Litter training

[Fluffykins]

It’s a mile a minute with my fluffykins at the moment!

So I’ve moved around his condo big time (on the bottom floor, top floor is the same). I’ve rearranged it as well as put it into a different room. I took away one of the houses at the bottom and as he was pulling out all of his hay from the hay rack I also took that away and started leaving the hay in a pile on the floor of his cage. I’ve also attached a permanent run (he used to have free range of my sitting room before) but I’ve attached the run so when he’s “caged” it’s one big massive space.

Now I took the litter box he used to use in my sitting room and left it in the run. So he has two litter boxes in his caged area; one inside the cage that hasn’t moved place and one a few meters away in the run. Oh I’ve also changed his litter but using half his old carefresh as well as half the new wood pellets.

Ok phew that’s all the background. He was litter trained (with wee and 90% the poop but seriously I don’t care about the poop it’s the wee I want all going in the litter box. He’s 17 weeks and not neutered (won’t neuter him unless I have to for behavioural reasons).

Ok So, since I’ve shifted things around, he’s less inlicned to use both litter boxes
. He does use both sparingly, wees and poops in both but he’s less reluctant to wee in the litter box in his run (maybe used it for wee once or twice). He does wee 50% of the time in his cage litter box but the other 50%??

On the other side! On top of the lovely fresh hay!

Fyi to those that don’t know, my fluffykins does not like his hay in his litter box normally. Up until this point, if I put hay in the litter box he’d go use the other side to wee in. So now, hes weeing on all four corners of the bottom of the cage.

:/

He is also weeing on the hay so I don’t know if he wants hay in his litter box now. I did leave some in there for a day just to test it, but he ignored it.

Is he weeing on the hay (and that side of the cage) because the hay is now on the ground and he thinks it’s bedding??

I normally use fleece bedding but for now I’ve taken it away so he’s just on the solid plastic. I already spend waaaay to much on this little munchkin and part of me is itching to just get another litter box for this side and be done with it. But then I really don’t want or need 2 litter boxes in the cage if it’s just a phase.

What I’m saying is, anyone care to guess what’s the underlying issue here?!! I have noticed it’s only at night he uses the wrong side of the cage to wee in, during the day I’ve never seen him do it. The changes have been made for about a week now and it’s been about 4 or 5 days he’s weeing on all four corners.

What is he trying to tell me?!

[Fluffykins]

I forgot to mention, the area of the condo where he is weeing but isnt supposed to: this is the place I originally wanted the litter tray! It’s got way more space and doesn’t have the ramp there so just easier for me to clean up on that side.

So now he’s weeing on all the sides, should I just move the litter tray to this new side and try wean him off the other side?

I don’t want to confuse him more by changing things around yet again… So is this a stupid idea?

[Fluffykins]

So I got impatient. I put fluffykins normal bed (that’s usually in the run) inside the cage, in the area he has been weeing, in order to deter him. He’s never gone in that bed….

Until now haha.

So… I’ve moved the litter box over to that side. Let’s see how it goes

[DanaNM]

Lots of things could be at play:

1. he is un-neutered. usually people neuter so litter box habits improve (not using the litter box regularly is one of the behavioral reasons that many people neuter for). so there’s that. he could have be OK before because nothing had changed in his environment. He is entering his teenage years, so this is likely the root cause for the changes (but triggered by the change in his area). You can expect some other behavior changes: http://www.rabbit.org/journal/2-9/rebel-with-paws.html 

2. as you said, you moved things around, so now he has to mark new his new territory. typically when you litter box train, you wait for them to choose a corner, then place the box there.

3. bunnies usually pee and poop while they eat hay, and, yes, they often pee on anything soft and bedding-like.

A couple things to try, since I agree it doesn’t make a ton of sense to have litter boxes in every corner of the run.

First is to clean the entire space again (use white vinegar to remove any smells that he might re-mark), keep one litter box with soiled material in the corner that makes the most sense. restrict his space a bit (so maybe cut off access to the run?). Anytime he pees outside the box, mop it up with a paper towel, place it in the litter box, and clean the area with vinegar. Anytime you see him pee in the box (or poop), say “good boy!” and reward him with a pellet (or some other treat that is OK to have plenty of).

My bunnies will pee or poop anywhere there is hay, so I think you should try putting the hay in the box again. You can also try a rack, so he can only eat it while he is in the box, but doesn’t actually pee on it.

remove any soft blankets or grass mats that he might be tempted to pee on.

. . . 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.  

[Fluffykins]

Thanks Dana

I don’t think he’s marking new territory just more forgotten he should only use the litter box. He used to pee on all 4 corners when I first got him so he seems to have reverted back to that behaviour.

His litter box currently contains wood pellets and carefresh (wood pellets are the new addition) I’m hoping to switch over to save some pennies. No hay, as he used to jus hop to the opposite (hay free side) to wee, then hop on back to munch the hay. This particular bunny didn’t like hay in the litter box.

So since yesterday I did move the litter box to the side that’s more convininet to me, not the side he initially insisted on. It’s the side he currently seems to enjoy peeing in, but as I said he’s using all 4 corners.

He doesn’t have any flooring at the bottom of his cage currently, he’s never inclined to want to wee on anything soft. He used to have fleece all over when he was litter trained, now it’s just on the top floor. He also has a fleece bed, fleece in his carrier and fleece in the run, all places which he never normally wees in. It was only yesterday when I placed the bed in the new corner he’s chosen as a loo, he did pee on it. But that’s not him peeing on something soft, that’s him peeing in his new corner, no matter what’s there blocking him.

I’ve had the litter box in his new corners overnight and I’m not sure if he’s gone in there for wee.. I saw him backed up with his tail up this morning so I was thinking woohoo he’s going; but when he moved away I didn’t see any stains (?)

He did wee in the old corner (where the litter box used to be before yesterday so it does seem he’s still using at least 2 opposite corners.

I’ve got him confined to the cage this morning and boy is that hard. He hates it. I hate it. Especially as I’ll be home most of the day so it feels so cruel to have him confined when I’m right here

However I need to do what I need to do for the greater good.. as soon as we have this peeing under control we can all get back to normal. Cleaning it out 3 times a day was taking its toll. I have been guilted into proving extra treats though already :/ I can’t resist those paws standing up on the front of the cage with those eyes… my heart just melts!!!

[Wick & Fable]

Can you do litter box training sessions in a pen, where you can actually watch him and move him each time? It’s time consuming, but a few sessions can make a difference, so it’s worth making the time.

Use the litter box that you want and just literally watch him for hours in the pen. Whenever he goes to squat and pee or immediately after he has, make a hiss noise as an indicator that that’s not good and move him to the litter box. The association to use the litter box is being lost because he’s not getting dissuaded from peeing in the corners as you mentioned, so strengthening the association of litter box and pee would help.

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.

[Fluffykins]

Posted By Wick on 11/04/2017 11:33 AM
Can you do litter box training sessions in a pen, where you can actually watch him and move him each time? It’s time consuming, but a few sessions can make a difference, so it’s worth making the time.

Use the litter box that you want and just literally watch him for hours in the pen. Whenever he goes to squat and pee or immediately after he has, make a hiss noise as an indicator that that’s not good and move him to the litter box. The association to use the litter box is being lost because he’s not getting dissuaded from peeing in the corners as you mentioned, so strengthening the association of litter box and pee would help.

So I actually did this today, I had the whole day free so just sat outside his area… and guess what. He’s eaten, drunk, played, pooped… and that’s it. NO WEE!!!

I knew he peed more at night but come on, not one wee?!!

No way am I staying up all night

It’s 7pm over here and I’ve let him out for some exercise I just cannot keep him caged up anymore right now, he looked sooooo sad….

[DanaNM]

I’ve had to re-train Moose and it has helped to make him take “potty breaks” while he’s out playing. I’ll lure him to his box with a treat every so often. Once he is in the box he tends to pee out of habit.

It reminds me of when they have “adult swim” at public pools. Life guard secret is that it’s really a trick to get all the kids to get out of the pool and use the toilet!

. . . 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.  

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