On cage living and litter training

whiskylollipop · Jun 4, 2013

My two buns, both 3 months old and unfixed, live in a large dog cage indoors that I layer with hay for bedding/munchies. Recently I took on a suggestion I got on here that bedding isn't necessary, and to only put hay by their litterbox (filled with absorbent pet bedding) to encourage good toileting habits. I was trying to train them to go in a box so they would stop peeing on my carpet when I let them out.

Unfortunately it didn't work. The little buggers peed twice on the solid cage floor in the course of a night, pooped all over the cage, and decided to sleep in their hay instead of eating it. I cleaned it out and kept at it for a few days - but they kept kicking litter out, eliminating carelessly on the floor, and the cage began to stink within a day of cleaning it. They must just be peeing everywhere without regard, because I've never found a particular corner they especially like to pee in. Same with my carpet - they drop pee puddles and poops anywhere they feel like.

How do you guys do it??

Well anywho because of the stink, my boyfriend made me layer hay over their cage floor again, because it seems to keep the odour under control. Since a bedding-less cage didn't work out for us, I figure I don't mind if they poo and pee all over the cage, as long as they use the cage as their litterbox and stop peeing on my carpet. So far they're still peeing on carpet, but I'm REALLY hoping it will stop soon. Or at least after we get them fixed. Does anyone have any tips?

leaseplease:

whitelop · Jun 4, 2013

What are you doing with the pee puddles and the poop balls? Are you just throwing them away?

What I did and what I was told to do, is pick up the stray poops and sop up the pee with a paper towel and put it in the litter box. That way they can smell their themselves and see that it goes in the litter box and they normally catch on. You just have to be consistent with doing that, sometimes it takes 2 weeks or more for them to get it.
I litter trained my 2 year old mini lop, in a week, she had never used a little box. But she picked it up really well. Then I litter trained my 6 week old dutch and she picked it up almost instantly and she's 7 months old now and she's still like 80% in the box without being spayed.

As others I'm sure have told you, that when you get them spayed/neutered, you'll have better luck with them using the box 99%. There is a chance that there will always be a stray poop or two with even the best litter trained rabbits. Its just a rabbit thing, so I suggest you invest in a great vacuum and some really good carpet cleaner. Right now they might be pee and poop marking, but that should stop as you either get them fixed or as they get older.

Are you filling the whole litter box with hay? What size is the box? Can they both fit in there comfortably?
Since they're wanting to sleep in the box, I would get a hay rack and put it on the side of the cage above where the box is. Because theres a good chance that one of them is in the box eating hay and the other one is out of the box eating the hay but still using the bathroom and you don't want that. I think thats where a lot of accidents come from, the rabbits being on the wrong side of the box! But if you put the rack above the box, they can both BE in the box and eating hat at the same time. Understand what I'm saying? They sell all sorts of hay racks.

Its probably going to a take more than a few days to get them using the box more regularly. And most of us consider them litter trained if they pee exclusively in the box, stray poops are inevitable when owning a rabbit. So you'll have to give it more time and I know its frustrating and stinky, but eventually they'll get it.

Hope that helps!

Bunnylova4eva · Jun 4, 2013

Some tips from me:

Put some of the pee and poop in the box, like Morgan said. This encourages the bunny and shows them where to go.

Clean up WELL. Use cleaner that's safe with pets but that you can be sure will erradicate the smell.
Don't put bedding all over. This just confuses the bunny and tells them that the bathroom is everywhere.
Get them spayed/neutered as soon as you can. This helps TONS. I wasn't sure whether or not to fully believe it but WOW it's a huge change!
I know alot of people suggest putting hay in their bunnies litter box to get it to sit there and eat at the same time. I disagree with this, as I think it goes against everything in veterinary medicine. It's encouraging them to eat soiled food which is just not healthy.
If there's a different place they really liek to go, be flexible and move the litter box to there, where they *want* to go. Then slowly you can move it to where you want it- an inch further back to the other place a day.
Put other items in other places they like to pee-say a dish in one corner, a water crock in another and toys in another. It'll discourage them pottying there.
Limit their space to other places. Too much freedom makes it too easy of a way out for them.
For right now especially, limit other soft things (like cloths and fabric) as I've found bunnies like to go pottty on these.

Nancy McClelland · Jun 4, 2013

We have ours in a wire bottom hutch with pine shavings. They also have corner pans with shavings and a hay rack right next to it so they sit in there and eat hay. It's worked well for us. They also have boards and carpet to lay on and grass mats so they aren't just on wire. I clean the corner pans daily and the main pan every other week. When people come over to our place they don't know we have 6 rabbits till we do a show and tell as there is virtually no smell--all being neutered helps too.

Blue eyes · Jun 5, 2013

Lots of good suggestions already.

The idea that a younger bunny is easier to train just isn't true. (Not that anybody on here said that. It just seems to be a prevalent myth)

Neutered bunnies are far easier to train. So just be patient. Once the neuter is healed they practically train themselves.