How to teach bunny not to pee on hay

[Bun-chan]

Our current litter box set up is a cat sized litter box with a hay feeder on one side, and we line the box with a pee pad and paper based litter. Our bunny has been really good with using the litter box and hay feeder, but she has been starting to smell like pee, especially her front paws. We looked at the litter box and found one pee spot in the corner and another right in front of the hay feeder, so she is essentially standing in her pee when she eats from the feeder. Is there a way to teach her to pee in a specific area of the litter box so she doesn’t smell that bad? Or I can clean her paws with a wipe and that’s usually effective at getting rid of the smell, but she doesn’t like being picked up so any tips? Thanks!

[Bam]

You can clean her paws with baby wipes, preferably unscented. To prevent her paws from getting soaked, I think the best thing would be to put more litter in the box. If she’s the type of bun who digs away the litter before she pees, a litterbox with a screen would be good. You still put litter on top of the screen, but most of the pee drains through the screen.

[DanaNM]

How frequently do you clean the box? Most light colored bunnies will end up with somewhat stained paws, but if they are getting bad it means her environment isn’t clean enough.  Bunnies pick there they want to pee, it’s really that they train you to modify their box accordingly. 😉

A layer of hay on top of the litter creates a nice barrier between the litter and the bun as well. You might need to scoop out the wet spots more frequently and/or modify the box to have more litter, as screen, or both.

Distributing hay all over the box will also encourage her to pee in other places. Bunnies tend to toilet while they eat hay, so if there is hay all over the place, they will likely pee in more places.

. . . 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]

Ditto to what Dana says. My rabbit likes to pee and poop in the backside of his litter box so I typically put the hay in the front and litter in the back, so I’m not wasting hay or litter.

[Leasch]

Hi there,

I have thought the same but I think it’s best to let my rabbit do it how he wants since it’s his space.

I have a very large twine chest with an entry hole cut out for his litterbox. I also have a fabric hay dispenser tied inside.

I find the best litter so far has been newspaper and a decent amount of hay on top. When his feet get wet it’s usually a sign to clean it asap, otherwise when I do it every two to three days max, he’s happy and the hay provides a good platform keeping his feet from the moisture. It’s also the best for the environment and your garden and wallet! 😉

Good luck with it

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