"going" where I don't want him to

[atjurhs]

Hi guys,

I'm having a lot of fun getting everything set-up for Mr. Kato but....

His hutch is is about 3x3. About two feet of the floor is open wire (and the litter pan sets under that) and the other foot of so is his "bedroom" with a wood floor. His "bedroom" is where I've been putting wood chips and paper shreddings for him to snuggle in, but instead his "bedroom" has turned into his "bathroom". This pretty much defeats the purpose of litter pan, and puts pee on the wood walls which I'm guessing will eventually stink.

What can I do?

 

[atjurhs]

Here's the hutch floor plan/layout

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Many rabbits like a softer place to pee and poop. They also tend to like to eat and go at the same time, so will tend to go where there is hay. Try putting the litter box in the hutch and putting hay inside it. If you have one that would fit in the 'bedroom' area, that could at least help keep that area a bit cleaner and easier to clean.

 

[atjurhs]

thanks for the thought.

I'd really like not to use a traditional "litter box". there's a 2x3 foot litter pan that I'd like to get him to use.

if they like to eat and poop at the same time, maybe I should move the hay ball out of the "bedroom" and place it over the litter pan.

I'm also thinking about blocking off the half of the "bedroom" that he has turned into a "bathroom". He does like to "hide" up against the back wall of the "bedroom" where there's wood shavings so maybe he won't potty there?

thanks for your ideas!!!

anymore?

Todd

 

[Morning_Snow]

I agree they do like to pee and poop in softer places. I like to keep the food, water, hay, and potty area in the same place, or at least the food and hay near the potty place. This is because, like Korr said, they like to eat and potty at the same time. The reasons why most people stick to litter boxes is because they like to potty on the soft area (in wild they like to potty in deep soft soil or grassy areas) so they put the litter and shavings there. What I do to keep them warm is a soft material like fleece that is soft but not the same feeling and softness as the litter they potty in. Not to be rude, but i've been kind of watching each of your posts and it seems like you want everything in a perfect place for Mr. Kato they way you want it. It is Mr.Kato's home and some rabbits are just picky about where things are. I like to choose were things go for my rabbit too, but in the end it is their decision. Some rabbits are just pretty picky. It is a good idea to play around with different things and see what works best for Mr. Kato. Good luck to you!

 

[Blue eyes]

Having a bunny go potty in a litter box is the easiest way to keep smell down and to keep the cage clean. He is wanting to go in the corner which would be the ideal place for a litter box. You, however, are basically trying to "un-train" him by having him piddle all over the larger area over the grate. This doesn't make sense to me.

Why not just work with the wonderful habit he is trying to establish and just put a box in the corner and put hay inside that litter box? You can always cover the mesh area that has the drop pan and make it a solid floor there. I see no need to force him to be un-trained.

Using a plastic pan for a litter box should keep the urine off the wood walls. Otherwise, you can put self-stick vinyl squares on the walls like I did on my cage.

 

[whiskylollipop]

I agree with the other posters. Place a litterbox with extra hay under the hay ball, it may be trickier to clean out than the drop pan, but it will feel way better and more natural for Kato, as opposed to peeing on a grate. Having the litterbox hold his pee/poop also helps to comfort him by letting the area retain some of his bunny scent, thus marking his territory. For this reason when I empty litterboxes, I only wash them out once every two months. Keeping some bunny scent in there is so important to help a bunny feel at ease and at home. I'm not surprised Kato chose to potty on the wood rather than let it all fall through the grate.

Once Kato is litter trained to use the box, which I'm guessing he will happily do, you can put a fleece down on the grate to encourage him to come out more and laze around where you can see him. And take the bedding out of the wood area, bunnies tend to prefer smooth solid surfaces. They live in burrows, not nests. I'm afraid he might just eat the bedding to get it out of his "burrow". Either that, or he'll eventually decide that that soft area is a potty too.

 

[atjurhs]

ok, will do, now to find a littler box no widder than 10inches....

 

[Blue eyes]

ok, will do, now to find a littler box no widder than 10inches....

Just look in walmart at the plastic storage containers. They work fine and are much cheaper than an 'official' litterbox.

 

[atjurhs]

so I bought a plastic litter box at Walmart of $1.98 it was too long but just the right width, so I got out my Dremel and shortened it up.

so I scooped up a bunch of his messes and put them in the "half-litter-box" and placed the box in the corner where he'd been going.

Mr. Kato came in to check things out and decided the plastic box is worthy of chewing on. I sure hope the "chewability" of the box won't deter his use?

but maybe if nothing else his pee won't splatter all over the wall and drain to the floor

 

[whiskylollipop]

My bunnies chew on the litterbox edges too. Chew marks are another way of marking territory - to a certain extent, it's fine to just let them do it. It won't deter him from using the box.

 

[jason93]

I think that rabbits want a comfortable place to go pee and poop.Sometimes, they might eat and pee and poop at the same time, so make sure you'll keep "bed room" always clean tp protect their health.

 

[atjurhs]

with the litter box in place as shown in the drawing, Mr. Kato's "bedroom" has become more of a hiding spot he runs to when startled. Now he hangs out more on the "patio" on the wire floor near the water bowl.

I guess he's just going to decide where he's going to hang and do what he likes

 

[Blue eyes]

If he uses the litter box for his potty area, then there is no need to make him lie on the wired floor. I would suggest covering it with something solid. You could put some cold tile on top of part of it for a 'cool' spot to lay, and some fleece or carpet (if he doesn't ingest it) on the rest of the area. That gives him options from which to choose.

 

[atjurhs]

he kinda has droppings everywhere, mostly in the litter box area, but not fully. However, it does look as though all of hi pee is going in the litter box, so that's a plus!

 

[Blue eyes]

All the pee in the box is great!! Stray poos are typical, especially in the cage. Fortunately, the poos are dry and odor free. It's the urine we want in that litter box!

 

[atjurhs]

Today I built a new inner "wall" for Mr. Kato's hutch. It used to have just one single arch-hole in the middle. Now his bedroom and bathroom have separate entrances. I'm thinking I may add another inner wall to fully separate the two rooms?

So in Mr. Kato's hutch is a water bowl, a water bottle, a food bowl with pellets from Sherwood, Timothy Hay from smallpetselect in the wire ball, a little tennis ball with a rattle, and two pieces of fleece cloth. This bunny is living at the Rivera!

 

[Blue eyes]

I don't see hay in the litter box. One side of the box should be filled with hay. That little ball is just a toy/diversion but cannot hold near enough hay to be the primary source for feeding.

I would not suggest adding any more walls. His space shrinks with the addition of each wall.

 

[jason93]

I think that rabbits want a comfortable place to go pee and poop.Sometimes, they might eat and pee and poop at the same time, so make sure you'll keep "bed room" always clean tp protect their health.