changing litter box a lot????

[BlackMiniRex]

ok thanks

 

[katiecrna]

I change mine every 3 days not because it smells but because it's gross and full of poop. Maybe I need a bigger litter box lol

 

[BlackMiniRex]

i tried to spot clean his litterbox today but i ended up dumping all the litter! (so much poop!!!)

 

[katiecrna]

How many days did u make it?

 

[dpbunnies]

i tried to spot clean his litterbox today but i ended up dumping all the litter! (so much poop!!!)

It's the urine that'll smell most so removing just the wet patches should work.

 

[JBun]

I change mine every 3 days not because it smells but because it's gross and full of poop. Maybe I need a bigger litter box lol

i tried to spot clean his litterbox today but i ended up dumping all the litter! (so much poop!!!)

This is the one nice thing about having a screen over the litter. It keeps the poop from mixing with it so I can just sweep out the poop and wet hay, leaving the litter good til it's ready to be dumped out too.

The hard part is making the screens as I don't like using hard wire screens, and the soft screens take a bit of diy skills. But the screens work really well if you want to spot clean the litter box each day instead of covering up the poop and wet hay with more hay. I prefer to keep mine cleaned out. So each day I sweep up the peed on hay and poop(that the soft screen keeps separate from the wood pellets), and for one litter box I can go a week before having to dump out the litter, the other I spot clean wet spots every other day.

 

[BlackMiniRex]

yeah, i don't think i'll get a screen because rexs are prone to sore hocks and Andy's hocks are always balding i don't want to risk him getting an open sore or something, but yeah, i would love to get one if Andy didn't get sore hocks.

 

[JBun]

Hard metal screens would be a problem but I use soft ones made from soft plastic pet screen, so not abrasive to their feet. My rabbits are prone to developing sore hocks too, which is why I made the soft screens to use, and it doesn't bother their feet at all. But they are homemade, so does require some cutting and assembly. If you are interested in trying it, I can tell you how I made them. This is what they look like.

 

[katiecrna]

@jbun So u just empty the screen which had poop and hay on it everyday? Does the screen smell like urine?

 

[BlackMiniRex]

Hard metal screens would be a problem but I use soft ones made from soft plastic pet screen, so not abrasive to their feet. My rabbits are prone to developing sore hocks too, which is why I made the soft screens to use, and it doesn't bother their feet at all. But they are homemade, so does require some cutting and assembly. If you are interested in trying it, I can tell you how I made them. This is what they look like.

oh yes! i would love to know how to make that!

 

[JBun]

@jbun So u just empty the screen which had poop and hay on it everyday? Does the screen smell like urine?

I just sweep up the poop and the wet hay and dump it in the compost bin. It doesn't smell as the urine just passes through the screen to the litter beneath. It can start to get dirty over a few weeks, then I just soak it in vinegar and water, then use a scrubber brush with a bit of dish soap, then rinse.

oh yes! i would love to know how to make that!

Ok, I'll try to get instructions put together in the next few days, with pictures hopefully. You do have to buy a whole roll of pet screen(about $13) unless you can find somewhere that sells by the foot. Then the plastic edging is a couple of dollars. If you have several screens to make, it comes out to be pretty affordable, but for just one it is kind of expensive, but well worth it in my opinion. It's one of the best things I've made for my buns and makes litter box cleaning so much easier.

 

[BlackMiniRex]

Here is my litter box set up I now kinda need a hay rack because he pees on his hay....no hay rack fits!!!!
Sorry for the really bad pic quality!

 

[SidneyLion]

Personally, I use small animal paper pellet litter purchased from Petco for my rabbit. I only have to change it once a month. It's super absorbent and leaves absolutely no odor. It's also non dusty and my bunny seems to like it. I highly recommend it. When I first got my rabbit I tried every type of litter, most were too messy, dusty, or had me run into the same problem you have.
I put about a 2-3 inch layer in a small container that she uses as a litter box. Then once a month I dump it out, rinse her litterbox and put more in. One bag tends to last at least 6 months. Definitely try it!

 

[katiecrna]

@blackminirex did you get new litter and is it working better for you?

 

[middlemuse]

Personally, I use small animal paper pellet litter purchased from Petco for my rabbit. I only have to change it once a month. It's super absorbent and leaves absolutely no odor. It's also non dusty and my bunny seems to like it. I highly recommend it. When I first got my rabbit I tried every type of litter, most were too messy, dusty, or had me run into the same problem you have.
I put about a 2-3 inch layer in a small container that she uses as a litter box. Then once a month I dump it out, rinse her litterbox and put more in. One bag tends to last at least 6 months. Definitely try it!

Once a MONTH? :what What magic is this?! I empty Aria's once a week and I always feel like I've left it too long.

 

[BlackMiniRex]

@blackminirex did you get new litter and is it working better for you?

sorta, all of the sudden he has now started peeing right next to it ever since i changed litters :/

 

[Charmander]

Personally I have to change mine everyday, if I don't my bunny digs out all the **** and litter into her cage. Sometimes within 12h of changing I'll do it again. But I remember my other bunny it was once every couple days was good enough. And again personally I don't use bedding. When I did my bunny would move it all to the edges and kick it out of her cage, and it almost promoted not going in the literbox and using the bedding instead. What I use is PJ shirts, since I only ever wear the bottoms and a tank top I had a bag full of PJ shirts I was never going to use. I cut them in half take off the buttons and she loves it, doesn't pee on it either plus its really soft so she sometimes nuzzles into it or just plays with it haha. Every bunny is different, try a few suggestions to figure out what is best for you and your buns.

 

[JBun]

sorta, all of the sudden he has now started peeing right next to it ever since i changed litters :/

Probably he doesn't like the feel of the rougher litter on his feet. I had the same problem with one of my rabbits. That's why I started putting a layer of hay over the litter, and later made the screen to put over the litter. Another added benefit of the screen is that it helps keep the litter in place and prevents it from shifting all over the litter box when they hop into it.

So here is how I made the screen. This is a bit complex and lengthy, so hopefully I remember all the steps so it isn't too confusing.

You will need a roll of the pet screen. I got mine at Walmart, Amazon also has it for the same price. It's not normal fiberglass window screen, but is a thicker plastic screening made to resist pet damage.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/New-York-Wire-Pet-D-Fence-Pet-Screen-Polyester-36-x-48-4pc/17133583

This is the white plastic edging, which I got at Lowe's home improvement. I used the smallest width, which is what you want. There are a few different colors: white, beige, and possibly gray and black if you can find them in the smaller size.
http://www.lowes.com/pd/Sequentia-0...ainscot-Panel-Cap-Wall-Panel-Moulding/4768311

You will need heavy duty scissors to cut the plastic edging, or I used tin snips. If you use the zip ties to attach the edging, you will need something to punch holes in the edging to run the zip ties through. I used a leather punch.

First is taking measurements for the screen size you will need. Make sure to take measurements with the litter in the litter box as this can sometimes affect the size of the screen that you will need. I try and get the screen as close to the edges of the litter box as possible. Too small and it will shift around, too big and it won't fit right.

Once you have the measurements, unroll the screening and mark your measurements out, I used a silver permanent marker so it would show up on the black screening. Cut out your piece of screen. Lay it in the litter box on top of the litter to make sure you got the measurements right.

Next double check your screen measurements by remeasuring it, then use those measurements for your edging pieces. Measure and mark the edging, then make a 90 degree cut. Put each piece along the edge of the screen to make sure your measurements were correct, then with all edges in place, lay the screen into the litter box to make sure the fit is right. You want to make sure it fits before you attach the edges permanently.

Next is assembly. There are two ways I've used. First is the easiest by using zip ties to attach the edging to the screen. You want the smallest 4 inch ties so they fit easily in the holes in the screen. The down fall of this method is that hay and urine collects in the edging channel and you need to use a jet of water to get it out. This lead me to the second method of using 100% silicone caulk to attach the edging to the screen. I got mine at walmart, and make sure you don't get the mildew resistant kind. You want the 100% silicone caulk. I like this method the best as it seals up that channel in the edging so no urine or debris can collect in it, but the downfall is it is difficult to do and can be messy.

Here is a picture of heavy duty scissors, tin snips, leather punch, and cut edging pieces for both a caulked screen(with the lower lip of the edging cut off so urine doesn't collect on it) and a zip tied screen. You can see how the two zip tied edging pieces assemble at the corner so that the holes on each piece line up to put a zip tie through.

First the zip tie method. I measured and marked where I wanted the holes, then punched holes with the leather punch. Punch the holes for the corner with the two pieces put together so that the holes will line up for putting the zip tie through. Next slide the screen into the channel in the plastic edging. Make sure the screen goes all the way into the back of the channel. Then pass the zip tie through the hole and the screen and secure the zip tie, with the attachment part of the zip tie on the bottom of the screen. Then cut the excess tail of the zip tie off. An alternative to punching holes if you don't have a tool to do it, is to trim the bottom lip of the edging off so that the bottom and top are even, then you wouldn't need to punch holes in it.

Finished zip tied screen.

With the caulk method, I first trimmed off the bottom lip of the edging so that both the bottom and top were even. Next lay out some newspaper as a work surface and set your screen piece and edging pieces on it. Have several sheets of paper towels handy for cleaning up excess caulk. If using a new tube of caulk, make sure to cut the end off at a 45 degree angle and make the cut as close to the tip as possible so that the opening is as small as possible. I used a thick piece of wire to pierce the seal on the inside of the caulk(pierce it several times).

Place the tip of the caulk into the edging gap. I pushed it in so that the edging spread apart some, to make sure all of the caulk went in there. Then slowly draw the caulk gun down the length of the piece as you squeeze the caulk in.

Once there is caulk all along the gap of the edging piece, wipe off any excess with your finger, then slip the edging piece onto the correct side of the screen, very carefully so you don't mess up the caulk too much and make sure the screen sets all the way to the back of the edging channel. Then carefully slip zip ties through the screen an inch or so from the ends(and a zip tie in the middle if a large screen) to help secure the edging while it dries. I like to do the side edging first, then the top and bottom.

Carefully wipe away any caulk that may have squeezed out of the gap when the edging was attached to the screen. Do the same for the rest of the edges. When done carefully check over the screen for any caulk messes to wipe off. Be careful not to let the screen flex too much as the caulk is still wet. Then lay your screen on a clean piece of newspaper to dry in a well ventilated area. I left it for a week to make sure it was completely dried and cured. Once the caulk is completely dried you can cut the zip ties off and remove them from the screen.

Finished caulked screen.

If trying to decide which attachment method to use, the caulk method is the best one as it keeps the screen the cleanest with no gaps for debris and urine to build up in, and so is the easiest when having to wash the screen. But it is a bit tricky getting that caulk into the gap when assembling, without making a huge mess. So if you aren't used to doing caulk jobs. I would suggest not attempting it without a little practice, and being prepared for a bit of a mess with the caulk. I've done a fair bit of caulking jobs, and I found this can be a bit frustrating when that caulk tip keeps slipping out of the gap as you are caulking it.

If you have enough edging, you could start with a screen that is zip tied, then if you think you would like the caulked screen you could give it a try. This way you would also have an extra screen for when you take the other one out for cleaning.

Good luck and if anything isn't clear just let me know and I'll try and clarify.

 

[JBun]

Here is my litter box set up I now kinda need a hay rack because he pees on his hay....no hay rack fits!!!!
Sorry for the really bad pic quality!

A bigger litter box might work better. Then you can make a pile of hay at one end, hopefully one he doesn't like to pee at.

I've never found a good store bought hay rack and just ended up making my own. I know people who have used different types of wire racks as makeshift hay racks(magazine, under cabinet racks). I've seen the ikea plastic bag holder used as a hay rack, though it wouldn't be chew proof. When picking out what to use, just keep in mind that bar spacing is important. If the bars are too close together, the rabbit can't access the hay very well, so you want a good space in between bars.

Here's my homemade hay rack. For more ideas google 'hay racks rabbits pictures' and that should pull up a bunch of different ideas too.

 

[BlackMiniRex]

My bunny has a good size litter box, it's just that he pees all around in his litter box and tramples all the hay to the bottom.
I'm not that handy with tools :/
But I'll keep looking on the internet