Cocoa wont use her litter box

[Cocoa]

So for the last week and a half Lily and Cocoa have been inside because The construction next door was really loud. Lily has been doing great inside, she has gained a little weight and now loves to flop on my desk while I do school. My mom has fallen in love with her but my dad keeps reminding me they have to go back outside. Cocoa has been a bit of a trouble maker since she has been inside. Cocoa shreds the newspaper that I keep on the floor and refuses to use her litterbox. She pees and poops EVERYWHERE! I clean it up and put it in the litterbox every time. I cant keep doing this every single day. I replace all the newspaper about twice a day. I clean the floor with vinegar as well to cover the smell. What else can I do?

[DanaNM]

Glad your mom has come around

I wonder if she’s peeing on the floor because the newspaper is there and it seems like bedding? Often having anything on the floor other than a hard surface can confuse them.

It’s also normal for buns to mark when they move to a new area.

Can you put something down that’s a hard surface that you can clean easily? Like a linoleum scrap or tiles?

Does she use the box if she’s confined to a smaller space? Sometimes it helps to confine them to a smaller area to re-learn to use their box, then slowly expand the space.

What type of flooring is under the newspaper? And are they in a pen, or just free-run in your room?

. . . 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.  

[Cocoa]

They are in an x pen in the dining room right now. We laid down a shower curtain then put the pen on top and then put down newspaper. She will still pee and poop wherever she wants even if the space is small. I do not have anything like that to use to cover the floor. I dont want to buy anything since they are going back outside and it would just be a waste of money

[Bunny House]

I suggest removing the newspaper, as Dana said. My buns would pee on the floor ontop of regular bedding because they thought it was the litter box so I removed it and put fleece down and they don’t pee or poop anywhere but the litter box. If they can smell something that smells like a litter box, they will go on it. Also, make sure to clean the litter regularly. My buns will start peeing outside of it if the litter is too dirty for them(spoiled) haha

[Cocoa]

I cant replace it with fleece because she pees on that even more. I clean the litterbox once a day. I have to have something on the floor though because otherwise they just slip

[Bunny House]

What about some cheap foam bath mats?

[Cocoa]

We have tried those but she still pees on them

[Author]

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