my male bun used to live indoors and almost always used his litter box. Now, he has moved outside (due to unavoidable circumstances) and has lost his litter box training! he poops all over his hutch and run and barely uses his litter box. How can I retrain him?
bunny lost his litter box training... help!
- Thread starter Rosy
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Imbrium
Jennifer
How old is he? Is he neutered? Is it only poop that he leaves outside the box or is it pee, too?
It could be hormones if he's unneutered... but the most likely cause is that he's in 100% brand new territory and he's freaking out and feeling the need to mark it all as "his" (especially if it's a larger area). I recommend NOT cleaning up all these poops (that'll just make him poop more) until he's been in the new environment for 2-4 weeks. Once he feels confident that the hutch and run are truly HIS, he'll most likely go back to his normal litter box habits.
It could be hormones if he's unneutered... but the most likely cause is that he's in 100% brand new territory and he's freaking out and feeling the need to mark it all as "his" (especially if it's a larger area). I recommend NOT cleaning up all these poops (that'll just make him poop more) until he's been in the new environment for 2-4 weeks. Once he feels confident that the hutch and run are truly HIS, he'll most likely go back to his normal litter box habits.
Droppings you get let it be spread a little but don’t let it go overboard. Urine you will have to clean up and place in the litter box.
New environment will often make the bunny start marking, if they aren’t neutered/spayed.
New environment will often make the bunny start marking, if they aren’t neutered/spayed.
Imbrium
Jennifer
Even if they are spayed/neutered, they often use poop to mark new territory.
I know that about neutered/spayed but it dosen’t get as messy if they are neutered/spayed. It will be just a few droppings spread around and a lot of chin rubbings.
But if you don’t clean up it will keep on having the bad habits. Just letting a few stray droppings stay spread around to mark the territory and the rest in the litter box. Later on the marking stops.
Myself have been in those situations often. Because I move my bunnies often between different environments. I’ve been in both situations with not neutered and neutered, took a lot of time re-training a not neutered/spayed bunny, than a neutered/spayed.
But if you don’t clean up it will keep on having the bad habits. Just letting a few stray droppings stay spread around to mark the territory and the rest in the litter box. Later on the marking stops.
Myself have been in those situations often. Because I move my bunnies often between different environments. I’ve been in both situations with not neutered and neutered, took a lot of time re-training a not neutered/spayed bunny, than a neutered/spayed.
he is not spayed and its been a couple of weeks since he has moved locations. I have noticed that he has used a certain part of his run to do his business, but when I have tried to move his litter box there, he still goes outside the box. there is also droppings scattered around in other places. any idea why he is avoiding his litter box?
Even one year olds not neutered, are hard to re-train. Neutered my buck first when he was nearly 2 years old.
It’d the litter box big enough and how it’s the litter box set up [emoji5]
You can try to was away the urine scent where he have been going or take a paper spakes in urine and lay it in the litter box. Maybe it dosen’t smell right for him [emoji4]
It’d the litter box big enough and how it’s the litter box set up [emoji5]
You can try to was away the urine scent where he have been going or take a paper spakes in urine and lay it in the litter box. Maybe it dosen’t smell right for him [emoji4]
he has decided to use an area of his run to do his business. this spot is not shielded from the elements so I am hesitant to put his litter box there. if I do, it'll b a real mess since his litter may get wet and gross. is there any way I can get him to go in a different spot ( in the litter box of course)? he has a hutch sorta thing with a roof that would be the ideal location but he doesn't use that spot. any tips? thanx!
Lola&Noel_Lionheads
Member
I have 2 litter boxes for mine.
The cat style litter pan which is bigger and rectangle in shape is placed under their hay racks but they always seemed to want to pee in the other corner aswell even though there was no food/water that side of their cage so I placed a corner litter pan there just to catch the odd lee that they did.
They don’t use the corner one as much as the cat one granted but it keeps the other corner that little bit drier for longer just in case they decided to use it
The cat style litter pan which is bigger and rectangle in shape is placed under their hay racks but they always seemed to want to pee in the other corner aswell even though there was no food/water that side of their cage so I placed a corner litter pan there just to catch the odd lee that they did.
They don’t use the corner one as much as the cat one granted but it keeps the other corner that little bit drier for longer just in case they decided to use it
Lionheadloady
Well-Known Member
I would recommend neutering and this will help a lot
Is the run area on grass? If that's where he's decided to 'go' (away from his 'living quarters') what a smart little rabbit he is! Why not let him go in the grass? No litter box needed. Nature will decompose it. You can keep a litter box in his housing area just in case he decides to use it on rainy days.
I don't have a rabbit savvy vet to do the procedure. still looking...
Lola&Noel_Lionheads
Member
Where abouts are you? I took both of mine to “vets for pets” did both of my bunnies the same day they went in the morning and came out in the afternoon, gave me advise on how they should act after the surgery and had brilliant aftercare, they called me later that day to see how they were doing and had a two week check up to check how they were healing etc... would highly recommend them
im in jersey 
a little too far lol. but thanx anyways @Lola&Noel_Lionheads
a little too far lol. but thanx anyways @Lola&Noel_Lionheads
Aah, I see. In that case, I'd suggest putting the litter box there (where he wants to go) and then maybe getting a board or something to create a little canopy overhead there.
(a photo of your set up might help)
k thanx @Blue eyes ill definitely try that. attached are pics of his enclosure
. its still a work in progress...
. its still a work in progress...
