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Forum BEHAVIOR Refuses to use litter box despite all my attempts

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    • Deleted User
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        Ok, we have had Bun-Bun for about 6+ weeks now. We have no idea of his age since we basically nabbed him from the street where he was dumped. I do think he is older.

        I have posted about past issues with the litter training. When we first got his cage, he would pee/poop in one corner and one corner only.

        So, we assumed he was litter trained and bought a HUGE corner litter box. Installed it and he refused to use it, he goes in the opposite corner right next to litter box.

        We have spent days watching him and as soon as he backs up, we nab him and plunk him in litter box and have praised him when he has used it.

        Well, after a month of this with little LB use we decide to move it to corner he uses. Guess what…. he STILL doesnt use LB and uses opposite corner instead.

        Needless to say, his cage gets GROSS quickly and requires every other day whole cleanings instead of a quick daily LB clean like we hoped.

        So… I have 2 choices, order a special LB off the internet that covers BOTH corners because it is a large rectangle but if he STILL chooses not to use it, it is a expensive unreturnable mistake.

        I was thinking about having DH come up with something like a piece of plexiglass or plastic molding, really low to divide floor of cage so when he does pee or poop….. the bedding would be divided and I would just have to clean and replace that spot daily and because of the divider it shouldnt leak onto the rest of the cage and since it was low, basically low enough to keep bedding in but not so high as to annoy Bun…. technically it should work?

        Anyone tried something like this? I am at my wits end with it right now. And tired of fighting a bunny on it. Not to mention he has become really sneaky about peeing. He will wait until I walk out of room so I cannot nab him and put him in LB.


      • Stickerbunny
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          Corner litter boxes they sell at pet stores for rabbits are awful and a lot of rabbits won’t use them because they are just TOO small. Get a regular old cat litterbox from the pet store and try that. Rabbits like to have a lot of room in their litter box, with hay in it and room to lay down if they so choose. Also, are you putting bedding down in his cage besides his litter box? If so, you are basically telling him the entire cage is the litter box and he won’t know any better.

          A few steps for litter training –

          1) Get him a large rectangular cat box
          2) Remove all bedding from the cage and just leave the litter in the box as the only absorbent material. If your cage is wire bottom, use cardboard to line it for his feet.
          3) Put hay in his litter box, bunnies like to eat and go potty at the same time.

          4) Get him altered if he isn’t already. It helps litter training plus lowers the smell a lot.


        • LBJ10
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            You said he is older. I wonder how old. Do you notice him having trouble hopping into the box? Could it maybe be painful for him to get in and out and that is why he refuses to use it?


          • Deleted User
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              • Floor of cage is solid plastic due to his crippled foot.
              • Yes, we have bedding on bottom of cage. Pine shavings. He has pellets in his LB. We have done the NO bedding in his cage and only in his LB and he will pee/poop on the bare floor and then it runs all over and he steps in it and EWWW! So we put back the bedding because at least then it was something to absorb the pee and cut down on the grossness.
              • And he has a snack ball thing filled with hay hanging over the LB because he refuses to eat hay out of a holder or off the floor, will only eat it in this. He will strech to eat hay from OUTSIDE the LB. He will not even get in LB to eat the hay much less use it to potty. I am wondering if it is the pellets in the LB and am really tempted to put pine shavings in the LB today, move it back to corner he is peeing in now and see if he uses it…..

              I will try the cat litter box because at least that is WAY cheaper than ordering one and I can get it at Walmart.

              As for his age, he doesnt seem to have issues getting around as long as its not slick(again,due to crippled foot). He hops and bounces around living room during his out time without any issues so I do not see that hopping into his LB should be an issue. Honestly I think he is older and does things how HE wants to and that is that.LOL

              We bought a huge nice hutch for him to have inside that is twice as much room as his cage. We bought specialty horse stall mat so he had a solid floor in it. He hated it. He barely ate and drank and just sat there until we returned him to the cage we originally bought for him. He prefers the spot by the front door instead of the corner by DH chair but since we cannot do that unless we are willing to lose seating….. and we cannot afford to lose seating… he tolerates the corner.

              Except the corner is right by entry to and from living room and when it smells, that is the first thing you get whapped in the face with as you enter living room.

              Except I have got to find a solution that works for him and for me.


            • Stickerbunny
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                Pine shavings are bad, bad, bad for bunnies – the oils in pine are released with the shavings and can give them respiratory issues. Switch to pellets if you want to keep pine down, it removes the oils that make it harmful. Feline pine for example.

                With bedding all over the cage, honestly, he won’t know the difference between the litter box and the cage. My girl used her cage at first because I had litter all over it, then as I started removing the litter and putting it in the box, she started using the box after a few days. She messed the cage floor a few times but they quickly learn that messing the floor just makes it gross for them. I spilled a little of her litter on the floor the other day and she used that spot, because it had litter on it and to her, it meant it was the litter box.

                Sounds like he doesn’t like the box or the litter in it, if he won’t even get in to eat the hay. What litter are you using ?


              • Deleted User
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                  It is compressed pine pellets, cant remember brand but recommended by our local Bunny Advocate group because it has the oils burned off.
                  We get it at the feed store in a 50# bag.

                  And litter box is a corner one, 8″ high x 16″ across and 11″ deep. The largest one I could find at any pet or feed store around Portland. Takes up 1/6 of his cage.

                  He would use it when we caught him backing up and would snatch him and toss him in it. But like I said, he has become really sneaky about peeing or pooping. He will not go while I am in room but as soon as I walk out of room…. he runs over there and pees or poops.

                  We did a whole week of no litter on bottom of cage and just pellets in LB and he still went on bottom of cage, walked and laid in pee/poop and didnt care. We finally switched back because he was not pleasant to hold or pet or touch and I ended up having to take several damp washclothes and clean him up just so he smelled decent enough to hold. It was like he didnt care that he was sitting in his filth.


                • LBJ10
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                    The part where you are describing how he reaches over the litter box instead of simply getting inside suggests that he doesn’t want to get into the litter box. You said he has a crippled foot? Does he ever jump up and over stuff when he is out playing? He might be bouncing around but the motion of pushing off with their back legs to make it into the litter box might be different than the motions seen in play. If it were me, I would get a cat litter box and cut the side out so that he can easily step inside without much effort. As for the cage bottom, maybe you could just lay some newspaper down temporarily until he is using the litter box. That way it is a flat surface like a bare floor, but there is at least something to help soak up the mess.


                  • Deleted User
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                      He can jump up from the carpet onto the couch, chair or our laps and down again, despite his crippled foot.

                      Which is basically a fused curled paw. We have no clue as to whether it is a birth defect or an early injury that has completely healed and fused into what looks like a little cinnamon bun curl from tip of his paw to what would be approx. his elbow. Heck, we didnt know he was disabled when we caught him because before we got him, we saw him running and crossing grass and driveways to get away from neighborhood cats. It wasnt until DH was holding him while I got a carrier out of garage that he found it.

                      I like the newspaper idea! Thanks!


                    • BearMom
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                        I would try a different litter in the box. If he seems to like the wood shavings I would switch to aspen shavings, which are safe for bunnies. Maybe he likes the wood shavings because they are softer. You could put those in the littler box and then the newspaper outside. If after a few days he still isn’t peeing in the box I would even try putting the aspen shavings in the box, and the wood pellets outside the box. I know you don’t normally want to have bedding outside the box, but maybe because those are less comfortable that would encourage him to spend more time in the box.

                        Worth a shot anyway. And I would definately stop using the pine shavings. Another alternative is carefresh if he is picky about going potty on soft stuff.


                      • Deleted User
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                          Well, I will try the pellets on the outside and shavings inside the LB and see what happens today.
                          Cannot get to store until Sat. for new shavings so he will just have to deal until then but I like the idea of the pellets on the outside and MAYBE since he doesnt appear to like them…. he will jump in box and use nice soft shavings… worth a shot!LOL

                          He always pushes the shavings off to the side where he lays down anyways, so I will just put pellets around the LB area.
                          Off to tackle this!


                        • Monkeybun
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                            I would try the newspaper outside the box. Having a litter/bedding does tend to confuse them. Newspaper might be the best option for non-confusion as its very different than his litter. And try the rectangular cat boxes, my buns love em.

                            If he doesn’t like the litter feel, you might just want to put an extra layer of hay on top of the litter. He might like that more. Alot of the rabbit advocates layer hay int he boxes for their buns, so does OHS.

                            If he still decides to be stubborn after trying everything, you could email the RA, or bring him by the next outreach, one of the other volunteers may have more ideas


                          • Deleted User
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                              Well, it IS the pellets.

                              I cleaned it, reversed the shavings and pellets and put him back in on the pellets. He immediately made an EWWW YUCK face and looked in the LB-saw the shavings, hopped in and peed. Then contemplated getting out and basically sat there until I shifted some pellets so he could get to his favorite laying corner without touching them.

                              Then he sat there in that corner staring at the food and water which had pellets under it and then looking at me with a glare. JEEZ So, Mom took pity and scooched the pellets enough for him to get to those and not touch the pellets.

                              Now, he will have to deal with this for 24 hours and we will see. Just hoping that he is willing to cross the small section of pellets to get to soft shavings in LB and do his business. I am hoping that he hates touching or standing on the pellets enough that it forces him to start to use LB and not the floor.

                              And if it does…. then I will make him stick it out for a few days like this until he gets that the LB is a good place to do his business and I will remove pellets and get the Aspen bedding for the LB and leave the bottom of cage bedding free.


                            • Monkeybun
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                                Its amazing how picky some buns can be about their litter My Monkey will only use carefresh

                                If it is the pellets that are the problem, having them on the floor wouldnt make much sense, as he will use the box if it has different litter. Might want to just take them out completely now


                              • Sarita
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                                  It is possible with the pelleted litter and the crippled foot he has problems balancing on it. They are kind of slick and roll around.


                                • Deleted User
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                                    Posted By Monkeybun on 07/21/2011 01:44 PM
                                    Its amazing how picky some buns can be about their litter My Monkey will only use carefresh

                                    If it is the pellets that are the problem, having them on the floor wouldnt make much sense, as he will use the box if it has different litter. Might want to just take them out completely now

                                     

                                    That is what I thought after I posted, so doing it now.  Are my chickens and ducks this picky…… no. Is my dog this picky….no. Is my cat this picky….no. Leave up to the rabbit whom I rescued off the street basically… to be picky. Jeez, he should be happy he has a clean, warm, dry home with unlimited love, food and water!LOL


                                  • Stickerbunny
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                                      Ha, so funny he gave you *the look* when you switched it on him. Some rabbits just don’t like the pine pellets – my male won’t use the litter box if they are in it, but he uses pelleted Yesterday’s News. *shrug* Glad you found out the problem though lol


                                    • Deleted User
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                                        Well, pellets are removed and he was like EWWWW do not let them touch me Mom when I was taking them out. I finally just took him out of cage while I did it because he was shrinking into corner like they were EVIL and could give him the plaque if they touched him!LOL

                                        So, cage bottom is free and clear and he has soft shavings in LB so we will see. If he starts to pee on floor in opposite corner of LB then I will bring enough pellets back in to put in that corner and hopefully deter him.


                                      • Deleted User
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                                          And the daycare kids and I went outside for an hour to play, came in to NO PEE or POOP on the cage floor and a new wet spot in the LB!
                                          We may have solved the issue…..


                                        • Monkeybun
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                                            Yay!


                                          • Deleted User
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                                              Poop pellets and more pee in the LB, nothing on cage floor!
                                              Doing the Bunny Happy Dance!


                                            • KatnipCrzy
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                                                Is he neutered? And did I read your post correctly- is the litterbox 8 inches high? It high help to cut out an area on one side to make it easier to enter and exit if the problem does not resolve.
                                                glad to hear that switching out the pellets seems to be doing the trick so far.


                                              • Deleted User
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                                                  He isnt neutered yet. Lots of other expenses this Summer have prevented that, hoping for late Summer.
                                                  And I know that is a big part of it.
                                                  The litter box is 8 high at the back. The front is lower, only about 3 inches high.

                                                  Well, it is morning. He has used the LB all last night and even this morning after we got up we caught him using it several times! We are praising him every time we see him use it. I will clean and change it this morning!!

                                                  YEAH!!


                                                • LoveChaCha
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                                                    I am a strong believer that litter habits will become a lot better after the neuter The hormones will need to settle down after a month, and I’m sure that he’ll catch on.


                                                  • jerseygirl
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                                                      Posted By Sarita on 07/21/2011 01:47 PM
                                                      It is possible with the pelleted litter and the crippled foot he has problems balancing on it. They are kind of slick and roll around.

                                                      DITTO. My exact thought while reading this thread also.  I’m willing to bet this was at the heart of the problem. He may jump up on things while out of the cage but the pellets offer little to no traction.

                                                      Wood pellets make a great litter but it does sound like they’re not for Bun-Bun. Unless you can use a screen over them that doesn’t move.  Otherwise, as you’ve discovered, there are alternative litters that would work better for him.

                                                      Glad to read of the success! 


                                                    • Beka27
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                                                        Posted By katlovesaandw on 07/22/2011 06:44 AM
                                                        He isnt neutered yet. Lots of other expenses this Summer have prevented that, hoping for late Summer.
                                                        And I know that is a big part of it.
                                                        The litter box is 8 high at the back. The front is lower, only about 3 inches high.

                                                        Well, it is morning. He has used the LB all last night and even this morning after we got up we caught him using it several times! We are praising him every time we see him use it. I will clean and change it this morning!!

                                                        YEAH!!

                                                        You might not want to be too quick to clean the box.  Leaving it a little bit dirty will cement in his mind that this is the place to go potty.  Constantly changing litter and disinfecting the box can be confusing as well.


                                                      • TamarizRabbit
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                                                          I realise this is a really old thread and no one might read this but wanted to say… I am a new house bunny mum and so eager to do the right thing. My bunny (about 12 weeks) was going in every corner there was and I think it’s because she was confused by having shavings on the floor and in the box. So I have just removed all the shavings and made up a nice comfy litter box. We’ll see how this goes. The problem is I’m feeling really guilty about her having nothing on the floor of her cage. It looks so uncosy. What can I put in her bed area? Should I put anything on the floor? Do I invest in a silly cuddly bed thing? Any ideas would be great. Thank you.


                                                        • Sarita
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                                                            Hi Tamairz – you definitely need to start a brand new topic – people get confused when you tag on to old posts and answer the initial question. I am going to lock this and just ask that you start a brand new thread with your questions.

                                                            Thanks
                                                            Sarita

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                                                        Forum BEHAVIOR Refuses to use litter box despite all my attempts