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Forum DIET & CARE Litter and Hay-Trying it all

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    • Moccasin
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        I just want you to know that I promise you all I looked through the forum to find questions around mine first and just couldn’t find what I was looking for… so now I’m posting! (I don’t want you all who answer to just have to repeat over and over) 

        Alright, 

        So I have a new bun, 11months, super adorbs. I started litter training a bit ago and its not going as easy as with my last Bun.

        I’ve used 3 different litters she doesn’t like any , I’m about to try Yesterday’s News. 

        If I don’t leave a thick layer of Tim Hay over the litter her cute  feet it gets SOOOOO smelly and yellow colored

        Questions:

        1. Does a thick layer of hay over the pellet litter make a bad “smell”? or does it help? I can’t tell!! I’m over smelling everything. 

         I want to try for more oder reduced litter.

        2. Is it ok to put a thick layer of Tim Hay over the litter pellets? My other bun didn’t require any! He loved newspaper alone (didn’t nibble it). 

        3. She pops while she eats ANYTHING so I’m considering putting her food at the end the litter box. So she has to be in the litter box to eat. Do you recommend this? or should I let her figure it out on her own?

        4.  For her dirty feet (if I don’t use Tim hay over the litter) I have to make a screen because she is BIG and I’m using a clear big rubbermaid storage bin for her litter tray. She is a big gal!  does anyone know how to DIY screen? link or Video? 

        5. I see some people using blankets, grass mat etc my bunny just pees all over that stuff.. are yours also? I don’t get that.

        Please answer by number so I can know which you are referring to!  


      • Diamond
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          I’m pretty sure some people just use hay and no litter at all, so I think you’re good as long as you have something sort of absorbent (like a folded newspaper) under the hay.


        • Stickerbunny
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            If your bun pees on anything absorbent, don’t give blankets etc.

            For litter screens, you go to home depot/lowes/whatever your local store is called and buy something called “hardware cloth” and cut it to size, then file down the sharp ends so bunny (and you) won’t cut yourselves. You can sew some cloth around the edges for extra protection. Personally, I just bent the ends under and filed them.

            Some buns prefer hay in their litter boxes, just put the hay in there. No big deal. Just be sure to only put a little and clean it out if it starts to get wet due to mold.

            I use feline pine (pine pellets are safe, shavings are not) it absorbs the scent well.

            If she poops while eating her pellets, you can put her dish in the box. Just be sure to remove it so she doesn’t pee in it once she’s done eating.


          • LongEaredLions
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              Also, is she spayed? Intact bunnies can smell more than fixed ones.
              I also use feline pine and I love it.


            • BlueMoods
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                I use florescent light covers for litter screens for my white rabbits that need them. You can get them at a building supply store, they are plastic grids that you can easily cut with tin snips and,can zip tie togeter to get the right size. Because they are hard plastic, they are easy to wash and do not ever rust.


              • Moccasin
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                  Which litter would create the least oder?
                  with hay? or without hay?

                  My bun hates her litter box, only pees, no poops, I’ve never had such a hard time with a bun before! aaarrgggggg!
                  So i’m trying everything!

                  (her original home must of not cared about where she pooped, so this training is not as easy as my others)


                • Beka27
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                    If all of her pee is in the box, that is a great start! Is she new to your home? The dropped poops could be territorial marking.

                    Is she spayed yet?


                  • Moccasin
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                      She is not spayed yet. bc the vet said something like she might not be able to get it done. I have to wait like 6 more month (till she older, to know if she can)
                      that being said…
                      I took out the hay and she used her litter box!! (pee and poop!) She hates hay in her litter!
                      problem is she digs the WHOLE THING OUT after using the litter box all day.
                      Nice Moccasin, Nice!
                      I tried Newpaper at the bottom as a liner and she found it under the litter and tore that thing up!! Maybe the litter box is now too big..
                      I’m using a 15”x21” clear deep storage rubbermaid (she doesn’t chew it) is that too big??
                      she is a big Eng Lop I figure she needs a little room in there.


                    • LopNessMonster
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                        I use Oxbow eco-straw litter, you can get it on amazon if it’s not available in a store near you. It’s my favorite so far, the only time I smell my bun’s pee is when I dump it out. I also use a screen that I got from the BinkyBunny store (they will do custom sizes for you but make sure you measure right) and that keeps the majority of poos in the cage and prevents digging (I swear it’s like magic). My litterbox is smaller than yours but my bunny is smaller than yours too so I think your box is probably a good size. I put some hay over one end of the box (watch the bun and see if she usually faces a certain way when she goes). It may help at first to take some poos and put them in the litterbox so she knows where to go. Sometimes if I clean it all the way out with no poos my bun gets naughty and poos on the floor. I used to have a problem where she’d jump out of the box and poo and litter would go flying but the screen from BinkyBunny has reduced this occurrence to almost zero.
                        TL;DR: try the litterbox screen from the BinkyBunny store to prevent the digging and try Oxbow Eco-Straw pellet litter (safe to eat) for the odor


                      • Moccasin
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                          I tried the screen and she won’t poop in the litter with the screen. its only been one day.. should I stick to the screen? or should I just take it out?


                        • Megabunny
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                            Still lovin those ears! I really have to wonder if you’re knocking yourself out when she’s just not going to litter train well until being spayed. But then I’m a pessimist. I’m definitely tired because in your first post you said “she pops when she’s eating” and I really had to think about it for a bit before I figured out the typo Ha ha I just think it’s not going to get better as she gets older. Just more hormonal, therefore, more problematic.
                            My sympathy for having to wait so long to spay her. I wonder why the vet isn’t sure she can be spayed?? Also, was your last rabbit white? I, too, am bothered by yellow bunny feet and over-smell things.Hard to turn those big bunnies over to check, isn’t it? I do, however, think that’s just the normal color for a white bunny’s feet. (not the smell…just the color LOL)


                          • Beka27
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                              Some white buns always have a yellow tint to their feet. There isn’t anything necessarily wrong with that, it’s more staining. It takes about 2-3 months for the fur to shed out from the feet, so you may find that the issue resolves itself as time goes on.


                            • Megabunny
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                                OOOOOH That makes sense! Thanks! (This isn’t my thread, but guess that’s why we share responses) 🙂


                              • Beka27
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                                  When we adopted Max he came from a “warren-like” environment. The buns had a large outdoor pen for playtime. Bc of this, his feet were very stained (yellow/brown) when we brought him home. Within a few months of living indoors exclusively (with appropriate woodstove pellet litter and a frequently cleaned litter box), his feet became white again. His adorable big feet were pristine white from then on. But, some rabbits are just more prone to staining and as long as they are clean, stained fur isn’t an issue.


                                • tanlover14
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                                    Why wouldn’t she be able to get spayed?? Unspayed female rabbits have an 85% chance of developing uterine cancer before the age of four. Not spaying is a very big risk to take. I would get a 2nd opinion from a different vet if you haven’t already.

                                    That being said. Unspayed females urine smells terrible! If spayed, the smell will go down quite a bit. I’ve always had pretty good luck with CareFresh as the litter and we just throw the hay right on top of the litter as the litter is always getting stuck in my Lionhead’s fur. It’s never been a problem here as long as you clean out their litters regularly.


                                  • jerseygirl
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                                      Welcome : )
                                      It’s nice to see more members with English lops.
                                      Moccasin looks like the quintessential E lop you see in historical pictures. She’s a looker!

                                      1. I personally don’t think the hay makes the litter smell bad. Im not familuar with how timothy hay is though as its not commonly used here l. It might get smelly after wet for a time. Important to take out the soiled hay regularly.

                                      2. It’s fine to use a thick layer if hay over the litter. You may even want to use clean straw (or cheaper grass hay) then a bit of Timothy for eating on top if that.

                                      3. You could try putting her food bowls in the box too. Perhaps hung over the edge in those bowls made for cages? Was she kept on cage bedding with her pervious owners? Just wonder if this why she’s developed the habit.

                                      4. Ive done same as what Stickerbunny suggested.

                                      5. Remove that stuff for now until her habits improve.

                                      Posted By Moccasin on 3/04/2014 11:42 AM
                                      She is not spayed yet. bc the vet said something like she might not be able to get it done. I have to wait like 6 more month (till she older, to know if she can)
                                      that being said…
                                      I took out the hay and she used her litter box!! (pee and poop!) She hates hay in her litter!
                                      problem is she digs the WHOLE THING OUT after using the litter box all day.
                                      Nice Moccasin, Nice!
                                      I tried Newpaper at the bottom as a liner and she found it under the litter and tore that thing up!! Maybe the litter box is now too big..
                                      I’m using a 15”x21” clear deep storage rubbermaid (she doesn’t chew it) is that too big??
                                      she is a big Eng Lop I figure she needs a little room in there.

                                      When did your vet advise this? I’m wondering if its to do with your rabbit being a larger breed. The larger mature at a slower rate then the small breeds. so abouth 9 months for the big breeds, 6 months for the smaller. I also advise to either revisit with your vet or seek a second opinion. At 11 months, I’m thinking there shouldn’t be any reason to delay now.

                                      I think your choice of a big box is good. If she’s peeing in there without going over the edge, sounds like it works. I dare say the other stuff (digging, pooping outside if box) are normal behaviours for her. Does she pull her hay out of the box at times then
                                      munch on it? (Mine do this and leave poop around put if the box).
                                      Do you have a picture of her set up or can you give more detail?


                                    • jerseygirl
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                                        p.s. I have 6 buns in the house and currently use newspaper, a screen the hay on top.
                                        I’m not assaulted by bad odour as soon as I walk in the door.
                                        I’m afraid of being immune to it so I regularly check with others if they notice smells. Lol

                                        They are all desexed and their pee doesnt smell bad. Even one of them, when he was still intact at 1 year old didn’t smell bad. I think because he was out of the teen phase.

                                        Moccasin is pretty much right in her teens when hormones are high and the pee smells. The equivalent in smaller breeds would be about 5-7 months old.


                                      • Megabunny
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                                          That screen idea sounds interesting, Jersey, and would save considerable $$ on pelleted litter,as well as my unsightly piles I’m trying to compost. I would love to try that myself, although I’m not sure if the droppings of giant breeds would fall through the standard hardware cloth, and an English Lop might even be bigger than my undersized giant. But I guess there are other wires that might work. Hmmmmm


                                        • Elrohwen
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                                            My set up is paper towel, litter (I use wood stove pellets), screen, and then hay. I don’t specifically put hay down after I clean the box, but they eat hay while sitting in the litter boxes and it ends up in there. I find it helps the boxes go longer between cleaning because the hay does absorb some urine, and keeps them from sitting right on top of their poop.


                                          • Megabunny
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                                              I sense a new project over the weekend for me!


                                            • Moccasin
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                                                He said its not time for her to be spayed. something with her type of breed. I’ll try another vet. or just wait couple more months.
                                                She pulls the hay out and then eats it. hates its over her litter.

                                                thanks for all the lovely compliments for Moccasin, she is a little rascal, lovable, Broken black tort. I love her to BITS!! Her personality
                                                is hilarious. I wish we could all just get in a room with all of our buns and play!

                                                –With the screen she uses the litter about 100%pee 50% for poop
                                                –without the screen she uses the litter about 100%pee and 90% for poop

                                                I can either get a super deep storage rubbermaid and cut a entrance and let her have at it! (dig) and poop 90% time
                                                OR
                                                I can have her get use to the screen

                                                which do you think is best for training her?


                                              • jerseygirl
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                                                  Mmmm… I vote for the 1st option.
                                                  You could try using the existing box sitting inside a cardboard box with cut out entries. See if she takes to it. No doubt she’ll modify the box also. She sounds like a busy bun.


                                                • Moccasin
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                                                    Jersey,
                                                    She IS a busy busy bunny!!
                                                    my other lops I’ve had were the most laid back rabbits. This one is the sweetest but PICKY little monster I’ve ever had!!

                                                    I love that idea with the cardboard box! thank you!

                                                    p.s. this is off topic.. but is it normal for pee to be all over her back legs and her area? maybe she has a uti??

                                                    My other buns were darker colored, so I can’t think if thats normal or not?!

                                                    Thanks to all I really appreciate this!


                                                  • Elrohwen
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                                                      I would talk to the vet about peeing on her back legs. This usually isn’t normal.


                                                    • BlueMoods
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                                                        I;d get a covered litter box and a mat to put under it to minimize her tracking litter all over the house. If she prefers to be able to dig where she poops, that would be easier than having her not using the box.

                                                        Do see a vet about the urine on her legs, that is not normal and, can lead to urine scald if you don’t keep it cleaned off for her.


                                                      • Moccasin
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                                                          Going to the vet on Saturday. Thanks everyone. I’m going to get a UTI checked, then see if her litter habits regulate if not, I’ll get the covered litter box.

                                                          I really appreciate the help!!

                                                          thanks to all


                                                        • tanlover14
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                                                            I highly recommend NOT getting a covered litter box. We were interested in using these – but the ammonia from their urine can cause respiratory problems in the future from them breathing it in. The covered litter box contains this in that small area where a lot of buns spend a lot of time.

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