Sheepskin pet beds

Question


Hi Lee
In order to give my rabbit more cushioning for his sore hocks, I have got him some fake sheepskin rug, or some people call it unreal lambwool bed and lay them in areas where he usually likes.  To my dismay he urinate and pooh on the sheepskin rug and although the merchants of the product claim that it is absorbvent, it is not true. The rug was wet and posses a smell very soon.  

My rabbit has good litter habits and will pee and pooh in his litter box.  Now he will do his business on these rugs even though his litter box is just an inch away.

Is there a possible explanation to this change of behaviour? He also urinated in his carrier yesterday when I brought him out. This is not something new to him. He usually will hold till we get home but I am surprise to see that he actually urinated shortly we went out.

Is he sick or something? He's been losing lots of fur lately and I start to question if he is molting or having some fungus problem. There were lots of bald patches on his skin. Any symotoms to watch out?

Answer
Hi Angela,

well you already told me in prior messages he does have a fungal problem, so this should not be an "If".  the bald spots can be tied to this as well as the fact rabbits normally shed around this time of year.

From my own rabbits, they may mark more heavily when they are given new bedding.  I believe partly because they want to saturate it with their smell/scents and that it one way to do it.  I also partly think it may be that some need time to realize that it isn't their bathroom - they know what their normal surface feels like, and they know what their bathroom area feels like, and the new bedding does not feel like their normal sitting/resting surface, so they may need time to re-learn this new bedding is not their bathroom surface, but a resting surface.

One of my guys is going thru this right now.  Lots of poops all over.  I expect some of it because it's new and he is marking, but I think he also has to realize he shouldn't go on it because it's his new floor.

This is what I base your guy's change of behavior on.  

You may need to place a mat in one place, leave the normal flooring next to the litterpan.  See if that stops him from peeing outside the pan when he's next to it.  He may only be able to handle one small mat as opposed to having his entire floor be the wool sheet.

Lee