Bosc's strange toilet behaviour

[ReptileCorner]

My Bosc (Jynx) has taken on a very strange toilet behavior. I'm hoping someone can give me some ideas how to stop this.

I have recently moved Jynx into a new bigger cage and changed his substrate from corn cob to 50% topsoil and 50% play sand.
In his old cage he would always defecate in his water bowl. He has always been very regular. He goes every day between 5pm & 6pm (I think he eats Kelloggs while I'm not looking).

Now since he has been in his new cage he refuses to go to the toilet in his cage! He bangs on the glass and gets very frantic until we open up for him. He then walks to a certain spot in the room and goes to the toilet. Then he walks back to his cage.
Now this has become an everyday thing. So we then decided that we will just ignore him when he bangs on the glass. But he gets REALLY frantic! He doesn't stop till we open. I don't want him to hurt himself. So we let him out and he does his business on exactly the same spot every time. Thank goodness we have tiles.
We disinfect the spot every time, but still he goes there.

So on Sunday my husband filled his tub with warm water. When he banged to come out he put Jynx in the water. Jynx swam around, blew some bubbles under water and had a good time. Then, he got out of the bowl, walked across the room and went to the toilet on the same spot!! He then walked back to the water bowl for another swim!! *sigh*

The other night my husband saw him walking to his spot and quickly picked Jynx up to force him to go back in his cage to do his business in his cage. Well. Lets just say my husband was less than impressed when Jynx did it in his hand!

For the past two days we have ignored him and we don't let him out his cage. Now he hasn't had a bowl movement in 2 days! Which is not normal for him.
If I let him out today I am more than 100% sure that as soon as I let him out he will go in his spot.

Jynx is only about 9-10 months old now. My concern is what is going to happen when he is bigger?
Do you think this behaviour is healthy? I don't. I may not always be there to open up for him.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[warbot]

LOL, cute!

I got 2 babies, love them to bits sorry I can't help you, but maybe create a kitty litter box for him in his corner, in would think this is more hygienic in the end.

It is easier than cleaning the cage everyday, washing the waterbowl/waterdish/pool whatever you want to call it ...toilet... maybe... hehe, but we accepted this when we decided to get these little guys

enjoy

[ReptileCorner]

Thanks, but I would rather try something to get him out of this behaviour. I want his environment to be as natural as possible, and I don't think this behaviour is healthy. Maybe I am wrong? It sounds like it is a play on Pavlovs theory, so did it come from my interfearing? But it's not like I triggered this behaviour. Unless I am missing something?

What happens one day when he is really big and I am not there to open his cage for him? I may come home to broken glass and a hurt Jynx because he was detemined to get out of his cage. I'll be heart broken.
I would put him in a garden enclosure however I have dogs and a cat.
His indoor enclosure is massive. It's 1.5m x 700. Which is really big for a sub-adult Bosc. So it can't be that his cage is too small.

I've racked my brain, I even tried to put a piece of paper where he goes, thinking that I could slowing inch it closer to his cage everyday till he learns to go in his cage again. But he just moves it out the way.

I'm hoping someone on the forum has had a similar experience with any of their monitors/lizards?
Or can give me their opinion if this behaviour should be nipped now or if I should just let Jynx be?
He has obviously made up his mind that that's his spot. Do I mess with that and cause him stress by not opening the cage? Or do I give in to him?

[CLSmith]

What are you complaining about? LOL!! Then you don't have to clean the cage so often.
A Potty trained lizzard!

I would introduce a "toilet" at the spot he does his business. Like a kitty litter box. (Maybe a 2lt icecream bucket or something similar cut down to not be so high). Then move it closer to the cage every day. Maybe he will learn to go in the box, and then you keep the box next to the cage.
If you need to go away, then only you can put the box in the corner he usually comes out. And remove it again when you return, not leaving it inside all the time.

He obviously does not want to soil in his home. He probably recognise it is a Hilton cage. LOL!

My German Sheppard (past away now) Orion, did the same thing...



we used to leave him inside when going out, (never for too long) and he always waited for us to return before going to the toilet. You could see the facial expression on him when it was a bit long sometimes. One day we did take a bit long, and he had a bit of an upset stomach. Even before we entered the house, when greeting us, we realised by his behaviour that he had a "mistake". You could see the shame on his face! They are way more intelligent than we think we think.

I would say to give the guy a break, he might even want some plumbing in his cage?

[ReptileCorner]

lol. I know it's cute, and hard to resist.
So you reckon I shouldn't be worried?
I'll try the litter box thing then move it into his cage. I just think it's strange how he is only doing this now in his new cage. In his old cage he had no worries using the waterbowl.

I would say to give the guy a break, he might even want some plumbing in his cage?

Yeah, perhaps he will learn to flush

[Bernice]

If he had corn cob before... why not try to put a kitty litter tray of corn cob in his cage? maybe he will be happier to go on the corn cob instead of the new substrate?

otherwise the suggestion made by CLSmith of putting a tray on his favorite 'spot' on the floor and gradually moving it closer and closer to the cage may give him the right idea .

Good luck!

[ReptileCorner]

If he had corn cob before... why not try to put a kitty litter tray of corn cob in his cage? maybe he will be happier to go on the corn cob instead of the new substrate?

I'll try that Bernice, however he never actually went on the corn cob he only used to go in his water bowl in the old cage. Which is typical Bosc behaviour.

I will try the cat litter thing. We did try once to block the spot with heavy objects to to stop him going there. And he was not impressed, he scratched and tried to nuzzle them out the way. So I'm hoping he won't do that to the litter box.

[balls'n all]

My bosc's also used to go in their water bowl and when I had to move them to a bigger cage they stopped doing it. the "water bowl toilet habit" is a real treat for bosc keepers.

However I think this is a blessing in disguise. On the one hand for a bosc to keep regular toilet habits is a great way to monitor their health. And on the other its a great way to start "house training". It will be frustrating at first but it will become a routine for him. you can use this to also introduce him to new people so anyone can let him out.

I must advise that if he hasn't pooped for 2 days you must let him out!!! Bosc's have to "go" regularly.

So I really think you can use this behavior to your advantage

[ReptileCorner]

Thanks Balls 'n All. I guess I have no choice anyway. lol.
My main was concern was more for him than for myself. It must be frustrating for him to 'call out' when he needs to go. And my concern is that he is getting stressed because of it. But clearly not.
I'll let him out tonight and put a shollow box there for him, see if he will at least go in there.
I REALLY didn't think a reptile would hold 'it' in just to go in one specific place, surely they would not inflict pain or make themselves uncomfortable? I guess I am wrong.

[balls'n all]

If you can please post some pics of him and his little corner toilet Would be great to see exactly what you mean and where.

[ReptileCorner]

haha. OK. I'll take some this evening.

[Buck Rogers]

Send a mail to Ravi in the UK through his site http://www.themonitorspot.com/, he has the most experience in keeping and breeding Bosc's so may be able to offer some advice.

[ReptileCorner]

Thanks Buck. I'll do that. Will let you know what he said.

[ReptileCorner]

If you can please post some pics of him and his little corner toilet Would be great to see exactly what you mean and where.

Well, I did one better and took a video last night....it's a bit yuk, but you asked for it.

When I got home last night Jynx still hadn't gone to the toilet, so that's going on to 3 days that he held it in! I feel really bad now
You will see how bloated he is and he even walks like he is a bit uncomfortable before he does the deed.
He was a bit nervous about the camera too. He is not used to being filmed during his x-rated moments.

I put a piece of paper in his corner. When he got to his corner he was very unsure about the paper, it seemed to take him off guard. But after deliberating about the paper he decides to go next to it instead...then he uses the paper as toilet paper afterwards . And off he goes, back to his cage afterwards.

Sorry about the quality of the clip, I had to cut it shorter and convert it into a very low res, initially it was 110MB.

http://s646.photobucket.com/albums/uu18 ... ynx1-1.flv

[balls'n all]

It is amazing what comes out of those guys when they're that size!