Need Litter Box Help!

[MissyBunny]

Uuugh my first baby missy was a litter box saint! Now with my two new bunny’s Benji and Lady it’s a litter training nightmare. The two are properly bonded and have no issues with each other so I don’t get why my female still refused to use the litter perfectly. I’ve used 4 different sizes and styles of litter box (and I always have 2 boxes side by side) to no avail, I always have lots of hay in the box (which she likes to pull out and spread all over the floor) Benji seems to have no issue with the litter box and it’s just my female Lady. She pees beside, behind and right in front of the litter box, and this is regardless of whether or not I’ve just cleaned the box or if it’s been a day. I really don’t know what else to do. Anyone got any tips for me?

[Wick & Fable]

A picture of the set-up, especially when soiled, can be helpful for members to give specific suggestions.

Generally, the bigger the litterbox, the less likely peeing/pooping outside will happen. As rabbit owners, we need to remember that the actual structure/perimeter of a litterbox is only meaningful to us humans– there’s nothing in the nature or intellect of a rabbit that tells them, “Ah I should just go inside of this random object”. It sounds like she is peeing around the area of the litterbox, which for many owners is actually categorized as a win in litterbox habits, haha.

There are some litterbox training strategies outlined here: https://binkybunny.com/infocategory/litterbox-training/

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.

[MissyBunny]

I’m certain the size of the box is no issue, all the boxes I bought are large cat sized square ones. I tried large hooded boxes with high rims, tried those for a while with the hood off and just recently bought 2 hooded boxes again with low rims and a front part that can be flipped open so just the back half is “hooded”. Considering she will go behind the litter box and on top of the box pee there too I really am at a loss.

[DanaNM]

Can she access hay from outside the box? I had one bun that I had to be very careful with hay rack placement, because she would sit outside the box and eat hay, and just pee where she was.

. . . 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.  

[MissyBunny]

She can, I’ve tried a litter box with a high rim that was hooded, didn’t work, I tried those same boxes without the hood, still no. Now I bought low rim hooded and she still pees. But I have doubts it’s because she can reach the hay because she also pees beside, behind and right on the corner of the carpet almost 2 feet away from the litter boxes. For a really long time she was always peeing in front of the fridge in their room which is 2-3 feet away from the litter boxes. Now she gravitated closer to them but still not going in the box.

[DanaNM]

It worked for me to use a hay rack, and hang it so she could only reach it once she was sitting in the box. It was kind of tricky to place it, but it helped a lot!

. . . 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.  

[MissyBunny]

I don’t think it has to do with hay, I moved the litter boxes to the other side of the room and she continued to pee on the floor in front of where the boxes used to be. I put a gate across the area to block it and so far she has stopped peeing there for now. But she does Also like to pee in this one corner of the area rug that’s not near the litter box. I’m really not sure why she is doing this.

[Wick & Fable]

For that one corner of the rug, it sounds like that’s where she either likes to pee and/or it’s not fully cleaned there so it’s been deemed a place to mark and go consistently. We need to negotiate a bit with rabbits so simply more boxes in these locations might be needed.

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.

[DanaNM]

I had a bun that kept remarking an area of carpet, and if I blocked access she would pee next to the barrier. 🙄

I had been cleaning it with a vinegar solution, and I realized it was starting to smell really strongly of vinegar, so I think she was actually marking because of the vinegar smell. I finally cleaned it really thoroughly with a carpet shampooer and nature’s miracle carpet shampoo and she stopped marking the area!

. . . 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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