How to prevent the litter box from messing up the whole house? Looking for recs

[Barush]

Hi,

It’s been a while after my previous bunny passed away and now it seems like I’m finally ready to adopt a new one.
In the past I used to use a corner litter box that was put inside the cage, however, I remember we had a real problem with the house staying
nice and tidy, as my rabbit always carried away the specks of the wooden pellets and/or the hay on her feet every time she jumped out of the cage.

I actually didn’t know about this in the past but when doing my research now, I’ve noticed that some people use a cat litter box for their bunnies too.,
so I’m wondering, are these generally better/do they keep your house tidier? Another thing I’m a bit worried about is that if I purchase the traditional
cat litter box, my rabbit would be then spooked by the door flap and I’m not sure how readily it will then be using it. Is it just better to maybe
purchase a higher litter box suited for cats, but remove the outer side?

Any tips & information about good solutions are welcomed. 🙂

(Edited by Wick – removed weird formatting text from appearing)

[DanaNM]

Those corner boxes are almost always too small. I have seen people use covered ones but they remove the door flap. I also think it’s important to have good air flow because rabbits have sensitive respiratory systems and you wouldn’t want pee fumes building up.

I have always used either just large basic cat trays (nothing fancy, just the ones that are uncovered trays), or plastic storage tubs meant for storing things under your bed. Bigger boxes do keep things tidier for sure. There are some high sided ones that have one side lower for easier entry that I think would work well too, but I haven’t tried them.

. . . 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.  

[Louiethebunny]

I use a large cat-sized litter box with the door removed, like @DanaNM talks about above, and it really keeps the mess inside. I put carefresh and hay in the box, and other than a few loose strands of hay, everything is contained inside and the mess is kept to a minimum. There’s a little “vent” at the top of my litter box and i placed it near an area near the window, so i can open the window to let some fresh air in near the pee fumes.

[Wick & Fable]

I use what I believe is called a boot box? It’s large and flat and typically meant to put tall boots under the bed, I believe. They were cheap and are sturdy enough to hold. Unlike cat boxes, it doesn’t have a hood,  but I’ve found it large enough for my 5lbs rabbit. My 2.5lbs rabbit finds its roominess nice as well. There is much less hay tracking with this box than past ones I’ve used.

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.

[Lindsey]

I also use something similar to what @Wick has mentioned above – my bunnies both seem to love them because it’s so roomy and there’s a lot less mess.  They’re rubbermaid type storage containers, without the lid obviously! But they’re the “under the bed” ones that don’t have as high of edges. I think they were around $5 a piece!

Also, just a comment that if you do end up adopting a new rabbit, the length of fur might play a big role in the issue you mentioned. We use “yesteday’s news” brand compressed paper pellets for litter (they’re just like wood pellets in the sense that they absorb in the same way) and there’s never an issue with anything getting stuck to the buns feet/fur, but my boys both have short fur. Maybe something to keep in mind!!!

[Wick & Fable]

You can also purchase a litter screen. The BinkyBunny store sells custom made ones, as well as a pre-made kit: https://store.binkybunny.com/litter-box-screen-kit–preorder–bb-k200-p181.aspx   ….  https://store.binkybunny.com/litter-box-screen-custom-size—pre-order-bb-c200-p206.aspx

I use plastic knitting mesh (aka plastic canvas; 7-count – designates how big the holes are. 7-count is big enough to allow air circulation and small enough to prevent litter from getting through for me) on top of the litter, as a litter screen. This creates a perfect barrier between the litter and the fur. They sell them in bulk and they’re super easy to cut without leaving sharp edges. I lay them flush, wall-to-wall-to-wall in the litter box so they can’t chew on it either. It looks like this (found the image on Google):

…. They sell bigger sizes (mine covers the entire boot box), so if it’s something you want to try, make sure you get a size larger than your box so you don’t have gaps like the picture above. Also, you should clean the screen with water/vinegar (I just do a good elbow towel wipe each time I clean the litter box) so it doesn’t get grossly stained and dirty like the one above as well. Here’s another example:

 

You can see the person cut the screen to fit the shape of the box itself, so it’s a more snug fit. (also I realize the litter box in the 1st picture is the one on the right of this one? Haha)

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.

[Trixieandcookies]

You don’t have to get a hooded litter box with a door. I just use a high sided cat litter box as i had problems with the pee spraying out of the litter box and onto the floor. If you completely cover the litter with hay there won’t be any litter sticking to the buns feet but there might be hay on the floor instead. My bunnies actually don’t track hay to far its just around the litter box.( the cats on the other hand they’re litter gets EVERYWHERE lol) The others have better examples and suggestions.

I hope this helps 🙂

[Happyjeans]

This is a slightly different variation to the answers you’re received but ultimately I don’t think any set up will result in a mess free house. My recommendation? A cordless Dyson, mounted on the wall right by where the bunny lives. If its a large amount of hay, or really thick hay I’ll use a dustpan and brush but you wouldn’t believe what this think can suck up on the max mode with minimal blockages. Yes they’re not cheap but it is genuinely one of the best purchases I ever made, you’d think I work on commission the amount I rave about my beloved Dyson. I vaccuum around that area probably around 4 x a day now but each one takes under 2m, including if I’m going in to the lounge if he’s tracked in to there from the hallway. I’m disabled and I still find it an easy task. By doing little and often I also find that the mess doesn’t get spread around as much and tends to be hoovered up before it leaves the few ft around his cubby.

[Beau Bunny]

I got a simple, small open kitty pan on amazon and use yesterday’s news…the paper pellets are pretty dense so they don’t easily stick and get tracked about…but I’m also very blessed with bunny with great litter habits. I think one thing that helped us was I gradually increased the area he was allowed in, and always made sure to have a litter box nearby. He has a litter pan in the corner between the sofa and wall in the living room where he has free roam time, and also a box in the office where his enclosure is, and that has worked well for us.

@Happyjeans is right though, pets make a mess no matter what you do. I think it also depends on the individual bunny, so you may have to experiment. I keep a little dustpan next to Beau’s enclosure and I just got a robot vacuum to help with debris in between house cleaning. You can get them fairly cheap these days…starting at $50 bucks. If you have hardwood or tile it may be worth your while.

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