Advice for Pet Rabbits with Concerns

Question:  Help, I am a cute little bunny, but I have a bad habit and my owners are making fun of me. It seems I sometimes eat my own poop straight from my bottom.  My owners think this is disgusting, what can I do to stop this habit?

Signed, Cute but Worried

Dear Cute by Worried

Do not worry little bunny, your habit of eating your poops is not gross, or offensive, in fact rabbits eating their own feces (another word for poop) is normal. Rabbit's bodies makes special feces called cecotropes, and you are suppose to eat them. Cecotropes are smaller and softer than your regular poops, and most bunnies eat them right away. You will usually have them at night or in the morning. These droppings contain bacteria and other nutritional things that are helpful to you!

Question:   I am a male bunny with bad teeth, and I think I need a dentist. My teeth are so long it is almost impossible to eat, in fact I have lost weight! I thought my teeth were suppose to wear down on their own, but they don't, what is wrong?

Signed, Toothy

Dear Toothy

Yes it does sound like you need a dentist, but a veterinarian will do, in fact even a patient owner can trim your teeth. While most bunnies will wear their teeth down, a rare few have dental problems called Malocclusion. Your owner can help by giving you more carrots, hay, even chew toys, such as apple tree branches, but chances are you will need your teeth trimmed on a regular basis. Some people even do this with human nail trimmers but must be careful not to cut your tongue. For your first time it is very important that you are seen by a vet because this problem can get worse if the teeth are not trimmed correctly.  Tooth problems like this are just as common in male bunnies, as in females.

---

Question:  Hello, I am so upset, I am having an identity crisis. I know I am a rabbit, I thought I was a rodent, but my cat friend, she says I am not a rodent at all. Should I even trust the cat; if I am not a rodent, what am I?

Signed, Confused

Dear Confused

The cat can be trusted, she is right, rabbits are not rodents. Rabbits are Lagomorphs. There are a few differences between rodents and lagomorphs. You are a true herbivore (rodents will eat meat), and you have 4 incisors on your upper jaw (rodents have two). 

Other Reading for Rabbit Owners

Should I Breed my Bunnies?

Fly Strike - is my Pet at Risk?

How to Care for Pet Rabbits

Advice for Cats with Litter Box Problems

Question:  Help, I am a four year old cat, it hurts every time I urinate and as a result I tend to have lost faith in my litter box and am peeing in other places, on my owners bed, in the laundry, and so on, but this is making them mad. They say that if I don't start using the litter box they will be getting rid of me, but sometimes I feel like I need to pee without normal warning. What do I do, it hurts too much to pee!

Signed, Sore

Dear Sore

Poor cat, your owner should not punish you, your fear of using the litter box is not your fault, you may have a urinary tract infection or crystals, and your owner needs to take you to a veterinarian for a proper diagnosis and treatment. These kinds of litter box problems are very common in cats, in the meantime you should try to drink more water.

Question:  Hello, I am a young, super cute, kitten, only seven weeks old, I just got adopted a week ago, and have a huge home! My problem is that I sometimes go to the bathroom behind the sofa, and other places, because I can not seem to find the litter box. I know we have one, I just do not know where it is, help!

Signed, Lost Kitten

Dear Lost Kitten

Your owner needs to provide you with a litter box in a convenient place, and may even want to keep you shut in a room, with your food, water, and litter box, for a few weeks until you get a bit older and more able to find your way around the house and can control your bowels better. Exercise and play stimulates your bowels, and as you are just a young kitten, you will not get enough warning to run to the litter box, so your owner would be smarter to keep you in a room for a little while longer. You can be taken out to play, but should spend nights, and when you cannot be watched, in the room, perhaps for a week or two more.

Question:  Hello, I am a 2 year old male cat, my cat friend Sam keeps making fun of me because I tend to spray urine all over the place and he never does. I should point out that Sam claims to be a male cat, but I really am not sure. My spraying behavior seems so normal, is Sam just messing with me?

Signed, Tom

Dear Tom

Chances are that both you and Sam are male cats, it is just that Sam is a neutered male cat, and you are not. This means Sam had his testicles removed, and now lacks the male hormones that encourage male cats to spray their urine. Spraying urine is natural for a mature male cat that has not been neutered, but neutering will have many positive effects, including removing all risk of you getting testicular cancer, and should reduce your desire to spray. Hopefully your owner will see this as a positive solution to prevent you from spraying.

Further Reading for Cat Owners

Common Litter Box Problems in Cats

The Litter Box Blues

Pros and Cons of Neutering a Male Cat

Why Cats Pee on Laundry and Towels

How to Litter Train a Litten