Well, I don’t know how much help I will be but I was having the same issue with my bunny. I have read a numerous amount of articles and heres what I got… If you take a regular cats little box and put unscented (if it has a scent it can repulse the rabbit) litter in it. Put enough in there for them to dig if they like that. My bun really likes it. Always make sure you put fresh hay in one side of the litter box. They like to poo where they eat. Sometimes put treats in there…maybe some cilantro or carrot sticks. I have just started doing this and have found it extremely helpful! My bun is not having many accidents.

I know it sounds gross but my bun is not actually pooping on the food

I suggest putting out more than one litter box for them for the time being. Its a new enviroment for them still,a nd may need soem extra encouragement to go in the boxes. One or more may even be doing some territorial marking. I also suggest, that if you are letting them run around all the time, to give them a smaller space for now, so they learn to use the boxes more. More territory for them might not be the best idea at this point. You also may want to put something on the floor for now to protect it int heir area, like a tarp or a washable rug, so that your floors dont get damaged from it.

Oh yeah, and I ditto the hay in their boxes. Thats my bunnies favorite place to eat hay

If its near the ltiterbox, you may also want to try laying down a puppy pee mat under it to protect the floor until they get it right.

Is the box big enough to accomodate both at the same time? Could they be peeing over the side of the box?
My only suggestions at this point is try 2 boxes or a large double size one. High sides if you think they may pee over the edge. You could put one in each corner of the pen also if the corners are problem spots. I’m sorry they aren’t better with their habits. It’s a pity. Hopefully we can work out here what the problem is.

I just hope you don’t have to give them back! It takes a while. I can see it being frustrating with two. They’ll get it right. I’ve been working with my little guy for 3 weeks and he is getting better, almost mastered! Inside his play yard of course! Have faith!

Oh, another thing I did when my little guy peed on the floor is I soaked it up with a little toilet paper and put it in the box.

What kind of cage are they in? I think at this point, free roam of the dining room sounds like too much if they are having so many accidents. They should be contained in a smaller space like an xpen, at least until litter habits improve, and allowed out for supervised exercise time each day. I would also try a larger box, even one of the short, under-the-bed plastic storage containers. When was the last time they were checked by a vet? If it’s only one of them having accidents, it could also be health-related.

There will always be poop on the floor. You can get them *most* of the way litter box trained but 100% accuracy is more the exception than the rule. Even my daughter’s rabbits, who are the cleanest bunnies in my house, will have a handful of stray poops in their cage after a couple of days.

I don’t think the accident where they peed in the exposed corner could have been due to them peeing over the side of the litterbox and yes, you may have to be diligent about putting it back exactly where it was. The BinkyBunny store sells some litter grids you may want to consider investing in – kicking litter out of the pan is pretty typical but it’s not really a not using the litterbox related problem so look into that for those enthusiastic bunnies who kick stuff around or a high sided litter box.

I’m going to be honest though – there is never ever any guarantee that you won’t be continuously cleaning and sanitizing your home when you live with a rabbit no matter how well they use the litter boxes. I have resigned that in order to keep my rabbits area cleaned I have to clean their area and vacuum their area twice a day. I think all animals are messy and require some kind of daily cleaning of something. And I’m kind of a neat freak too.

you can get a large piece of vinyl flooring at Home Depot for $20 to put on the floor to protect yours. I have 2 couples that are terrible with the territorial marking so I got some to put down, and like the cloroplast boxes you build for guinea pig condos, turned up at least 6 inches at the wall so it forms like a shallow box. That way they can’t chew the wood baseboards and if they do pee in the corner it doesn’t get on the wall or in the floor.

Hey Kathy, is it turned up on the inside of the enclosure or the outside? And how do you secure it to the sides?

I have it outside the pens, up against the wall. I make a cut at the corner so I can fold each side up. If you crease it gently, it stays up pretty well. I used to do the same thing inside of the condos, like the piggie’s cage. But one bun in each couple starting chewing the edges and I was afraid they would swallow it so I trimmed it so the edges were outside of the condo.

Do you make the corners stay up using zip ties or something? Just want to mention to take care when you put down different flooring on carpet or wood floors. Some things leave permanent marks. Like runner backed mats on carpets, some of the backings can discolour the floor. Bummer!

Posted By Sarita on 04/23/2010 09:03 AM

I’m going to be honest though – there is never ever any guarantee that you won’t be continuously cleaning and sanitizing your home when you live with a rabbit no matter how well they use the litter boxes. I have resigned that in order to keep my rabbits area cleaned I have to clean their area and vacuum their area twice a day. I think all animals are messy and require some kind of daily cleaning of something. And I’m kind of a neat freak too.

As always, very well put!  Rabbit people do end up catering to their buns.  We have to bunny-proof everything, we have to clean daily, and we have to accomodate less-than-desirable behaviors sometimes.  My buns don’t leave poops outside their litterbox, but they do kick them out sometimes as they hop in and out.  Couple times a day I go and toss them back in the box.  Pee is a bigger deal but it sounds like you have some different thing to try.