Bunny Sitting & Litter Pans (+pans necessary for litter training?)

[clop]

Hi!  When someone bunny sits for you, do they change the litter pans? 

Buns is particular about his pan – when he’s deemed it too dirty, he doesn’t go it in.  He will either hold it, or go elsewhere.  I clean his pan twice a day, and would clean it more often but for the following reasons: he sometimes pees at 11pm-1am, or will hold it until 3-5 am, then will pee again between 8-11 am.  If the first time he pees in the early am, I am asleep, and cannot clean it.  He is a large 10 lb & growing bun, and pees quite a lot.  He has a 10″ by 20″ pan that is lined with an inch or two of tightly packed carefresh.  If he doesn’t pee before I go to bed, in the morning half of the pan has wet litter. 

I have no problems cleaning it, but if a friend or relative bunny sits Buns, I do feel bad asking them to clean the pan.  Underneath the pan and mat is a wire cage.  Would it be ok to remove the pan and let him pee and poo into the wire if we are away?  That way the litter underneath will absorb anything, and the wire will keep him dry and off the pee.  I was also thinking – is it ok to get rid of the pan altogether?  Ideally in the future we will not need a cage, so he will use a litter pan only, but with his not so great litter habits (he’s great in the cage, but once he’s out, he forgets to go back in), there may be a need for the cage for a while.  The main reason we’ve been using the pan is so that in the future, we may rid ourselves of the cage.

Any thoughts? 

 

 

[jerseygirl]

I wouldn’t remove the pan for when you’re away. Especially since he is still in training. Best your friends or relatives actually understand what bunny sitting will entail before they agree to it. If it’s only a short while, you can tell them just to top up the litter ie, put some more fresh stuff on top of the soiled.
I would give them a big bucket to dump soiled litter all at once. They can rinsed out the pan. Also, supply old towels to wipe it dry. Then it’s just a matter of putting in new litter. You can offer to dispose of the litter and take the towels etc when you get back. Not really too much work for them that way. Another thing you could do is buy duplicate litter boxes so one is taken out, replaced by a clean one. Bit over the top. What about litter liners? Not plastic though. A liner would be easy to remove soiled litter and put in fresh liner + litter.

[clop]

Hiya Jerseygirl,

Thank you for your reply! Well, there are some complications – I have many pans, but the pan in the cage is tied down to the cage so he doesn’t flip it, or snap it up and down during the night. Otherwise, I’d just ask them to remove the soiled pan for a preprepared ready one. I’d remove the ties, but I’m afraid when they come, the pan will be tossed, and there will be even more to clean.

Dh’s family stops by frequently, I could ask them to change it – but dh would feel it would impose too much. I’ve already gotten the, “well you should have thought of that before we got a rabbit” line. I did think about it, I just didn’t think we’d this would be an issue, or that Buns would be semi averse to litter training.

Topping off the litter is a good idea – that should work for the short term. Hopefully he’ll be littertrained before we go away longer. Thanks again!

[bunnytowne]

You mentioned when out he will forget to go back in his cage to use the litterbox.   Do you only use 1 litterbox? Or do you have another 1 or 2 out of his cage for when he is out playing? 

I have had 3 litterboxes outside their cage now I am down to 2 and that is fine.  Also I have had to trade out litterboxes for bigger ones too.

About bunsitting.   Well…. Like the previous post said the person agreeing to bun sit will know that bun needs to be picked up after and cage cleaned.

Same as a cat sitter would know to clean the litterbox and change it b4 agreeing to cat sit.

It shouldn’t be a problem for the bunsitter.

Hubby wifenapped me once to stay a week with his family.  Oh we had fun they are so nice. I love them. Well I left a key under the mat and lost the lady’s phone number who agreed to check on the buns while I was away.

I called another friend who lived nearby and I knew her # well.  She agreed.  The whole time I was away I worried about the dirty litter and my doe had just had 4 babies.  She was prego when we got her. And a surprise litter came. They were about 2 weeks old the babies.

When we got back everything was nice n clean paper changed everyday etc. I was so relieved when I got home. I called my friend and thanked her over n over. She said no way would I leave them to be dirty like that.  What a great friend.

So Yes people will know b4 agreeing that bunsitting will entail cleaning  up after them.

My friend told me they enjoyed the babies too.  Her daughter just loved them.  Apparantly they enjoyed the bunsitting very much.

It should work out for you when you go away for a bit. I know it is a big worry especially with your bun peeing so much.  The previous suggestions are good. About adding fresh litter on top of the old litter and then changing everything at the end of the day.

[clop]

Hi bunnytowne,

Yep, I have 2 litterboxes total. The problem is he moves his “spot” whenever I set a box outside. The other issue is that he’s been pooping outside like crazy. He’ll sit there and poop (he’ll eat some of it), or he’ll be lying sprawled out, and I’ll see poo forming under his tail (ewww). I usually push him back to the cage, but then he stops, and is cranky. When he’s in the cage, he poops in the box, but when I push him in, he doesn’t. Sometimes when he poos a huge lot, he pees right after. Any tips?

Ooh that’s so nice of your bunsitters! I guess I feel bad asking them to clean it. It’d be great to be pleasantly surprised like you were. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences!

ps. babies?! how cute?!!

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