Bunny scared of new wood pellets?

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This topic has 4sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 5 months ago by koj.

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- 05/21/2021 at 12:21 PM
  koj
  Participant
  39 posts
  Hi, I changed my bunny’s litter to wood pellets which work incredibly well. However, whenever we change her old pellets with new ones, she gets scared of stepping in it. She jumps in it but quickly jumps out and kicks it everywhere. The weird thing is is she only gets scared of it when it’s NEW as in recently changed. As we keep adding her droppings in there, she gets used to it but it takes a day or two. We tried to sprinkle hay on top, but she still gets scared.
  
  So for the first day or two she pees and poos everywhere on the ground 🙁 Is there any reason as to why she’s so scared of the new pellets? And is there a way to get her to use it on the first day?
  
  Thank you!
- 05/21/2021 at 12:58 PM
  Bam
  Moderator
  16964 posts
  I have never heard of this problem before, but knowing rabbits, I’m not that surprised 😂
  
  You could try saving a tiny bit of the old soiled litter and sprinkle it on the new litter, so it already has her scent on it?
  
  I scoop out the peed-on litter and as much of the poop as possible a cpl of times per day. Once a week, or if there’s sth I want to observe, like amount of newly produced poop, I empty and clean the box and fill it with all new litter.
- 05/21/2021 at 9:22 PM
  kanin
  Participant
  139 posts
  If you don’t already, try covering them with a layer of hay to make it softer for her feet. Plain wood pellets seem like they would be pretty uncomfortable to hop and step on which could explain why she’s apprehensive about it.
- 05/22/2021 at 6:54 AM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5813 posts
  I think exposure and habituation will be key. One of my rabbits gets anxious whenever things change, whether it be literally moving a chair to a different place or leaving our socks on the floor. I imagine there may be texture and/or scent differences with new wood pellets, so hopefully over time those novelties are less impactful.
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 05/22/2021 at 9:20 AM
  koj
  Participant
  39 posts
  Thank you all for the replies! I appreciate it 😀
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