Replace LItter Tray With Loo???

[Firsttimer]

I’m having a wee bit of trouble having the rabbits in my living room but they seem to be happiest in there where they can see us and socialise.  Basically it’s the smell, both rabbits are neutered and I don’t have a problem with spraying or marking but the litter tray stinks.  I wash it out twice a week and remove the soiled parts every day.  My husband says he doesn’t notice but it seems I am ultra sensitive to the smell and I’m extremely parnoid about visitors smelling it.  Also Dylan has taken to digging in it and putting it in a cardboard box hasn’t helped because Pepper eats cardboard like she’s starving.  So I’ve been looking at alternatives and this is what I’ve found: 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-CAT-LOO-TOILET-with-filter-and-door_W0QQitemZ320275474253QQihZ011QQcategoryZ29853QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713.m153.l1262

or

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=370068802773&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=024

I just wondered if anyone had tried using one of these or if anyone had any comments about it.  My concern would be the flap causing them confusion but I figured it would solve my smell problem.

[Moonlight_Wolf]

You could probably do one of those litterbox things but will your rabbit like the flippy door and will they realize it is a litterbox since it looks different from the first literbok you have?
You clould clean that litterbox more often like once every other day. Or you clould get a different litter that controls smell better.

[JK]

Well if you notice a smell I would clean it every day.  I only have one rabbit and I completely throw out the litter and rinse with vinegar & water every single day.  I never have a smell.  I have have such a keen sense of smell and would not be able to stand that either.

[Beka27]

i would also try cleaning it throughly more frequently, esp. if you’re noticing it. with two bunnies, things are going to get icky quick.

[jerseygirl]

You can get the hooded trays pretty cheap without the added odour eliminators gadgets.  The best thing for that is the type of litter you use.  Paper/wood pellet litters are pretty good at controlling the smell, they’re cheap and can be composted.  I use a hooded litter box for my buns second box in the house as she designated a spot in the kitchen.  I didn’t like the look of the open box there for all to see!  At first I used a normal tray but once I got the hooded box, I put that tray inside it to keep bun familiar.  Most are curious enough to poke open the flap door and have a look.  If you have some soiled litter in there, they should recognise what the new fangled box is for.  It can help cut down scattered litter but it’s not 100%!

[Firsttimer]

Hmm I still can’t decide if I should get one.  At the moment I use wood based litter pellets that I get at the local supermarket.  I’ve noticed it says on the pack ‘wood fragrance’ and I’m wondering if they’ve added a smell.  I might try using a pet shop litter instead but that doesn’t solve the digging problem.  My one concern with the cat loo is that if one rabbit is in it then the other might not be able to get in and will just make a mess where they are.

[ScooterandAnnette]

Maybe try reducing the amount of litter in there and just tossing the contents of the litter pan every day? We’ve discovered that rabbits really don’t need a whole lot of litter in their pans, definitely not as much as a cat would need. When we lived in Edmonton our pet sitter was just awesome but we did notice that we went through a lot more litter when she was taking care of the buns! She’d put it in a few inches deep into the pans, and we put it in so that it’s barely covering the bottom.
– Annette

[agraybun]

Knowltons4- What is the vinigar to water ratio?

I wash the litter box with dish soap- is vinigar better?

[JK]

Oh no specific ratio – I probably use a 50-50 combo.  Vinegar cuts the smell and basically disinfects. I buy the cheapest white vinegar I can find.

[JK]

Forgot to say – I use a very thin layer of wood pellets (1/2″) and top with hay to keep feet dry. The wood pellets should not have any fragrance added.  Mine are wood stove pellets.  I would probably look for another brand of those like in a lumber store or a place that actually sells wood stoves.

[Firsttimer]

Went to the pet shop and bought a new supply.  I’ve only been half filling their tray but think I will try a thin layer from now on and dump every day.  Saw a cat loo in the pet shop which has a bigger front door flap but I reckon Pepper might chew on it. 

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I have a covered cat litter box and I just broke the flap off, as I knew they totally wouldn’t go for that LOL

[GrammyB]

Your story sounds a lot like mine. Our rabbits are in our living room too.

We use wood stove pellets, they are rated excellent in odor control by HRS. We had an odor problem until we quit lining the pans with news paper, I found out it just makes the smell worse. We clean every 3-4 days with a 50/50 vinegar mix, a friend told me to lightly spray the litter box with it before putting the litter in. The litter soaks it up & it helps cut down the odor, no more odor problem. (She has 14 rabbits now, 5 of her oun & the rest are fosters. She knows a lot about bunnies.) 😉

One of our two buns, Benny, loves to dig & was kicking ALL the litter out. I didn’t like the idea of covered boxes, so we got litter pans w/6-7 in.high sides. No more litter & poo everywhere! With the added bonus of no more bottom over the edge accidents! One of our boxes is very large about 24×15 in. they like having lots of room for the both of them. Then we have two high sided cat boxes side by side. They like going together. hehe

[Firsttimer]

I have been following your suggestions and over the last few days I’ve been putting a thin layer of litter in the tray and replacing it every day.  It seems to be working and there is not too much mess when Dylan attempts a dig.  So I’m going to forget the cat loo idea for now.  Thanks.

Hi Grammyb, I’ve never seen a cat tray with a higher side than the one we currently use.  Do you use basins or something??  The other thing we have is the corner tray with the high back but Pepper has got too big for it and doesn’t look very comfortable using it. 

 

[JK]

My pan is 4″ high and about 15″ long and 11″ wide.  Not so sure a corner pan is the best idea because it probably is not big enough. Try also putting a layer of hay over the litter if it starts to spray out of the pan. My pan is directly in front of the hay rack too which works great.  Good luck!

[TARM]

Is it cheaper to use wood stove pellets? And where do you get them? I’m using yesterday’s news…that’s the kind my ferrets use…but the price just went up to $17 for 20 lbs here! That’s insane!

[JK]

Yes stove pellets are very cheap!  I get a 40lb. bag for 7.99. Lumber stores carry them and also places that sell wood stoves.  I would call around first or do a google search for wood stove pellets in your area.  The rabbit rescue here uses them and they are the best for smell.  You just use a thin layer.  I dump mine daily though and I never have a smell.  The rescue also dumps every single litter box daily and they have 60 bunnies! I tried Carefresh and absolutely hated it.  It smelled like wet paper and seemed to stick to things. The wood pellets smell a little like wood which is a clean smell.

[Beka27]

i am on a mission. i need to find wood stove pellets near me. i am spending a fortune on litter with these two guys. Max pees A LOT. i’m pretty sure it’s not Mead b/c i’m used to her habits. i’m still using two litterboxes in the pen and i think i am going to continue to do so. they have plenty of room in there (8×4 feet), i really don’t think an extra litterbox is too much.

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