mean they urinate and then turn around and lick it up? Or are they like urinating on something, like in their water bowel and then drinking it? 

I don't think I have heard of a rabbit drinking their urine. Though I know mine go on their hay and then eat it. I have read threads here where the rabbits go in their water and then drink the water.


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## nicolevins (May 8, 2010)

Amy27 wrote:


> When you say drinking it you mean they urinate and then turn around and lick it up? Or are they like urinating on something, like in their water bowel and then drinking it?
> 
> I don't think I have heard of a rabbit drinking their urine. Though I know mine go on their hay and then eat it. I have read threads here where the rabbits go in their water and then drink the water.



Sometimes they pee then turn around and drink it.
Other times they would pee, walk away then suddenly find it and drink it.

It happens like 3 times a week, I'm not sure why they do it though :?


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## Amy27 (May 9, 2010)

Nicole, 
I hope someone else with more experience will come along and let you know if this is normal. I have never heard of a rabbit doing this, but there isn't a lot I haven't heard of lol. I know that I have never seen my rabbits do that.


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## Amy27 (May 9, 2010)

Here is a previous thread I found about rabbits drinking their urine. Hope this helps. 
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=53143&forum_id=48&highlight=drinking+urine


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## tonyshuman (May 9, 2010)

I have seen a few bunnies do it. Yours do it a bit more often than I'd like, personally. Are they not very litter-trained? I would just suggest training them so they only pee in the box, and then it gets absorbed into the litter pan material immediately. If they are having incontinence issues all of a sudden it could be a sign of a urinary problem.


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## nicolevins (May 10, 2010)

Thanks Amy 

Claire, they were litter trained but I got tired of cleaning it out everyday so I got rid of it (in January). 

The drinking the urine thing has only been going on a couple of weeks now and it's on and off.

Do you think that they are trying to "clean it"?
I could always get them back into using one


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## tonyshuman (May 10, 2010)

LOL I clean out my guys' litterbox once a week. They have several, all next to each other, and they don't really smell. I would try to get your guys back with a litterbox. How are you dealing with their waste now? Do they have a wire bottom cage? They really shouldn't just be peeing on the floor if they have a solid-floored cage. Also, do they have water available at all times, and do you know for sure that they will use whatever system you have for it? Some bunnies don't do bottles, and some don't like crocks.


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## nicolevins (May 11, 2010)

*tonyshuman wrote: *


> LOL I clean out my guys' litterbox once a week. They have several, all next to each other, and they don't really smell. I would try to get your guys back with a litterbox. How are you dealing with their waste now? Do they have a wire bottom cage? They really shouldn't just be peeing on the floor if they have a solid-floored cage. Also, do they have water available at all times, and do you know for sure that they will use whatever system you have for it? Some bunnies don't do bottles, and some don't like crocks.


What I used to do was scoop out the poops (with my hand :grumpy lol).

They have a solid bottom floor (with wood chips) and I remove the urine spots every 2/3 days. Recently, they have moved into a small shed so they have more room to poop and pee, lol. 
They are in the garden from 10am - 8pm and the shed door is left open because they always go back to cage to pee.

They have a bottle for their water in the cage and a bowl out in the garden. 
They do know how to use the bottle (they're using a bottle since before I got them) and they definitely know how to use the water bowl (resembles food  )

I will keep an extra eye on them to make sure they are drinking the water. 
I'll also ask my dad to keep an eye on them during feeding times.

Thank you Claire


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