Digging in the litter box

[kirbyultra]

Hi everyone,

Been a little while since I've started a post It's my Penny once again. She is a sweet girl who doesn't do much by her own choice, but when she does, her activity of choice is digging in her litter box. Her already-wet, already-soiled litter box. :grumpy: I give her things to eat, toys to play , stuff to tear up. But she insists on throwing her litter all over the place. It infuriates me...

She used to do it in the afternoon when I am home and can hear her. I went after her with a spray bottle to let her know I don't approve. Then she started doing it when I'm not home! I'd come home to a destroyed litter box and bits of pine litter everywhere. When she's done destroying her own box she'll head over to her bond mate Kirby's box and destroy his. :X

She doesn't do it ALL the time, nor every day. Every once in a while she'll get it in her head, "that's what I'll do today!" anic: She's used the same compressed pine litter since day one, and I change out the litter and clean the box once every 3-4 days without fail. I dunno why she does it. Is there anything I can do to discourage her from doing it?

Anyone else understand my frustration with a digging bunny?

 

[JadeIcing]

Digging is natural instinct. Do they have a digging box? Maybe fill something with shredded paper giving it to her during the day to play?

 

[kirbyultra]

No i don't have a digging box. You mean like a litter box filled with just paper? I just hope that she digs there and not her litter box anyway!

 

[JadeIcing]

Yup! Hide some kind of treat in it. Something healthy so it tempts her.

 

[nicolevins]

My rabbits did this too. It was one of the reasons I got rid of it

 

[Nancy McClelland]

I had to take the litter box out of Bunnicula's hutch as she would empty it out and try to tear it up also. She didn't start doing it til she was three. Coal also likes to dig, but we were able to channel here digging to a box filled with newspaper shreds. Works with some and not others.

 

[tamsin]

Her litter box is probably the closest thing she has to soil to dig in. She's just trying to find an outlet for her natural digging instinct. You just need to make a more tempting place to dig or redesign the litter box so it's less messy. A covered cat box is one option or just a storage box so it's deeper and digging doesn't kick stuff over the sides.

 

[BethM]

My Amelia used to do this. She would dig out the wet pine litter, and throw it all over the floor of her pen. So gross and annoying!

(Now that I think about it, Penny and Amelia have a lot of things in common....peeing on the floor; digging in the litter box; stealing food from their husbuns; lazing around much of the time.....)


The first thing I tried was getting the plastic craft mesh that some RO members use. Put the litter down, then the mesh, and a sprinkle of hay (I used the small bits from the bottom of the hay box). I think I didn't cut it perfectly, though, because she still managed to get the mesh up at the edge sometimes, and dig the wet litter.

I ended up finding a litter box that had a built-in screen. Same idea as using the craft mesh, but the box is made in two parts- the regular litter box portion, and an insert that has sides and the bottom is mesh. There is enough room between the bottoms to put about 1/2 inch of litter. Poop stays on top of the mesh, urine goes through. They don't stand on (and can't even get to) the actual litter.

The box has it's drawbacks, though, the mesh part is kind of hard to clean. The craft mesh is MUCH easier to clean.

The rescue here has a sanctuary bunny who loves to dig litter, I think his "mom" just found a big cardboard box and cut the sides down (lower on one side), and set the litter box inside. It doesn't stop the digging, but helps to contain the mess a bit.

 

[kirbyultra]

BethM wrote:

My Amelia used to do this.  She would dig out the wet pine litter, and throw it all over the floor of her pen.  So gross and annoying!

(Now that I think about it, Penny and Amelia have a lot of things in common....peeing on the floor; digging in the litter box; stealing food from their husbuns; lazing around much of the time.....)


The first thing I tried was getting the plastic craft mesh that some RO members use.  Put the litter down, then the mesh, and a sprinkle of hay (I used the small bits from the bottom of the hay box).  I think I didn't cut it perfectly, though, because she still managed to get the mesh up at the edge sometimes, and dig the wet litter.

I ended up finding a litter box that had a built-in screen.  Same idea as using the craft mesh, but the box is made in two parts- the regular litter box portion, and an insert that has sides and the bottom is mesh.  There is enough room between the bottoms to put about 1/2 inch of litter.  Poop stays on top of the mesh, urine goes through.  They don't stand on (and can't even get to) the actual litter. 

The box has it's drawbacks, though, the mesh part is kind of hard to clean.  The craft mesh is MUCH easier to clean.

The rescue here has a sanctuary bunny who loves to dig litter, I think his "mom" just found a big cardboard box and cut the sides down (lower on one side), and set the litter box inside.  It doesn't stop the digging, but helps to contain the mess a bit.

I considered pulling out the old baking cooling rack again to deter her. Same idea as the mesh but more... unstable. It's not hard to clean, it's just not easy to maneuver when I am dumping out the litter. Where did you buy your box? I saw one that Feline Pine makes but it's really expensive and there's no guarantee Penny will even "like" it. Or develop other "less desirable" behavior with it...

Yeah, our girls do have quite a bit in common don't they? :X

 

[BethM]

Here's the box I have: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VZQZQW/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I bought two at Petsmart and the third from Amazon, I don't think Petsmart carries it any more. I threw away the tiny scoop and high guard that comes with it.
Like I said, though, the grid part is difficult to clean. The underside has some support ridges , and the wet litter tends to stick. It's really gross. My husband cleans litter boxes here, and I do think it would stay cleaner if he cleaned them more frequently. In the summer we tend to take the grids put and spray them off with the hose.

I have seriously considered ditching the grids and going back to craft mesh.

 

[kirbyultra]

Yikes that box seems like a real piece of work! I read the reviews... it makes me wonder about boxes that confuse people. Haha.

I like the idea of having higher sides. So at least if she digs out the newspaper that lines the bottom of her box, the wet pine litter doesn't end spraying the floor. She's not as bad as I think some bunnies are who literally empty their boxes. She likes to push her litter around and tear the newspaper up that's underneath, sometimes dragging the newspaper out. I think it's some kind of game for her. When she has the newspaper on the floor she's content and walks away. The wet litter ending up on the floor is just an unfortunate side effect. Ugh.

I think I will try Ali's suggestion first since her fascination seems to be with paper.

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Oh yeah, I've had buns that do this. You could also try giving an old phone book to dig at, they love those.

Is she flipping the box as well or not? With my first bun, we had to screw holes in the top of the box and ziptie to the cage, lol.

 

[BethM]

Yeah, Ali's idea might work well, if the paper is the target of Penny's digging.
Cody has a phone book that he likes to dig and tear up, it seems to be great fun for him.
I don't use paper in my boxes, Amelia just loved flinging the wet litter out behind her. Of all my bunnies, she seems to have wide-set back legs, which facilitate flinging stuff out behind her. If it weren't for the clean-up, it is hilarious to watch.
:/

None of my other four seem to care much for digging.

 

[kirbyultra]

It's so weird. I don't have any phone books. When they come I usually see them in the lobby of my building, but I haven't seen any in the longest time. I gotta see if there's something in the house I don't need anymore... I'm running low on newspaper too LOL

Penny's about to go through some changes in her diet after her vet visit so I have to be careful about the changes in her to make sure she's acting normally. Maybe I should wait before I change her environment again. I am pretty concerned about her lately. All my bunnies have me on the edge this week.

 

[AquaticRex]

just cut (and protect the ends with animal safe cocking, try the stuff for fish tanks), and bend a NIC cube to fit the length and width of the box and the depth of the litter. should sit flush with the litter.

i say an nic cube cause it's got hols that won't stop the business stuff from going through, and it's bunny proof (until she finds a way to remove it, then just find a way to attach it to the litter box hehe). also if it does come to attaching it to the box, then the wider holes allow it to let the litter to go through for easy emptying, and if she tries to dig she can only get so far and stuff won't go flying.

 

[kirbyultra]

I had to cut a NIC cube grid with bolt cutters to fit my baby gate door and it was so hard!! I can't imagine doing it again. And they're REALLY hard to bend?! The only time I've even come close to bending a NIC grid is the time I was walking in the dark and forgot the baby gate was up, totally tripped over the baby gate and landed with my full body on top of the NIC grid. And it only bent a little. :shock:

But no, I totally love the idea of using a NIC grid. The hole-size is perfect and would be easy to clean. If I could somehow get it to stand up or something. It's the same idea as using my old bakeware cooling rack, but easier to clean.

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Glad that is working and your story is hilarious!

I have one from two summers ago, trying to snatch pics of buns in pen. Attempting the climb over. My sandle catches the top lip, down I go!

 

[Luluznewz]

Also, if your up for buying a new litterbox you could get one that has a grid built into it. This is the one I have and I like it. Its more intended for a single bunny because its not that huge, but in a pinch my guys do okay sharing it.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752717

It looks sorta like that.