EVERYWWHHEREEE

[Esarv]

 I just got my bunny and i know its going to take time but i need help with litter training my bun!  He sometimes pees in his litter box but the other times he just pees where ever he wants lol.  He does not poop in his litter box =/   Thhe bottom of his cage is just a towel so i cant take what he peed on and put it in his litter box so he can learn the smell nd where to go.   Please help! 

[Mr.Buck]

Can you not completely remove the towel on the floor and that way he’s peeing on plastic so you can wipe it up. A lot of the times they pee on what’s soft. So if you only have litter in the box and remove the towel until he understand litter box only it’ll help. And neutering of course.

[Esarv]

ok ill do that!…also what would help with smell, my room is starting to smell funny, i guess like rabbit hhaa and i know my parents arent going to be very happy about that…should i get like a febreez plug it in or something?

[Elrohwen]

The best cleaner for rabbit pee is a 50/50 solution of water and white vinegar. It will smell like vinegar at first, but that smell will dissipate and it’s really good at removing stains and odor. I just fill up an empty spray bottle and use that.

[Esarv]

I dont mean for cleaning, i mean for like keeping my room smelling good, i have a candle burning but should i get a plug it in to somewhat mask the smell so my parents dont freak oiut haha

[Kits_Lucky]

I don’t think bunnys should smell if they are cleaned out enough. Mine only gets foosty after a couple of days-are you using an absorbant litter? there are ones that help keep the stink away! also Is your litter tray big enough? buns like to lie and eat in their tray and that makes them more likely to use it. The one I have for my bunny is HUGE and has a very high back because i’d rather use a bit more litter than have to wipe out the cage!
Also, the towel might be what is confusing her, the only time my bun has piddled somewhere naughty was on a nice soft furry blanket, i think they just like that! you could try taking away the towel until she is better trained and maybe leave a wee patch for her to lie on. worked for mine!

[Beka27]

Is he neutered? Some unneutered buns will have a “musky” smell until they are neutered. There isn’t a lot you can do to stop it, they secrete the smell.

Strong smelling air fresheners are not recommended as rabbits are very sensible to smells and they can cause respiratory issues.

[KytKattin]

Is your bunny neutered? Unfortunately, it seems nearly impossible, especially with male bunnies, to not have some sort of “funk” if they are not neutered. That being said, you can limit it in a few ways. First would be to have a box of baking soda near the cage (keep it out of his reach!). Replace the box monthly. Clean the cage thoroughly at least once a week. I honestly can’t smell that I have a rabbit until she needs a new litterbox (I use disposable litterboxes). See if his scent glands need cleaning. If you are not experienced with this, a rabbit savvy vet or maybe your local HRS chapter can show you how or do it for you. Make sure his litterbox is big and deep enough. Sometimes rabbits are trying to use the litterbox, but they go over the edge because it is shallow, or it is just uncomfortable for the rabbit to squeeze into. When you put the new towel in, make sure it has been washed in very hot water in some sort of non-scented detergent. He might be protesting the smell of the towel if he isn’t just confused about the softness. Change the litterbox every 2-4 days, though I know he isn’t using it a ton right now.

Really though, just make sure you do a really deep cleaning if you are still having problems with smell. You just might have missed something that makes it still stink.

[Esarv]

ok, thanks i took out all the towels and now he is just on hard bottom, the litter box is pretty big, its the size of a cat litter box and has a high back. For litter i am using wood stove peletes and i have hay and newspaper in there so it encourages him to go into it. He is not fixed yet, although i did contact a vet today about getting him fixed, she is going to get back to me today and ill get him fixed soon!! Anything else i should know haha im a new bunny owner!! =/

[KytKattin]

Good for you on getting him fixed! He should make a much better pet after his neuter. Just make sure the vet is rabbit savvy. You should NEVER fast a rabbit before surgery. Sometimes a receptionist won’t know that rabbits must always have food (at least hay) available, just make sure the vet knows that is not the case.

Hopefully once he is fixed he will be better about using the litterbox as well. I have people come into my super tiny dorm room and they are surprised that I have a rabbit because “it doesn’t even smell!”. lol.

[Esarv]

Thank you so much for all the suggestions, its really a big help!!

[Stickerbunny]

Rabbits don’t really smell as long as everything is kept clean, as others have said. Once he’s neutered the smell will reduce a lot. In the meantime, you could try a natural air freshener to help your room out – grind up some cinnamon, dried lavender, etc and place it in pockets about your room (out of bunnies reach). Also, be sure to scrub the areas he pees in with vinegar daily and scoop out the litter box for wet spots every so often.

[Esarv]

I just got home and at the store i picked up baking soda and a jell pet oder elimanater thing and put one on each side of his cage where he cant get it (on the outside) and since i took out the towels he hasnt peed once in his cage just in his litter box! =]

[Pandorachik]

They are safe pee cleaners you can buy. Also like Elrowhen said, vinegar and water, is the best basically lol!

[Esarv]

Is the baking soda and jell pet oder eliminator thing safe to have in my room where he livess? He cant get to it.

[Stickerbunny]

Baking soda is fine (since he can’t reach it), not sure what a jell pet odor eliminator is exactly, so can’t say on that one. If it isn’t heavy smelling probably OK as long as he can’t ingest it.

[Elrohwen]

I agree with the others that bunnies don’t smell as long as they are neutered and the cage is cleaned out. The only thing I can smell with mine is the hay, and that’s unavoidable, but it’s not a bad smell. Since your guy is not neutered, wait until that happens and reassess – unneutered males smell really bad and there’s not much you can do.

[Esarv]

He has an apt for the vet on wednesday and is getting fixed soon after that! His cage is all hard on the bottom…should i put down a towel for him to sleep on? Or do you think he’ll just pee on that then? I just feel bad bc he doesnt have anything soft to sleep on.

[KytKattin]

Don’t even worry about him having something soft to sleep on. My girl prefers to sleep in a cardboard box, or just in the middle of the floor. Even if he doesn’t pee on it, he might still prefer it not being here. If you think about bunnies in the wild, they aren’t like dogs that sleep in soft grass. Rabbits eat the grass and burrow into a tunnel with hard walls and a hard floor.

[Mr.Buck]

Buck will kick out anything soft, or eat it. When hes out, hes always trying to get to hard surfaces. He hates soft for relaxing if something better is comfy and available.

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