Why does my rabbit insist on peeing in her food bowl no matter where I put it in the cage?

Question

I have always understood that rabbits pick a corner and go there. Her cage has a wire bottom and she used to go to the same corner and squat to pee, but nowadays she pees in her food bowl every single day no matter where I place it in her cage. Even right after I put veggies or pellets in it. It is soo very nasty too. Why isnt her pee normal yellow pee? Why is it soo dark and reddish brown all the time no matter what she eats be it pellets, or alfalfa hay, or lettuce.
So I need 2 answers please. Why is her pee soo nasty and is it normally colored?
And why does she keep peeing in her food bowl no matter where i put it or how good I clean it. Thank you in advance for your help.

Answer 1

How big is the food bowl? Use it as a litter box and by your rabbit a new small food bowl ;-)
Here are my bunnies:

http://bunny-holland-lop-rabbit.blogspot.com/
http://mini-dwarf-rabbit.blogspot.com/

Answer 2

Rabbit urine can vary in color--yellow, orange, red, brown are all normal. It has to do with the different foods they eat. Carrots for example can make it red.

You can get a wire rack that hangs on the side of the cage, and put her food dish in there. If it's up high enough she won't be able to pee in there.

How big is her food dish? The one I use is just big enough for my bunny's daily ration of pellets (I just place the veggies on the floor) and it's just big enough for her to get her face in. Maybe you could try a smaller bowl so she'll have a smaller target ;)

By the way, does she have any solid surfaces to rest on in her cage, or is it all wire? Does she get play time outside the cage each day? Just a couple things to consider.

Good luck :o)

Answer 3

Well, if she eats a lot of carrots, her pee will be very dark. You can try getting a different type of food dish, like the kind that have a bracket holder that the dish sits in. You just mount the bracket to the bars of the cage. That way the dish is elevated an inch above the floor of the cage. Does she have a litter box in her cage. They make triangular shaped ones that fit into the corner, you can try that too. Good luck.

Answer 4

If I had to guess why she pees in the bowl, I would think it's because she knows that you will always clean it up and animals don't like to live in a cage that smells of waste.

As for the reason that her urine is so strongly colored, it could fee from her food and it could be that she's not drinking enough. When urine is concentrated, the color is darker and the smell is stronger. You need to make sure that your rabbit is drinking enough, so check her water supply. Make sure that she always has access to clean water that is kept away room the part of the cage when she urinates (in this case, her food bowl). Also, make sure she has access to salt, because this will cause her to drink more and give her vital minerals.

If you find that she is not drinking enough, or that she is drinking and her urine is still oddly colored, there may be a health issue involved. In that case, contact your vet.

Answer 5

She may need some extra minerals. Get her a mineral block. You may also want to get her a hanging food dish (they sell them at farm supply stores... I don't know if pet stores carry them). My rabbits have nasty pee too, and I don't know why. Although, reddish brown may be blood in the urine... which would need a vet check. You can take the bowl in and have her urine checked for blood... but I'd say it's probably dye from her food. Try feeding just alfalfa and seed for a day or two and see if her pee changes color.

Answer 6

Well, for my guinea pig i have a wooden platform high enough just so she can reach, screwed into the side of the cage, i put all her food and veggies out on it-- and she can't pee or poo on it this way.

It is shown here
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441808068&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302047884&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023695&bmUID=1174593976979&itemNo=8&In=Small+Pet&N=2047884&Ne=2

and it says its for small animals to play and stand on, but i have always used it for food because my guinea pig loves to pick and sort through it all-- i see no reason why it wouldn't work for a rabbit!

Also for the pee thing, Normal rabbit urine is usually pale yellow in color, but upon exposure to the atmosphere, compounds in the urine may oxidize to darker yellow, orange, red, or even dark brown after a while. This isn't unusual, and--by itself--is not necessarily a sign of a health problem. BUT if the urine is dark right away as it comes out it may be indicateting that the bunny is dehydrated, and should receive more water-- make sure she is drinking daily and always has fresh water.

If none of those are the case...
Also, Rabbits pee can and will usually turn red if they are fed rhubarb-- so if you are feeding her high amounts of that try to cut down.

**Just make sure you watch out for blood in the urine, as it is usually not readily visible to the naked eye. Test strips are available at most pharmacies that will tell you whether there is blood in the urine or not, but your vet is the best judge of whether your bunny's urine is normal. SO you should get a urine sample JUST in case and check it out.**



Good luck! I hope i helped =)

Answer 7

Maybe she dosnet like her good, try swiching foods or putting the food dish on the other side of the ben