les huit- that's a good point. Some newspapers ink is toxic. Some is not.

BunnyLover-You can call or research online if the paper you use is soy-based or not. Soy-based ink is NOT toxic to buns.

One big flag about it not being soy ink is soy ink rubs off the page REALLY easily, the toxic inks do not. Typically most big companies use the toxic inks for colored/glossy pages and soy for the rest. You do have to research though as some inks contain arsenic.

I need to get a picture of my litter box setup... it's quite weird. lol Stickers has to have a litter box on TOP of a jumping platform, so she can get her privacy away from Powder while she goes potty (he doesn't jump much). So I have two on the floor and one up a few feet in the air.

Here's Arduina and Leo's litterbox set up in use!

The outer bin is one of those roll-under-the-bed containers (see the blue wheel, back left).  It helps contain hay and some of the flying poopies.  The litterbox is a covered cat box with the top removed (they didn't like the one entrance).  The hay rack is made out of a small litterbox with a wire paper tray ziptied on the bottom then a bungie cord to hold it up.  It seems to work well for them.  

What brand is this litterbox and where can I find it?

our bunny is using this she used it right away and no problem with this product, easy to clean.

My rabbits are really clean with their litter box, they just tend to push it ALL around their condo. Any suggestions on how to keep the litter box in place?

OskarAnnie, have you tried putting some holes in the box (if there isn't some already) and using those twist ties to attach it. Although my bun does not like anything tied down and it's usually more of a mess to try that with him

Oh or get a bigger litter box so it's harder for them to move.

That's a great idea! I'll be sure to try it out and see how it works!

I don't know which Idea you like but glad I could help!

Thought I'd share my litter box as well.I've looked through this thread the past few days trying to get ideas to help keep my bun, Piper's, poops in the litter box.

 

After a large cat little box with poops being left near the bowls, to the litter box in a coroplast box with the bowls also in the coroplast box(with poops in between the litter box and the bowls), to this!

 

I think I solved my poop problem haha.  He has done extremely well with this, he does all his business in it, but he does leave a stray one or two poops during free-range time in my room.Unlike with the other two setups I tried before which resulted in poops in the pan and poops near the bowls.I figured a way I could have them all in one place.

 

 

I did refill his hay after the picture. c:

very good idea piper!

peppypoo! I like ur litter box option! I have questions! the screen is mainly to separate the poop from the urine correct? (I saythat because I saw the BB hay and rack video)Or is it to separate the hay from any type of the droppings?

Something that always confused me was when I would see hay ALL OVER people's litter boxes. This was confusing to me becauseI do not see why the whole box should be covered if the bunny will eliminate in it. Wouldn't it be bad to eat urine covered hay?

This is the litter box I purchased, one for both my buns, they are easy to clean and my bunnies seem to like them! I got the largest size (measures 13"L x 20"W x 9"H).

More info:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752717&f=PAD%2FpsNotAvailInCA%2FNo

We've had our bunny for 2 weeks & I feel litter training is going well, but we don't want to let her run freely around the house until she is doing a little better... with that in mind  & more important, I want to know if the litter I am using is safe. When Santa gave us bunny, bunny came with litter that is actually for hamsters.  It is SuperPets Potty Litter for small animals.  Not Critter Litter. (This litter is much smaller)  I tried the Critter Litter that is sold at our local pet store for bunnies & she doesn't seem to like it as much.   The Super Pet Potty Litter clumps & I read not to use clumping cat litter & not to use clay.  This clumps & has clay. On the cover is says it is for hamsters, gerbils & other small animals.  I don't want to use anything that is like bedding b/c we want to litter train her  with a litter box & it seems to be going well.  

No, you definitely don't want to use that. Are you familiar with Wood Stove Pellets? That is what most people use (without the accelerant). Or you can use Yesterday's News (found in the cat section).

Thank you.  I had heard of Yesterday's News but was hesitant to make too much of a change since this seems to be working but I was obviously concerned about it being safe & the store was not helpful.  As for the pellets I thought I read to not use wood chips & was concerned  wood pellets might be similar.  I'll try yesterday's news.  Can I also ask if you would recommend a covered cat litter box.  I read though some of the post & sounds like people have made their own for neatness & privacy.  Is that b/c the covered cat litter box doesn't work well?

~& Thanks again!

Hi all! I've been LOVING scoping out everyone's posts, cage ideas, NIC cube habitats (wow! whoever first thought to use those is a GENIUS!), and of course the pics!!

I'm so new to rabbit care that I feel like I've jumped in the deep end of the pool with no idea how to swim. But I'm learning. However, I'm so stumped on one thing and I haven't found an explanation. I'm curious why the bunnies seem to enjoy pooing, peeing, and snacking all in one spot. I just assumed, like dogs and cats, that Stu wouldn't want to eat in the same place he potties, but I see everyone has great success with hay boxes (which I need) and even the food/water dish inside the litter area (the yellow box setup is super awesome!). So I'm just wondering why the bunnies prefer an all-in-one setup. Being able to rationalize it in my head or to my husband is easier than just saying, "Well that's just the way they work."

The litterbox is a work in progress at my house (currently, a cardboard Bates boot box with CareFresh and shredded plain paper). I know this isn't a long-term solution and I'm heading to the store first thing tomorrow to pick up a permanent litterbox (LOVE the storage tub with the hole in the side -- might steal that idea!), a matching food and water bowl (Stu absolutely will not use a licker waterer), and hay. But before I go, I'd like to try to figure out why they like the one-stop-shop model over separate food/water and toilet idea, so I can better plan.

Thanks all!

I think the differences from cats and dogs pretty much comes back to rabbits being a prey species. Also, despite many thinking their toileting where they eat seems an unhygienic habit, they are actually quite clean in their habits. In the wild they spend majority of time in the burrow. At dawn and dusk they venture out to the feeding range. I think it's because they are efficient that they also toilet then. They are active then as this is when light is low and they are less likely detected by predators. So they are have limited time to eat their fill and toilet so as not to soil the burrow later. I also read one time that it is a way to fertilize their feeding ground also.

So for the domestic rabbit, I believe the hay filled litter tray becomes the feeding ground where they forage. They also create latrines in the wild where majority if toileting takes place. Our "litter training" is really about providing a set up that takes advantage of their natural habits.

To add further... I don't know why they predominately poop where the hay is but not where the other food is. Maybe its to do with proportions, hay being the bulk of what they eat. Their bodies know they need to empty out to fit more in? Lol

Posted By BinKyLover on 01/09/2013 12:38 PM
<p style="">Thank you.  I had heard of Yesterday's News but was hesitant to make too much of a change since this seems to be working but I was obviously concerned about it being safe & the store was not helpful.  As for the pellets I thought I read to not use wood chips & was concerned  wood pellets might be similar.  I'll try yesterday's news.  Can I also ask if you would recommend a covered cat litter box.  I read though some of the post & sounds like people have made their own for neatness & privacy.  Is that b/c the covered cat litter box doesn't work well?</p>
<p style="">~& Thanks again!</p>

The pelleted wood is processed more then chips and shavings and this removes much of the aromatic oils that cause irritation. Some very sensitive rabbits might still react to wood pellets but many do well on them. Also, the rabbits aren't living on them 24/7 so that helps.
The covered litterboxes really depends on the rabbits. I use them in some areas and mine are ok with them. Again, rabbits being a prey species, I believe sometimes if there is an aversion to covered boxes it is because they may feel more trapped. They seem to feel more secure with more then one escape route and covered litterboxes only offer the one entry/exit. It also limits their vision.

I don't want to use anything that is like bedding b/c we want to litter train her with a litter box & it seems to be going well.

Are you using a bedding material in her setup also?

We just found a great litter box called the Litter Gitter. For a long time, we had two normal litter boxes for hay and litter with a standard wire mesh with an electrical tape cover on the edges that sat on top of the paper pellet litter that we use. But our boy found that he was an expert at digging out the mesh and then digging out the hay and pellets to a glorious result. This litter box design doesn't let him do that, and it's easy to clean the plastic insert between standard cleanings because you can see the dirty parts. I also feel better knowing that they aren't digging in the dirty stuff underneath, since they can't get to it. As an added bonus, I recently modified an IKEA cabinet into a two section hay box for them, and it fits almost perfectly into it. The previous boxes were shorter, and the extra few inches is nice to have.

This Litter Gitter box looks slightly deeper then the standard cat tray, which is a bonus.

Mr Hankers, do you have a picture of the modified cabinet / hay dispenser? I'd be interested to see it!

Sure! Here are some pics with an action shot of the new litter box. It's the IKEA Besta shelf unit with glass doors. I made a hole in two of the side walls and felted over the cutouts. Hinged one of the shelves for the ramp and stapled a cotton rug cutout to it. Also used part of the rug on the walkthrough shelf. They love it!

 

It's hard to get a full room picture, but I thought it might be good to see it in the context of their room. (They're fenced in at bedtime, but otherwise have the run of the house.) You can see part of the litter box on the left.

I like that idea. Contains hay nicely, I bet!

Awesome! I like the front doors so you can see them. Plus, easy to open and do a clean up.

The room is a very nice set up for them also. : )

Love that setup!

I have recently bought two new litterboxes for Bosse! His previous one was getting really cramped, plus I wanted him to have one litter box in his cage and another one in the livingroom/kitchen area. For his comfort and for myself so I wont have to change it as often, lol

Some photos from earlier tonight.

The two new ones. The one on the left he's had for a few days, and the other one was bought today. They are the same but I forgot to get the white top for the first one .

The old one is smaller, and it slopes inwards towards the bottom. The new ones fits a newspaper perfectly, whilst with the old one we would have to fold the newspaper etc. to make it fit. 

Comparison:

The new ones aren't optimal but an upgrade. Plus they were very cheap Still looking for the perfect litter box though.

This thread has been extremely helpful to me! I am currently just using a small dishpan type set up and waiting for my screen to arrive from Binkybunny! (any day now - maybe even today!) I have two litter boxes that I rotate to save time in the morning and keep her clean until the screens arrive. I give her a fresh box before bedtime and first thing in the morning. I'm hoping that she will continue her near-perfect bathroom habits well into the future! (currently only 12-13 weeks old). I set up her hay at one end to encourage her into the box and put her veggies on the hay. However, I would like to consider a set up like the Yannikin shared - I love the soapdish veggie rack and hay filled paper towel tubes! What ingenious ideas!