Funny Potty Habits?

Question
My girlfriend has 3 rabbits. The first he got from a friend, the second she saved from being a stray-- but obviously domestic. These two were altered and (after some tribulation) were bonded. They love each other and their potty habits have always been great. Even when they're outside in their pen, they'd pee and poo in a couple choice corners.

Several months ago, she got a new rabbit from the pound (getting close to a year ago now). His name is Pozyedin (oh my god is he an escape artist!). Zye has bonded nicely with the female -Cleo- but the male rabbit that has been here the longest (Cazz) is stubborn about not bonding with the newcomer male Zye. I'm almost on Cazz's side on this one. Cazz is the cleanest of any of the bunnies-- he never misses his box. Zye on the other hand... Not so much...

Let me just preface this by saying that Zye is super cute and a very lovely bunny. He will actually give kisses to Cleo for longer than Cazz will an he loves being petted-- in short, he's a very sweet, very cute bunny.

Zye is terrible at his potty habits. When he's in his cage, he is pretty good about going in his box. When he's out in the pen, in the backyard-- he drops poops wherever his butt is. He's the only one that does this. Cazz and Cleo go in corners. He goes EVERYWHERE. We are able to have Cazz and Cleo out in the living room for hours at a time-- they just hop back into their cage- go potty and hop back out. Zye doesn't usually last more than 10 minutes...

It's not like Zye is pooping in a corner of the room- that would be an easy fix. He'll just a soon poop in the middle of the room-- just like out in the pen.

Any thoughts or pointers on a solution for this? We'd love to have him out for longer-- but the way we were able to potty train Cazz and Cleo in the house was to put them back in their cage every time they did a poop out side of their cage-- put the poo in their box and tell them that they need to go in there. Cazz and Cleo are now perfect at this but Zye just can't get it...

Previously- Cazz would even poo across the boundary between him and Zye (we figured out that this is definitely a territorial thing)-- but he doesn't do this anymore; and Zye doesn't follow a pattern like this-- he just goes wherever he is. This is the strangest thing I've seen with bunny poopy habits...

Answer
Hi Stephen,

I am guessing that the bunny is already neutered?  If he is not I am sure that you know that can be a problem.  It sounds like he is marking his territory.  If he is not fixed yet obviously that is the next step.  Other than that some rabbits just never figure it out.  Over the years we have only had 1 neutered buck that refused to use his litter pan.  Unfortunately for him he didn't get to leave his x pen.  You can give him a large play area without letting him out to ruin your carpet.  We use large x pens and line them with waterproof sheets that would go on a child's bed and then cover that with fleece.  Unfortunately if they are peeing every where you have to wash them every day.  They almost always figure it out but it can take some time.

I suggest you ask Dr. Dana Krempels or Mr. Lee Meyer. They may have some better advice for you.

Sorry I wasn't much help.

Pam