# My naughty bunny



## Bunny-Benard (Jun 26, 2015)

I have a 2 year old Netherland dwarf (on the large side) he has a huge house to himself as he is our only bunny. He is litter trained, he pees in his tray, but he tends to poo inside and outside his litter tray. Every morning I come down to see him and his den is literally covered in poos. He tends to have one poo on the sloppy side each day, his vet says this is usually normal. So no worries there, however he does this poop in the middle of his den out of his litter tray. He enjoys an odd bath every couple months so I do allow him to have this bath (especially when he gets poop stuck to his bum) but after his bath he sprays in his room and it stinks!! I don't know how to make him poop in his tray all the time. I give him extra attention when I see him using the litter tray, eg cuddling, stroking his ears and tickling his neck. 
Also when he was sick he didn't move off my knee, so I left him sat on a cushion on my lap. As he was so sick he peed on this cushion. Since then it has been washed, many times. However when I put this cushion back into his house, he pees on it. Ice started putting newspaper under the cushion to soak up the wee but it's a bit annoying to wash it every day. 
Some advice?View attachment ImageUploadedByRabbit Forum1435306432.637630.jpg
View attachment ImageUploadedByRabbit Forum1435306466.440081.jpg


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## AmberNikSee (Jun 27, 2015)

Is the sloppy poo cecal pellets? Like a mushy cluster looking a bit like a blackberry? If that's the case a diet change might be necessary.

I don't think you'll ever get a bun to use its litter box every time it needs to poo but you could scoop up the stuff not in the box and put it in there and perhaps he would get the idea?

Is he neutered? If not that could be the reason for the spraying(marking territory)

I would try spraying the spot he peed on with white vinegar as it is a neutralizer. Though I have heard some buns continue to go on furniture to the point they get banned from being on it. You could also try tucking a litter box on that spot when he's out and about and might have luck that way!


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## AmberNikSee (Jun 27, 2015)

Also, I've never heard of a dwarf being considered on the large size, how big is he??


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## bunnylovin1093 (Jun 28, 2015)

he looks nothing like a nethie. He seems to have very large ears and his shape is not that of a netherland dwarf either.

If he is not fixed then getting him done may help the toileting habits.

The sloppy poo you are describing sounds like an excess cecal.


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## Bunny-Benard (Jun 28, 2015)

I got him from a place with a bad reputation. His vet said he is definitely some sort of Netherland, he's just not sure if it's a dwarf or giant. As he is larger than a dwarf but a lot smaller than a giant. 
His poo isn't like that, it doesn't look much like a blackberry.

His vet wants to wait a while to see how he is before thinking me thinking about having him neutered as he has collapsed in the past and we've came very close to loosing his when he had the sniffles.


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## Blue eyes (Jun 28, 2015)

It is rare for a rabbit to be 100% with his poos- even when neutered. But if he isn't neutered, then there's not much to be done. Though it sounds like he's pretty much confining the poos to "his area" which is good. 

As for the cushion that he insists on peeing upon, it is time to remove it. He clearly isn't going to stop. I would suggest removing it completely for several days and then get a different one to replace it -- one with different fabric so it isn't familiar. Hopefully then he won't use it for another litter box. 

If his bum gets poopy regularly, that is not normal. Perhaps take a second look at his diet. Is he getting enough hay? 

Butt baths are ok when needed provided that ONLY his butt is getting wet. Full baths are risky for rabbits - bad for their delicate skin and their overall health. 

There is a breed identification aid on this site that might help you identify breed. I wouldn't accept the vet's opinion at face value without researching myself. Surprisingly few vets truly know much about rabbits. The ID thread might help you narrow it down more.


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## Blue eyes (Jun 28, 2015)

Here's the link to the breed identification thread:
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=77893


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## Bunny-Benard (Jul 4, 2015)

Thanks for that! 
His vet asked us about his diet when he went. Hep is usual routine is...
1 egg cup of pellets in the morning
2 egg cups at night, a bowl or kale and a carrot... He has access to unlimited hay all day.

We had another scare with him recently, I don't know if I mentioned we almost lost him to the snuffles. We believed it to be the same again this time. But we are thinking more to the weather at the moment, some sort of sun stroke / dehydration. 
He has perked up a little since I hand fed him and syringe water into him...
Fingers crossed!!


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## Nancy McClelland (Jul 4, 2015)

ray:


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## Blue eyes (Jul 4, 2015)

An entire carrot is too much to feed at once. A 1" slice is the max recommended per day. Carrots are more considered treats because of their high sugar content. Maybe try some cilantro or basil or dark green lettuces. Those are all good for daily feeding. (Kale is a bit high in calcium and - depending on the bunny - is better to limit to a couple times per week rather than daily.)


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## MomTooMany (Jul 4, 2015)

Regardless of what kind of bunny he is adorable. 

I had all the same problems with my little girl....minus the spraying. I can only agree with all the advice given.


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## Bunny-Benard (Jul 6, 2015)

Ah, thank you.

Fudge won't eat anything other than curly kale, it is his favourite.
I'm going to cut out his morning pellets


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## kdrinkwater (Jul 6, 2015)

what's an egg cup?


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## Chester1_andblueberry (Jul 6, 2015)

You can google it  @kdrinkwater


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## kdrinkwater (Jul 7, 2015)

lol. we had those egg cups for our hard boiled eggs when we were kids.


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## Bunny-Benard (Jul 9, 2015)

View attachment ImageUploadedByRabbit Forum1436433514.047837.jpg

This is an egg cup


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## OscarTheBunny (Jul 15, 2015)

Your bun should really be getting veggies every day. I feed my bun curly kale, rockets and celery every day in the evening and feed him 4 tablespoons worth of pellets. HRS says:

7 months to 1 year - 1/2 a cup (so thats 4 eggcups) per 6lbs of body weight 
1 year + - 1/4 a cup (thats 2 eggcups) per 6lbs of body weight

I never ever feed my bun a carrot evey day, more like maximum 2 a week. So far this week I haven't given him any. I would only give my bun a carrot (max) the size of my thumb. If your thumb is really big then use your pinky or only give your rabbit no more than an inch. 

Normally extra cecals means your rabbit is getting to much nutrients so you may need to cut down on pellets and always give unlimited hay and water to keep the food moving in the gut. Sometimes cecals means your bun isn't eating them and you may need to encourage your bun to eat it (yes they are suppose to eat it to get as much nutrients as possible, it is completely normal if you see that happen). However you said that it doesn't look like blackberries so is the poo watery and very soft? If it is then your rabbit could have diahorrea and you might be feeding him something thats upsetting his tummy a bit.


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## Bunny-Benard (Jul 15, 2015)

I have his poops under control at the minute, I've cut out the carrot, and dropped the pellets of a morning. So of a day all he has is hay. Fingers crossed!!!


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