Stubborn Dexter and his Litterbox

[Dextervonbon]

Here is what his condo looks like so you can get an idea of what im talking about.  This was before the cage was fully done a year ago so there is carpet on all the levels now.  He has a hay box on the back of the cage (middle level).  My question is:

Just recently, like 2 weeks ago or so he started to poo and pee on the carpet while eating his hay on the middle level.  He is fully potty trained, has a litter box on the bottom level as well as outside of his condo.  I tried to put another litter box on the middle level where his hay is and he is just not having it.  He will just get mad and throw the litter box off the platform lol.  It is getting to a point where I have to remove the carpet, dump off the poo and clean it everyday. 

I came up with an idea of maybe drilling holes in the litter box and using metal clips to attach it to the back of the condo with his hay box in front of it.  Also I am going to replace all the soiled peg board and carpet.  Do you have any suggestions as of why he is doing this or anything else I can do.  He doesn’t like to keep his litter box in one spot on the bottom level either.  I have had him for 2 plus years and he has always been a rearranger, but this is something new with poo’ing and peeing on the carpet in the condo.  Thank you

[Michelle&Lolli]

Hmm….well I know Lolli likes to pee/poop when she eats hay. I had kept their hay separate but finally just put it in their litter box and it solved the problem.

Could you take away the hay box and try putting some in his litter box and see if that helps?

[RabbitPam]

I wish I could help, but to be honest I am concerned about getting the same problem with a carpet if I get one for Sammy’s habitat, so have hesitated. I’ve laid down some seagrass mattes, but they get soaked if peed on too. Awaiting someone’s advice for us both. Sorry. (I do know where to get washable carpet pieces, but that doesn’t solve the basic problem.)

[Deleted User]

I really like the pretty colorful rug at the bottom and the condo overall. But I am afraid, my rabbits, too, would pee and poo on those softer surfaces. I can’t let them have carpet for that reason. I use cardboard flooring and they destroy it over time with digging etc but it is lots of fun. I don’t try to make it look nice for them because rabbits have different tastes than us anyways so ripped cardboard it is for mine! I especially love the BB Bun Run flooring, it comes in rolls of cardboard with the corrugated inside already exposed for extra traction.

[Monkeybun]

My bunnies are fine with the soft surfaces, its the hay that makes them go. Move the hay to the litter box instead of having it separate, and he should be good to go… literally

[Beka27]

I would try to attach all the litterboxes to the walls and only have hay reachable while he’s inside the box… You can do this by drilling a hole in the top of the box, looping a zip tie thru loosely, and then using a dog leash clip to attach the ziptie to the pen walls for easy removal.

My buns were also pooping outside the litterbox because I had the hay box separate. But once I repositioned it where they HAVE TO be in a litterbox to eat hay, no more issues.

I read an interesting thing about the hay and pooping. Wild bunnies will poop while they eat grasses so they can “fertilize” their feeding spot, therefore guaranteeing grass later on. Not sure how true it is, but it makes sense and possibly explains why they do what they do.

[Kiley Rose]

I was having the same problem with throwing litterboxes…I just got heavy duty velcro from the store, put a piece on the bottom of the litterbox and then on the designated cage spot, and it works wonders! I can wash the litterboxes in vinegar and water the velcro is still as strong.

Good luck!

[Dextervonbon]

I am worried about putting the hay directly in his box and him soiling it then eating it or eating the carefresh litter by accident. I think im going to just try attaching the box to the cage and see how that works first. I will try what you said Beka, that sounds like a good idea and easy If that doesn’t work I guess I will try the hay in the litter box thing as a last resort. He is such a stubborn bun but I love him so much lol I just don’t know why all of a sudden he has been doing this.

[Michelle&Lolli]

Rabbits are good at picking thru the hay and not eating pieces they’ve eliminated on. And while they shouldn’t eat a lot of carefresh, if he does eat some, it will pass thru him.

[jerseygirl]

Do you have any other pets that could have gotten into the condo?

[Dextervonbon]

I have a cat, but they have known each other since she was a kitten and they use to hang out in the condo together when she fit in there.

[Dextervonbon]

I have attached the litter box with clips to the back of the cage with his hay in his box as well as some in his hay rack. So far so good

[Author]

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