Finally, a litter training breakthrough!

[Haymonster]

So, I’ve had my new bun, Winky, for about a month now, and her litter habits have left a lot to be desired! It seems that we’ve finally made some progress, though!

I tried a few things before we finally got it right. First, I tried waiting. She was only spayed a week before I adopted her, and she was in a new place, so I gave her the benefit of the doubt, and figured that her toilet habits would improve. They didn’t.

Secondly, I thought that I’d try “catching her in the act” and politely herding her to the litter box. This seemed to work at first, but then it became obvious that she would always go in the litter box when I was watching her, but the moment I walked out of the room, she’d poop on the floor! Sneaky rabbit.

Yesterday I started going in and sweeping up her beans every 15 minutes or so. I did this all day. In the first hour, she got cranky at me, stamping her feet and once even “gently attacking” the broom. I started to think that maybe this wasn’t a good idea. But, after that first hour, she started to come around, and began doing more and more of her business in the litter tray. This morning when I woke up, I found only 10 beans on the floor! 10 beans a night I can definitely live with!

She also pees on the floor sometimes, so I’ve started soaking it up with toilet paper and putting it in the litter tray. This also seems to have made an improvement.

I’ve been finding it hard to find a balance between too clean and too dirty. For example, how often, if ever, do people do a  full wash out of litter trays? I’ve been mostly just tipping the litter out and refilling (and then adding some poops on top), but I’m worried that not actually washing the tray will lead to a build up of harmful bacteria.

Also, the rabbits live in a room that has floorboards. They also have some rugs and blankets. How often and how thoroughly can I mop and scrub the floor without giving Winky the idea that she needs to “reclaim” it?

Also, how do rabbits go in litter “houses” like this:
 

I’d like to use one like this, but if rabbits don’t like to use them, or it’s not a good idea for another reason, then I’ll just  get a litter tray with high sides. There is a bit of “missing” the litter tray going on, but I realise that this part is my fault for not providing them with an appropriate litter tray – they have the right intentions .

Sorry for the long post, but Winky has me quite confused, and challenged!

Also, here is a photo of the offender, as a reward for reading my long post:

 

[LittlePuffyTail]

Winky is very cute

What type of litter do you use? I use a small layer of Yesterday’s News with hay on top and change it every 2 to 3 days. Bunnies like a clean box and I find mine will go on the floor if it’s not clean to their standards.

I find that those cat litter boxes are too high for bunnies, unless you have a very large breed.

[angelicvampyre]

I have just given up with Anya their cage is always a mess. Finally found out she has a week bladder and though she tries to make it well she never seems to get there and because she is allowed to pee outside the box Bugz then follows, outside of having their whole cage litter boxed I have pretty much come to the fact that I am going to have to live it with so I do.

[Haymonster]

Do you have a photo and/or measurements for the kind of litter tray that’s “for rabbits”? Their current litter tray is one designed for cats. I’m not even sure if litter trays designed for rabbits even exist in Australia… My litter tray seems to be a lot smaller than yours in actual area, though, because I don’t think it could really last 3 days… Oh, and no I have small rabbits. Winky in the picture is a mini rex mix, and although I’m not sure what breed Dobby is, he’s not much bigger than her.

I use a litter that I believe is similar to Yesterday’s News – it’s a compressed newspaper pellet type litter. Does the type of litter that I use affect whether or not they’ll go in the box? I also have two litter boxes (though I’m considering getting more!) – one under their hay rack, and another in a favourite toilet corner.

Oh poor Anya! I’m also starting to find that Dobby, who used to use the litter tray almost every single time, will now poop outside the tray sometimes. I feel like I am losing the war against poop!

[scatterbunny]

I think most  people on here use a med/large cat litter box since most litterboxes for rabbits just arent big enough. (cat litterboxes also tend to be cheaper than “rabbit” litter boxes)  When I changed from shredded paper to peleted litter, Scat wouldnt use it at first so i had to mix 50-50 old and new and i am gradually lessening the paper in the mix.

[tanlover14]

My girl is the worst too! She won’t use the litter box if it’s dirty but if it’s too clean then it’s like she forgets where to go! So what I do now is when I’m throwing all her used litter box material away, I throw some used pieces in a bag and clean the whole thing out and then throw the 2-3 used pieces on top and she’s been doing great with that! It’s only a couple pieces but it still has her scent so she goes right back to it! I use the cat litter boxes to. But we’ve been using the small ones that will fit in their cages and then the big cat ones are in their play area. They seem to be working really well. And they have low enough sides that my buns can all hop right in. One of our boys has a tendency to spray over the little box though so I’m thinking about trying the cat litter box I saw on here on a different thread, it has a high back but the front is still small enough for them to hop right in with no problems!

[Haymonster]

Ok, so I’m thinking of getting them a litter tray like this:

 

Or like this:

 

Our current litter trays are very cheap, basic ones that I bought at the supermarket. I’ve never had a cat or a rabbit before, so I had no idea that different litter trays even existed! Our current ones are also quite small, about 30cmx50cm (12″x20″), so I think this may be an issue as well. If nothing else, it means that the litter tray get “too” dirty too quickly, which prompts Winky to find an alternate place to go.

[Velvet]

Wal-Mart has a corn cob litter for small animals, it’s really absorbent, I use an inch or so on the bottom of a corner litterbox, and top it off with hay. I then put that litter box on a 36″ X 27″ plastic shoe and boot tray I picked up at Fleet Farm. Then I made a wooden enclosure that goes around the tray at night. About 6:00pm everynight Velvet runs over to her “tray” and waits for us to “lock” her in for the night. What she’s really doing is saying “feed me”, that’s when she gets fresh water, pellets, and about 4 large leaves of Romaine Lettuce. She does’t mind spending the night locked up in a 36″ X 27″ box overnight, then out first thing in the morning. I don’t have to worry about her getting into trouble at night then either. She’s a pretty good child! I usually get 2 sometimes 3 days before I just HAVE TO change the litterbox.

 

Our cat uses a littermaid self scooping litter box, God, I wish that worked for bunnies, but, clumping clay litter is a no no, so………………………..

 

 

Corner boxes in this link…….

 http://aolsearch.pgpartner.com/search.php?form_keyword=corner%20litter%20box&

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4313501

[Stickerbunny]

I would not recommend corn cob litter. When it gets wet, it becomes a breeding ground for Aspergillosis and has been known to cause respiratory infections in animals. Not to mention, if they eat any of it, which buns have a habit of chewing on litter it can cause a tummy upset or blockage. Wood stove pellets are cheaper, better at absorbing smell and much safer.

[Velvet]

Hm, good to know, I’ve used em for a year or more. I’ll check into the wood pellets.

 

Like these here you mean?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Northern-Wood-Pellets-40-Lb-Bag-Model-250550-/390413213373?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae670debd

[Stickerbunny]

Yes, something like that, just make sure it has no accelerant added (lighter fluid, basically) and is just the wood pellet, that bag doesn’t mention it, but I would ask the seller to be sure. Also comes under “horse stall bedding”, if you don’t have WSP available in the area.

[Velvet]

Cool, thanks. I found out Fleet Farm has them too!

[Monkeybun]

Just to ad: I clean my litter boxes completely with vinegar every week. It’s a wonderful cleaner, and gets rid of those urine stains as well as the bacteria

[floppybunny123]

Lilly loves to urinate on toilet paper and on phone books. I think that you should try to put something that she likes to urinate on in the litter box along with a treat and/or veggies to encourage Winky to use the litter box. My bun got litter trained naturally when I got her a wired bottom cage and let her go in there.

[floppybunny123]

Posted By floppybunny123 on 06/25/2012 11:35 PM

Lilly loves to urinate on toilet paper and on phone books. I think that you should try to put something that she likes to urinate on in the litter box along with a treat and/or veggies to encourage Winky to use the litter box. My bun got litter trained naturally when I got her a wired bottom cage and let her go in there. And of course I put something for Lilly to rest her feet on. Hope this works!

[Velvet]

When I was a very young child, 4-7 maybe, 46 years ago or so, I got a pet rabbit. I don’t remember how, but, she was in the house, and just started using the old shower stall in our furnished basement. She decided where to go and we let it happen. Never used the shower before that, and years later Mom cleaned it up, painted the floor, and we started using it!

 

When I moved Velvet into the house, first I watched her when I let her out of the cage. She pooped and pee’d once or twice in front of our closet in the corner. Soooooooooo, to make a long story short, I believe bunnies need to tell you where to place the litter box. That’s where ours went, and she’s been golden ever since.

 

 

Hate to use the cliche but, location, location, location.

 

Did I mention, Location is everything?

[Author]

Messages