How do you contain the hay?

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This topic has 5sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 11 months ago by littlemissflip.

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- 08/07/2015 at 11:28 AM
  littlemissflip
  Participant
  154 posts
  Hi All, I haven’t been on the forum in a long time, but I’m wondering if anyone has suggestions for a “hay containment system”. We have baskets of hay in a couple locations around our house (in addition to Captain Danger’s litter box and bunny condo), but he’s SO MESSY when he eats it–he insists on pulling all the hay out of the basket, off the tray I’ve placed underneath, and we end up with hay all over our floors in our living room and dining room. It’s out of control and driving me batty!
  
  We recently had our first baby, and it’s now extra hard for me to keep up with his mess–and even more important that I have clean floors! So I’m trying to figure out a way to continue to provide hay for him in multiple locations, while minimizing the “hay explosion”. A friend suggested those covered plastic cat litter boxes, but those aren’t the most attractive furniture items to have in your living space.
  
  Just wondering if anyone else has an especially messy bunny, and what solutions you’ve come up with?
  
  Thanks!
- 08/07/2015 at 3:13 PM
  Maddie Rae
  Participant
  40 posts
  My rabbit Scamper is also super messy in his hay eating habits. I’ve just started using a tray under the litter box, though you said your bun pulls it right off of that too! Maybe a blanket or some other kind of ‘mat’ under the litter box would fool him so whenever he pulled out hay ontop of it you could just put the hay back in his basket and clean the mats every now and then. But plastic cat litter boxes do sound like really good ideas!
- 08/07/2015 at 4:11 PM
  littlemissflip
  Participant
  154 posts
  Thanks Maddie Rae, a blanket or towel underneath might not be a bad idea at least for the short term–might be easier to pick that up and shake it out outside than it is for me to constantly be sweeping it up. But ultimately I do want to find a way for him to rummage through his hay contentedly without him scattering it out everywhere… it’s impossible to even walk through areas of our house without tracking hay everywhere!
  
  Thanks for the idea! I’ll keep mulling it over
- 08/09/2015 at 12:27 AM
  Gina.Jenny
  Participant
  2244 posts
  I have five of the boxes that are meant for storing stuff under the bed, each with a good lining of hay. Three are in corners of the living room and multifunction as an occasional use toilet, a bolt hole (honestly, if the bunnies lie down really flat in them, no one can see them, they are sure of that) and somewhere to sit and chew thoughtfully on hay while being social with their human pets. The other two boxes are in the dining area, and they do keep most of the hay in, even when a bunny turns it all over, looking for the bast bits. One of the dining room ones has been chosen by the bunnies as main litter box, so when that needs changing, I empty that one and swap it with one of the other four, so it means little hay actually gets wasted.
- 08/09/2015 at 6:23 PM
  littlemissflip
  Participant
  154 posts
  Thank you! I am experimenting with some box solutions right now myself. I took a large Costco produce box (that he usually just lounges under) and flipped it over so that there is a ~3-inch at the opening. I covered the stop with some fabric, so that it still feels private and safe, and place his basket of hay inside. He can hop in, strew the hay about within the box, and 95% of it stays contained within the box. I placed a plastic tray beneath where he sits, so that if he pees/poos, it will be easy to clean out.
  
  Ultimately I’m thinking it would be nice to construct wood versions of this box, perhaps with hinges at the top for easy access.. But the cardboard box suffices in the meantime.
- 08/09/2015 at 6:23 PM
  littlemissflip
  Participant
  154 posts
  Thank you! I am experimenting with some box solutions right now myself. I took a large Costco produce box (that he usually just lounges under) and flipped it over so that there is a ~3-inch at the opening. I covered the stop with some fabric, so that it still feels private and safe, and place his basket of hay inside. He can hop in, strew the hay about within the box, and 95% of it stays contained within the box. I placed a plastic tray beneath where he sits, so that if he pees/poos, it will be easy to clean out.
  
  Ultimately I’m thinking it would be nice to construct wood versions of this box, perhaps with hinges at the top for easy access.. But the cardboard box suffices in the meantime.
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