How to stop bunnies from pooping and peeing on hay?

[sugarbunnies]

My old bunny would pee and poop where his LITTER was, not on his hay. This is very frustrating because it soils the hay and wastes it. I have no idea how to stop this habit, as I can't tell when they are going to go to the bathroom. I feel like I throw out so much hay because they feel the need to pee on it.

I know a lot of members create things for this, but I use a litter box out of a cage (they don't have one, they free roam, with hiding spots).

 

[JBun]

Here's a tutorial on a great litter box system that separates the hay in the litter box so they can't pee on it.

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=53690&forum_id=93

Also, if you can find hay by the bale at a horse feed store, it's a lot cheaper than buying the small bags of it. Usually a 50 lb. bale is only $10-20.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Many rabbits like to pee and poop on hay and while they are eating hay.
Try putting a bit of hay in the litter box to get her to use it and put fresh hay above the box.
Since you have a litter box outside the cage, I would put some hay in the box. Then have the rest of the hay somewhere that your rabbit can't sit in it

 

[lala007]

hi there,

Gren and Shin Shin are "free range" too, with two litter boxes. They both love munching while pooping and peeing, so I put a layer of hay on top of the shredded paper. I get my hay at a feed store in a big plastic bag so it's not nearly as expensive, and it doesn't seem quite so bad to waste it. i also kept the other hay off the ground level until both had firmly established good litter box habits so they were not interested in going elsewhere.

Good luck!

 

[Imbrium]

I didn't have the tools to build the hay cover from the stormhaven litter box system, so I went a different route. I bought some long bolts and drilled holes for them in a scrap of coroplast that I cut to fit part of the litter box (didn't have the tools to cut wood, either, and I like that coroplast is waterproof/easier to clean). I stuck the bolts up through the coroplast, then ziptied the coroplast to the litter box grid to keep it in place. I put the hay in amongst the bolts so they can reach in to eat it but won't put their little booties in it, that way they don't pee/poop on the hay part of the box.

 

[ldoerr]

I would get a hay rack.

 

[Kristin McCann]

I tried clicking on this link & it just says “error”

Here's a tutorial on a great litter box system that separates the hay in the litter box so they can't pee on it.

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=53690&forum_id=93

Also, if you can find hay by the bale at a horse feed store, it's a lot cheaper than buying the small bags of it. Usually a 50 lb. bale is only $10-20.

 

[samoth]

I tried clicking on this link & it just says “error”

Yeah, sorry -- the forum switched from vBulletin's static URLs to more common dynamic ones some time ago, so old threads with links in that format don't work properly.

Here's the thread:
https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/the-stormhaven-litter-system-step-by-step-instructions.48510/

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We got hay racks from Fosters and Smith and hang them half over their pan, so they can chew and void in the pine shavings the pan is filled with.

 

[Binkis Mum]

Binki is free roaming - but I use her old hutch as a litter box and feeding area. Wood pellets and a little hay on one side, then put fresh hay on the other. She only poops and pees on the side with the wood pellets

 

[Sunshine's Fine]

Hey, I've got 2 girls who have really good litter habits, except they like to pee on the floor of their pen. I'm thinking it's because they're female and very territorial. They're free run all day and evening, then I close the door of their pen at night while I'm sleeping. Pippi especially loves to chew - anything and everything! She loves apple sticks, but they're hard to find and expensive. I made a couple of prototype feeders out of cardboard to see what would work and they would use, so I could make a permanent one from wood. Well, I made one from a cardboard cereal box and neither of them have made one, single nibble from it! That was well over a year ago. I still can't believe it, but maybe it's because they love their hay so much, they don't want to mess with anything that keeps it coming.

I've also seen one online that is made from fleece, if you're a sewer. Here's the online version:

Pippi was eating out of it, but when I went to take the pic, she decided she wanted a selfie. I use Yesterday's News, but put a small amount of hay right where her head is. The top of the box is open so I can drop the hay in easily. Hope this helps. Pippi is my big girl and is blind in one eye.

 

[Lee Hems-Blackmore]

Hi

I have the same with my two girls. Hay is in a feeder but will pull out of feeder sit on it an wee an poo this is even with a litter tray next to the feeder. The poo i can understand as its a natural thing to do when they eat hay but the wee im not sure on

Sorry could t be of more help