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Forum BEHAVIOR 2 questions: cardboard chewing and selective litter using!

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    • happyweasie
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        Hello, I am very new to this forum so I apologize if I am doing something wrong by posting here or posting two questions in one.

         My bunny is about 3 months old. She doesn’t seem to like chewing, like on bunny safe wood or on cardboard. She has unlimited hay and I give her one solid hay block a day. Her teeth seem just fine. But I would like her to enjoy chewing on some toys for extra things to do when she’s in her cage while I’m not home (normally she has free run of the bunny proof room.) Is there a way to encourage chewing on her toys, or do some rabbits just not like to chew?

         

        Also, she is litter trained. She uses her litter box, and I put hay over the carefresh so she can eat her hay and use the bathroom. But, sometimes she doesn’t use the litterbox. I make sure it’s clean a few times a day, so it’s not too filled or dirty. But sometimes when she has to go, she doesn’t choose to go to the litterbox. It’s as if sometimes she uses it, and sometimes she doesn’t. If she’s hopping around the room I’m pretty good about catching her going on the floor and putting her in the litterbox, but the times when I’m not home and she’s in the cage I can’t really stop her from going where she wants. Is there a way to make sure she uses the litter box all the time, and not just most of the time?

         

         

        Edit – her cage is fairly big. It’s a kennel for large sized dogs (was for my border collie while he was growing) carpet on the bottom so she’s not walking on wire. And also, she doesn’t seem to like digging at all. I’ve tried a couple things to make a fun digging box with, but she seems to have no interest. Right now in the back of the cage is a very large and sturdy cardboard box turned on the side, so she can sit inside or on top (she likes to lay on top the most, as if she’s queen bunny!)


      • jerseygirl
        Moderator
        22338 posts Send Private Message

          Welcome : )

          Some bunnies aren’t chewers so no need to worry. It will probably be a blessing in the long run. Does she eat a good amount of her hay? The hay is adequete at keeping the teeth trim.
          You could try fixing her chew toys down in her cage. She might have a go at them more if they don’t move about so much. It becomes more of a project then.

          When she pees outside the box, is it nearby or other side of crate?
          What size litter box does she have?
          You could try a less absorbant surface to line the crate. Some just continually pee on absorbant things.
          Also, at 3 months old you might see her habits go awry due to her hormones arriving. Bunny puberty!


        • happyweasie
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            Thank you for your response, I appreciate it! I hadn’t thought about fixing the toys down, I will go try that soon.

            Her cage is just a large dog kennel, with carpet laid down on the floor. The litter box is just carefresh natural with a handful of hay I put on one end. I also have a big dish I keep filled with hay also. She does eat lots of hay, I have to refill her hay probably once a day. I only give her a small cup of pellets once a day, and a handful of vegetables probably twice a day.

            not sure how to post links, sorry. this is the litter box I use: http://www.tractorsupply.com/small-animal-bedding-litter/super-pet-long-john-litter-pan-assortment-2130330
            She fits and there’s also still some room.

            Bunny puberty, boy I can’t wait!! haha!


          • jerseygirl
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              My apologies. I edited my post before as I initially hadn’t read your edit describing the set up. You were probably replying at the same time.

              It’s hard to tell how big the box is but typically those corner style boxes end up being too small for growing bunnies. Though the high back is great, the front can be too low if they pee facing the back. They’d pee over the low side.

              Does she toilet near the other bowl of hay you have for her?


            • happyweasie
              Participant
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                Ah, okay, should I get a bigger box then? What size do you recommend? I was told she is a mixed breed, but she’s not any type of dwarf or giant as far as I can tell. “Normal” sized, I guess? About 3 pounds I’d also guess. I can post pictures if needed.

                 

                I keep the bowl of hay right next to the litterbox, so sometimes when she’s using it she is also eating from that bowl. I wonder if she sometimes eats from that big bowl while not sitting in the litter box, and that’s why she ends up going outside of the box. I did try a hay bin before, but I felt it got too messy. Should I try that again instead? 


              • jerseygirl
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                22338 posts Send Private Message

                  Try a large rectangular litter box with deep sides. (I’m not certain what dimensions to suggest as im not used to thinking in inches :p ).
                  Then you could put all the hay in there. That should help keep it contained.

                  By all means post pictures! We love to see the bunnies.


                • Deleted User
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                    I’m not sure if this might help.  But what I do is cut a cereal box in half. And I have done two different things with it. I had cut two holes into the box and bungie corded it to the side of the cage right in front of her box. Skipper kept break the box because she would paw at it to get the hay out of it. So tried something else that seemed to work. I had cut the cereal box in half and bungie corded it to the litter aroundt he sides. It worked out well except that the cardboard didn’t hold up too well. I’m trying to find a way to make another version of it with sturdier sides.


                  • Elrohwen
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                      I would definitely take the carpet out of the crate for now – some bunnies can’t resist peeing on absorbent surfaces. I would also find some way to put the hay up above the litter box so she can only eat while she’s in there. I know mine think anywhere there is hay is an acceptable place to pee, so confining the hay to one specific area makes them go only in the their litter boxes.

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                  Forum BEHAVIOR 2 questions: cardboard chewing and selective litter using!