Litter Training Issues

[CheryllovesNeo]

Hi, my little monster is 6 months old, coolest little dude EVA! He is neutered.

However, he is STILL not always going in his liter box.

ISSUES: I gave him to much freedom as a baby, I may have fed him to many treats, he was allowed on furniture.  So he has 3 spots outside of his case unless I catch him.  He understands NO and Get Down.  So no more couch, leather chair access b/c those were 2 of his favorite pee spots. Is using the same bedding in the litter and in the cage a bad idea???

TESTED using the corner litter box, as he got older I got a small cat liter box and cut down on 2 sides to create a walk in path.  I tried taking all the liter out of the cage and only putting in his liter box – he peed on the bottom and stepped in it and got full of pee, I tried taking all liter boxes out of the cage and seeing what corner he chose, he would pick a corder and once I put the liter box there he would switch to the other corner.  I have tried 3 different sizes/types of liter boxes.  He has plenty of room to lay, eat and have for his liter in his cage.   I keep a tray over the liter boxes and now I actually have 2 a corner one and a regtanglar one to see which corner he sticks with.  NOW he pees right outside the larger box but he will poo in the litter box.  So of course it runs underneath the box.  Its just really random where he will go within his cage.

he does get a lot of freedom and goes almost everywhere with me…altho I stopped about a month ago until he is better liter trained.  I even did the 2 straight days in the cage…and as soon as he gets his freedom back he does it again.  

I always move poo and soaked bedding into liter boxes and put fresh bedding in cage..I have been 100% consistent doing this since I got him at 8 weeks old.  He is now 6 months and was neutered about 4 months old.  He had to have 2 neutuers unfortunately, one testicle had not dropped at the doctor thought it had when he did the first one.   So i had to go back in.

He usually stays to one side of the cage to pee but won’t go regularly in the liter box.  he poos all over it regularly. 

HELP!!  I have been 100% consistent with moving it to the liter box, used napkins to wipe up couch spots and placed into liter box…I have not stopped doing this since I got him..but he doesn’t care.  

ANY HELP or recommendations would be SUPER helpful.  I love this site, I did read through many of the liter training forums but i wanted to provide my specific situation since he had to have 2 seperate neuters.     I also didn’t see anything I haven’t already tried.

If it helps to post a picture of his cage I can do that asap as well, please let me know what details may help direct any help that can be provided. 

[Flabebe]

Pooping outside the litter-box is a way for him to say that the cage is his space. Has he chosen a preferred litter-box?
I would put bedding in the litter-box only, but put something like an old sheet down (One that you dont mind him peeing on) so he isnt standing in his own urine. Spend a day with him in his cage to congratulate and pet him when he uses the litter-box! this encourages the immensely. also, are you putting his food near the box? Hay in the litter-box also encourages them to go there simply because they like to eat and poo at the same time It may take a lot of time and patience, but eventually he will get the hang of it and you could slowly move those litter-boxes to other areas he likes to play in

[CheryllovesNeo]

So cool.  You have mentioned a few things that I had not heard before.  He has yet to choose a preferred liter box, he likes gping where the liter box WAS…after I move it out, but when they are there he goes somewhere else.

I can definately do the liter in the liter box and sheet idea…I have plenty of throw away sheets.  I do know that he loooves peeing on soft things (my couch (very fluffy)

I actually keep a liter box outside and inside (2 inside actually).  He nevers uses the one outside and he can be out for hours and never has an accident…he goes back into the cage pretty often.  

One other question I had is maybe I am cleaning it to much.   I am in there almost daily moving his droppings over to liter…do you think he isn’t using the liter box just bc I clean up the ones outside to much?

He has never been aggressive and doesn’t seem to mind me cleaning his cage..   I NEVER take him out of the cage or reach for him…only time my hand goes in there is to feed him or move the droppings over.    I want him to know that space is his and if he is in there I wont mess with him. 

 O ya and I do have a tray hanging over his liter box.   I also usually put some in the litter to the side.   Then i have his food bowl on the other side of the cage where I mix lettuce, pellets and hay (bc he wasn’t eating his hay) so i dice the lettuce up and mix it in to get him to eat his hay.  I do the same in the bin over the liter box (2 times a day for veggies).

He is a happy little bugger…and I know he knows what he is doing…i still catch him on my couch wanting to go potty but i catch him before he does.   He never has accidents on the floors…ha TYPICAL lol!!

 

 

[rabbyrabby]

I’ve got a new bunny too!  He’s a dwarf and is about 4-5 months old. 

He’s also having the same problems that you’re describing.  He pees in random places.  He even pees in his own hiding hut and then refuses to go in there, probably because it’s stinky… (have to clean it like every day). 

I like to let him out of the cage, and his habits aren’t any better, but they aren’t completely indiscriminate.  Like you said, he likes peeing on soft things, like your couch.  Mine seems to pee in corners, which is what they typically do.

I went to Wal-mart and for about 8 dollars, you can buy a pack of 30 puppy pads.  I put these in corners… and if I’m lucky they will catch the pee.  In fact, today, he opted to pee on one of these and clean-up was as simple as picking it up and tossing it out.

These pads are really, really fluffy.  Perhaps you could put a small one inside the litter to simulate the soft feeling of a couch?  

Good luck!

[CheryllovesNeo]

Wow exactly. If I put his hiding hut in the cage he def is going to the bathroom under there. I have actually pulled it out until he learns consistency with the liter box. I am not letting him have any other influences. However, that’s not necessarily working either.

Good call with the puppy pads. Ill try that, that is also a good idea to bring when I take him places. I have this small dog tent that i can pop up in any area for him that just folds up in my trunk. I also have a cardboard box house i made him we bring outside at home. he doesn’t pee in either of those places…well the tent if he is there for awhile I guess. I even put a liter bin in there and he wouldn’t use that.

Keep me posted how it goes and if anything works and Ill do the same.

If anyone else has additional advise Im all ears…hehe

[CheryllovesNeo]

I just have a few open questions open if anyone can help.

Is it possible to clean the cage to much? (I mentioned above how its his cage but I clean the droppings outside the liter box daily) could that annoy a bunny to wanting to continue to go outside the liter box?
How big of a liter bin do you need for a 5lb dwarf bunny?
If you travel with them how do you keep them familar with bathroom habits?

I would like to be able to take him places with me (as he has been very used to doing this already) without him having accidents in his carry bag etc. I am sure moving them around there may be…but he has been to joining me with friends and family rather than staying home. He does have a travel cage and other items, def a spoiled bunny.

[CheryllovesNeo]

Im not sure why but there have been several views and only a couple responses. If anyone can help tht would be greatly appreciated.

I am starting to get discouraged. He is almost 7 months old and still won’t pee and poop in his liter box consistently. I am working on building him a 3 story wire pen, ramps and carpet and all….but i dont trust he won’t pee in areas he shouldn’t…..

He will literally pee right outside the liter box. If the liter box is not there he pees where the liter box was. Is there some trick I am missing.

[litheandgraphic]

Hey! Let me see if I can help you with some of your questions.

1. Cleaning out the enclosure is something that bunnies will definitely take notice of. It’s highly recommended that you don’t clean their area when they’re inside, as this can make them feel less secure about their space and thus make them mark everywhere. If you have a very territorial bun – and it doesn’t sound like you do – then you should even avoid cleaning the area when they’re in eyeshot.

2. No matter the size of the bun, the bigger the box, the better. Many bunnies don’t like the smaller, corner boxes, and prefer a larger space to hang out and eat in. I suggest getting a medium to large cat litterbox for a 5 lbs bunny.

3. As for traveling, it’s impossible to ensure that they won’t go in the carrier, but once he’s litter trained more, it will help prevent him from doing it too much.

A couple further things:

• If you’re making him a multilevel enclosure, I suggest keeping the box on the bottom floor.

• Rabbits will often decide for you where their litterbox should go. They will pick a spot (most often a corner) that they like. To encourage them to use the box, follow their lead and place the box in that area.

• Another major thing is, as has been suggested, to put hay in and around the litterbox. Rabbits like to munch while they do their business.

• What kind of litter are you using now? It’s possible that he doesn’t like the type you have. Some easy, safe, and recommended litters are papers based substrates such as CareFresh (I recommend CareFresh Ultra and CareFresh complete).

[CheryllovesNeo]

I am using the recycled paper curds…really soft and no scent. It is what they used from birth. I am going to look into that CareFresh I have heard that mentioned a few times. Can you find that at any pet store?

Thank You soo much btw. I think #1 is my issue. I do move droppings while he is in there a lot. if i sit by his cage while he is running around he will come straight over…he hovers thinking I am giving him food. He has to see what i am doing in there all the time. Its hard to keep him away. So I may need to just keep him in another room while I do that.

I also think #2 may have been an issue. He grew so fast. I did get a cat litter box but it is the smallest one. He probably wants more room and I will definitely need a larger one for his big cage. I even considered putting the bottom of his current cage in the new 3 story (the entire plastic pan the wire clips onto )..but I dont want to enable him to continue going all over the place if that makes him familar with the idea. Thoughts?

I plan to build a plastic bottom to the wire pen…and using rugs and carpet on teh floors. I may leave the bottom plastic only (with a rug or something I can take out and clean) until he is trained. Then I was goign to carpet the bottom and each floor.

He also loves this leather chair I have in the living room and continues to poo there…only there. and all over in his cage….and occasionally outside on patio furniture. But never on teh carpet or anywhere else in my townhome.

Thank You again, you are extremely helpful!

[CheryllovesNeo]

BTW I did get puppy pads..but i wasn’t sure if that would enable him to go outside the liter box if i had them layed all over the bottom…..but if i have a sheet or rug..he goes on that anyways..

[litheandgraphic]

You’re welcome! That’s what we’re here for!

I would recommend against using the entire bottom layer as a litterbox, because you do want him to be specific to one box.

I also suggest that when you bring him out, consider taking the box with you wherever he goes so that if he wants to go to the bathroom he can get used to going there.

Another helpful thing is if he’s leaving droppings around, you can pick them up and put then inside the box, so he gets the idea of where they’re supposed to go. The same goes for pee, if you can soak it up in a paper towel and put it in there too.

CareFresh is quite common. You should be able to find it basically anywhere. If not, it’s very abundant online.

[Kyrkogrimr]

Hi

Firstly, you might find that you’re getting a lot of views but not many responses because people are looking at the thread but don’t have any suggestions to give or any advice they have has already been given. I personally don’t like to post in a thread just for the purposes of saying I don’t have anything to say! lol

I second FLR’s suggestion that a bigger litter tray might help – Puck certainly prefers the larger tray we bought recently to the one he had before (and that was a medium cat litter tray! lol Picky little monster. Since we changed his tray he’s gone from alternating good habits and lots of typical post-neutering naughtiness to near-perfect litter habits. Even 90% (or more, that’s a very harsh estimate to be honest and includes his time out of his cage with the “inferior” litter box) of his poop end up in the litter box, whereas he’d been leaving those all over the place since we brought him home.

You could also try changing his litter, he may have changed his mind about it. Puck was fed meadow hay from birth, but decided fairly abruptly that it simply wouldn’t do anymore. Changed him over to timothy and we’ve not had a problem.

[Author]

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