Were you having fun playing with your beloved pet rabbit when you suddenly realized that he had urinated in the area? Are you wondering if this was caused by over-excitement during your playtime?
Yes, rabbits can pee when they get too excited. It might be accidental, or an acquired habit, or even due to bladder issues that come with old age.
In this article, we have broken down the reasons why this might be happening and things you can do as their owner to prevent it from continuing to happen.
Three Reasons Your Rabbit Pees When Excited
Whether your rabbit is doing it deliberately or not, lets first find out the exact reason why he/she is peeing during playtime.
Uncontrollable Excitement
Rabbits love their owners and always get so excited when you dedicate time to play with them and spend time loving them. Sometimes, if you’re away for an extended period, they just get so excited to see you that they can’t control themselves or their pee.
When your rabbit gets really excited, it might spray you with pee, and that’s okay. It’s just trying to show you how excited and happy it is to be around you.
Does this happen with all rabbits? Nope! But for some reason, some rabbits develop this learned behavior and stick with it.
Becomes a habit
When your rabbit learns a certain behavior, good or bad, and it is not circumvented or stopped in time, it will continue to do that behavior. So if your rabbit pees from excitement more than once, most likely it is learning to do that behavior continuously.
Make sure you do your research on understanding a rabbit’s behavior and train them to either continue doing/stop doing something using specific training methods.
Territory Marking
Much like other animals, like dogs, rabbits will mark their territory to show you, and any other creatures around, that that’s their spot. Usually, this behavior is done from male rabbits, with females not partaking in territory marking as much, although it has happened.
Males will sometimes get so excited that they might pee on you if you grab them to mark you as their territory. This is their unique way of showing that they love you and connect with you and that other rabbits should back off.
Territory marking can go away once you neuter your rabbit as it gets to the right age, but at the end of the day, territory marking is not harmful and is not typically an issue for rabbit owners.
Environment stressors can cause peeing too
If you notice your rabbit is territory marking more than usual, make sure no environmental stressors are affecting his/her behavior. Sometimes, they can mark territory if they feel their space is being invaded. We always want to make sure your bunny feels comfortable and safe in their area.
Remember, it never does any harm to contact your vet if you notice a pattern of unusual behavior persisting over a long time. Vets are a great source of information and can provide you personalized help and care for your help!
Bladder Control Issues
Believe it or not, just like humans, all animals tend to lose complete control of their bladder once they get older. As animals age, having full faculty of some of their organs seems to begin to lessen.
This can be true with rabbits controlling their bladder. Once they begin to get older, it gets more challenging for them to control their bladder properly, resulting in them peeing in the house or potentially on you while you’re holding him/her.
Sometimes, it comes with age
There is really no way to stop this from happening as it is just something that comes with older age, but it is something you will want to take note of.
Maybe before you play with your rabbit and it gets excited, keep him/her in their cage until after they’ve released some of their pee. This will make sure no mess is created anywhere but their cage.
If you have a fairly young bunny and you notice it cannot control its bladder, contact your vet to see if any underlying issues need to be checked.
How to Stop a Rabbit from Peeing When Excited
If you notice your rabbit begins to pee when excited more frequently, it might be time to teach it to stop or help it unlearn that behavior.
As mentioned previously, rabbits are creatures of habit, and therefore they will continue to perform an action if that becomes a habit. But the good thing is that behavior just as well can be unlearned with the proper training techniques!
Litter Box Training
Rabbits love to eat and get really excited when you give them fresh hay or their special treats. This excitement can happen once they’re done eating and have all this happy energy inside of them! Usually, this is when rabbits will zoom and binky.
Take note of meal routine
If you notice that this is the time your rabbit pees after eating, keep them in their cage for up to an hour. This will allow them to digest their food and give them enough time to let out any pee they might have in their litter box.
Instill the correct habit
Litter box training can help them learn that the litter box is where they should be peeing, there or outdoors, if you ever bring them into your backyard. This is key for teaching them that peeing should not be an action they are taking inside the house.
Litter boxes are also a great way to keep your rabbit’s pen clean and tidy at all times. Without a litter box, your rabbit won’t know where its designated bathroom area is, which can cause more confusion in your pet and cause more peeing around the house, which no one wants!
Litter boxes can be filled with hay or litter and put in the corner of their pen. Make sure it’s always available to them so they can go whenever they need it!
Keeping Water in Their Cage
Rabbits love to eat, which means they also love to drink water and stay hydrated. If you notice the pattern of peeing inside the home and not in their cage, try to change their hydration routine.
Try and keep water inside their cage and only feed them watery foods like watermelon or berries while they’re near their litter box. This will keep them in their designated area as they finally feel the need to pee.
Keeping water in their pen is a great way to teach them that their cage is their designated safe area with all of their survival items. We highly recommend keeping water in the cage at all times and keeping them in there for 30 minutes after you notice them drinking a high volume of water.
Conclusion
Rabbits are excellent pets to have and can be some of the most affectionate and loving animals you will ever have! But, because they are not as widely owned as cats or dogs, we must do ample research into their behaviors before we even get a pet bunny.
Learning the behaviors and temperaments is incredibly important to understanding your pet bunny. Knowing how/why a bunny does certain things can allow you to bond closer with your pet and train it accordingly.
The best way to learn about your pet is to contact your local vet and bring your rabbit to get checked up at least once a year! This can ensure your rabbit is happy, comfortable, and healthy all year round.
You should especially bring in your rabbit at the first sign of unusual or odd behavior that persists for over 48 hours. The longer you wait, the worse it can get!
When it comes to excited pee, it will happen at some point or another with all rabbits. The key is to notice when it is happening and step in to see if it is becoming a learned habit.
By stepping in and taking action, you can prevent your rabbit from thinking that excited pee is an action they should be doing. You can effectively train them to use their litter box and only pee in their designated area.
At the end of the day, if your bunny is peeing when excited, that’s not the worst thing in the world! That means they are happy, safe, and comfortable in their home and with you.
Most likely, it’s a great sign that you’re doing everything right as the owner of that rabbit. So, good job!