urinating outside litter box

Question
Our six-year-old male mini-lop is urinating OUTSIDE his litter box, after being a
very  cooperative potty-trained bunny for six years. We are very diligent in
keeping the litter box clean. He has started urinating BESIDE the box (mostly at
night, but now during the day also), although he still will occasionally urinate IN
the box. Any comments or suggestions?

Answer
Dear Carol,

Is he neutered?  At his age, I'd be surprised if a hormone surge was the cause of this, but it's something to consider.

More likely is that he's uncomfortable jumping into the box, either because of urinary tract pain or skeletal pain (arthritis or other problem). Please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/urinary.html

and if you are noticing any signs of weakness in his back end, also see:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/paresis.html

You can find a good vet to help you with a good overall wellness check (including the urinary tract!) here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

If the problem is arthritis or stiffness, the vet may wish to prescribe pain medication to see if that helps.  We've found that a combination of metacam and tramadol is great for just about any pain that ails a bunny, so that might be worth a try.  Your vet will explain all the options.

Hope this helps!

Dana