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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum BEHAVIOR litter tray / cage cleaning query

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    • rosieannie
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        Hi, new here and to bunnies so looking for some advice if possible.

        Last month I’ve started caring for my friends house bunny as due to a break up & new job she’s not able to look after her.

        She’s 19 months old, neutered and litter trained. She’s got her cage, which she’s confined to whilst I’m out and overnight, but whenever I’m in she’s allowed free run of the front room (where her cage is). 

        For the first couple of weeks she was pooing quite a lot round the room, which has since naturally stopped and I understand was probably her just marking out her territory. 

        However, in her cage, the whole time I’ve had her,  she poos all over the floor, and a bit in the litter tray. Her hay rack is situated on the same side as the litter tray, just alongside it, but she’s not pooing underneath that. 

        Last week after some google research I decided to switch the woodshavings on the cage floor to old towels, because the shavings were getting all over the house. Now she has the towels on the floor, and shavings in the tray. The tray is getting emptied twice a day and the pellets are being cleaned up twice daily too. 3 days ago, she started weeing in various places round the cage too, whereas before she always weed in her tray, or just to the side when she missed aim. 

        I’m wondering if I’m cleaning her cage too often, and this is her way of protesting? Obviously I don’t want it to smell, and I can’t imagine she’d want to be shut into a messy cage either? 

        Sorry for the long post, hopefully it makes sense. As I said I’m completely new to bunnies and learning about Fifi daily! She seems to be happy though, I’ve seen a few binkies and she’s licked me a few times

        Thanks in advance! 


      • Tessie
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          Hey! Welcome to the forum!

          So are you keeping the bun or is your friend going to be taking her back at some point?

          What sort of cage does she have? Is it a shop bought rabbit cage?
          Often having bedding of some sort (towels or wood shavings or whatever) on the floor of the cage can be confusing for buns, because it’s all like a giant litter tray.

          Try having nothing on the floor of the cage, and just having bedding or litter in the litter box.

          P.s. Can we see pictures of Fifi?


        • rosieannie
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            Hi Tessie thanks for the reply

            As it stands it’s a long-term foster situation, which may result in me fully adopting her. Her current job involves travelling the country (uk) 3-4 days a week, which whilst she was living with her ex wasn’t an issue but now is. All of us (little fifi included) are happy with the current arrangement so…! I never considered having a pet bunny before but I love her to bits now, she’s got so much character!

            Yes it’s a medium/large ish cage – plastic tray base and wire top with a plastic platform at one end for her to sit on and go underneath. 

            Would she be cold/uncomfortable with a bare base? She tends to doze on the floor of the cage.

            Ah yes of course – how do I do that? My profile picture is her x


          • Tessie
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              Ah okay cool! A new pet is always so exciting!

              There are instructions for how to upload pictures in the technical section of the forum. She looks super cute from your profile!

              She shouldn’t be uncomfortable with a bare base. Most people report their buns actually preferring a bare base than bedding. Either way, it won’t hurt to try!

              P.s. Always good to see more UK members on the forum!


            • rosieannie
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                Yes it is – always considered myself more of a cat person but I’ve totally fallen in love with Fifi! 

                Great I’ll give that a whirl then and see what happens. I’m sure she’ll make it clear if she’s not happy!

                Yeh I thought was all Americans here tbh but I’d been researching bunny intel on here the last couple of weeks and just thought I’d join! Nice to virtually meet you

                Now… Hopefully this worked and there’s a pic of her enjoying her hay:


              • Jessie1990
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                  Ah! She’s super cute! You might try putting the hay directly in her litterbox. I found it helped a lot. I’m not sure why both of mine wouldn’t go in the box consistently with a rack.


                • Deleted User
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                    OMG – just gorgeous! Sorry, did you ask a question??? ha hah…. I get distracted easily when I see super cute bunny pic’s! Lol….
                    With my Henry (cause I didn’t know any better when he came home), we used newspaper and shredded paper in his toilet (his carrier – he chose the space/spot), being successful, we never changed it / mixed it up. I’ve heard of everyone using everything wonderful for their buns toilet, but I think when you get onto a winner, regardless of what it is – if it’s working, stick with it! We wash out Henry’s litter box (cat litter box inside his carrier) every 2nd day, just with water (actually, the hose outside – stinky!) and he has never avoided it, using his toilet each and every time. I think besides being used to ‘his’ litter, he is also used to his ‘toilet’ being the carrier. Oh, and the mess? Whether it be the hay or even the shredded paper – yes it’s everywhere here too! We now call our dining room the ‘barnyard’! Oh, I before I forget, we have nothing on Henry’s house floor, only vinyl (his actual house flooring) with his toilet being separate, we have his hay ‘in’ thing’s like cane baskets, etc., cause he won’t eat it unless it’s fun for him. So no bedding or hay on the floor of his house. All good here….. Cheers rosieannie.


                  • rosieannie
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                      Pretty isn’t she! And she’s cheeky too which only makes her cuter!

                      Probably showing my ignorance here, but is that not unhygienic? It’s a corner tray so fairly small really, though she sits in it comfortably. Also she’s on alfalfa king Timothy hay, should I try a cheaper Timothy hay for the litter? 

                      Bunnies are such strange little things – I never thought one little rabbit would be more high maintenance than my parents two cats! It’s so rewarding though x


                    • Deleted User
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                        Unhygienic? Wanting to eat where you poop? Na! Ha ha hah….. Not for bunny’s!
                        Imagine my disgust (again I didn’t know any better at the time) when I saw Henry eating his own poop the first time??????
                        Gosh – I have more fun laughing at myself these days than a comedy show on tv. I think back to everything ‘bunny’ I didn’t know when Henry first came home and how mortified I was….. I can keep my self amused for hours every time I think back! (poor Henry/poor ME!) ha ha hah.


                      • rosieannie
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                          Ha ha glad you like her AndHenry – will have to pass on these compliments to my friend! 

                          Thanks for the input, v helpful getting opinions/advice off others with more bunny experience!

                          Read a couple of your comments on different threads, sounds like henry is definitely a character  


                        • rosieannie
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                            Also… When I first realised bunnies ate their poo I was like ‘ew there is no way she is going to be licking me’, then she did and it was just so cute my heart melted ha ha! 


                          • Jessie1990
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                              I got the advice to put the hay in the box off of this site . My rabbits poop and pee in the same corner so I just put the hay on the opposite side. Mine have cat boxes though


                            • Dwarf Sparrow
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                                I’d definitely switch her to timothy hay- for the sake of your wallet, and for her health- older rabbits don’t need alfalfa, and it too much of it can cause health problems


                              • rosieannie
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                                  Posted By Dwarf Sparrow on 01/18/2014 11:29 PM

                                  I’d definitely switch her to timothy hay- for the sake of your wallet, and for her health- older rabbits don’t need alfalfa, and it too much of it can cause health problems

                                  It’s not actually alfalfa, that’s just the brand name, their Timothy hay is greener than the previous one she was on and she absolutely loves it – wouldn’t have thought one tiny bunny could eat so much hay! X


                                • Tessie
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                                    CUTIE bunny there!

                                    Yes, I second putting the hay in the litterbox. Bunnies always eat while they do their business, haha!

                                    Also, the litterbox itself might be the problem. It should be big enough for her to lie down in. Maybe you need a bigger one.


                                  • rosieannie
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                                      She’s too cute to tell off! She just got behind the TV and I have been sat on the floor for ten minutes trying to bribe her out and laughing at her cheeky face!! Obviously will have to strengthen my bunny defences over there

                                      I’ve just been thinking that having seen pictures of other people’s set ups… Will see if a small cat tray would fit in at that end instead. Definitely think I confused her by switching to towels on the bottom tho – she was perfectly fine with her weeing habits until this week


                                    • Tessie
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                                        Haha, don’t worry! You’ll work it out!


                                      • rayray
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                                          She’s so cute!!! I want to kiss that litte face!!
                                          It sounds like you have the same type of cage I do. I just used a small dish basin for Ziggy’s litter box. And as others have said already, he has no shavings or bedding of any kind outside of the litter box. I think he likes the cool plastic. He seems to get hot quite easily.


                                        • rosieannie
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                                            I kiss her nose frequently ha ha! Everyone’s bunnies here are gorgeous. My mum n dad’s dog is called Ziggy! 

                                            Well, yesterday I removed everything off the cage floor, just shavings in her litter tray and her pile of hay under the rack and next to tray (she piles up all the rejected smaller bits there anyway) and so far… No accidents! fingers crossed it stays that way! 

                                            I just feel like if I was her I’d want to snuggle up in something… But clearly I’m not a bunny ha ha. She seems happy enough anyway now, she’s not kicked her feet at her cage in disgust yet. 

                                            Thanks for all your help – I’m sure I’m going to be loitering around the forum asking lots of newbie questions! X


                                          • rissakai007
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                                              Idk if I missed it somewhere but do make sure those wood shavings are not pine or cedar (aspen is okay).

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                                          Forum BEHAVIOR litter tray / cage cleaning query