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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.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BEHAVIOR At my wits end with litter training

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    • Philomena
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      74 posts Send Private Message

        So my 1 year and 6 month old bunny has some odd litter box habits. She has near perfect in cage litter box habits (aside from some stray poops). The ex pen attached to her cage gets some poops because she eats the hay she spills and its just natural for her to do that. I can tolerate these minor issues. 

        Here is where I have the most issues. She will not use the litter box when she has free roam of the room. She will always pee right next to it. NOWHERE else just right next to it. She will also poop there as well but its the peeing that I am starting to get really annoyed with. This is a list of everything I have tried. 

        • Different kinds of litter boxes of all sizes and shapes
        • I’ve tried putting a cover on her box
        • I have hay in the box, even tried more treat-like hay
        • I have cleaned it everyday (she will often pee right next to her box even after I JUST get done cleaning it)
        • i have tried cleaning it less frequently
        • I clean it with vinegar
        • I clean her accidents with vinegar
        • I’ve tried praise and treats (even the good treats like apple)
        • I’ve hid treats in her litter box
        • I’ve tried putting a hay rack in the box so if she wants the hay she actually has to go into the box
        • I’ve tried putting multiple boxes next to each other
        • I’ve tried scolding
        • I’ve tried moving her box to a completely different spot and she will still pee in the original corner
        • the limit access to the rest of the room method
        • I’ve put cardboard under the box so she doesn’t feel the need to pee on the carpet
        • I’ve tried different kinds of litters with varying degrees of litter
        • I’ve tried keeping the wire grate that sometimes comes with litter boxes in the boxes because maybe she doesn’t like her feet to get dirty. 
        • I’ve tried letting her box be an escape from me if I’m trying to pet her
        • I have tried blocking off the immediate areas next to her box so she can only pee in the box and not next to it. She climbed on to the boxes I used to barricade it and peed on those.
        • I’ve tried putting toys next to her box so she doesn’t feel the need to get them dirty
        • I’ve tried putting towels down
        • I’ve put door mats down
        • I’ve moved the box over so that she would pee in it and not next to it.
        • I have switched her cage litter box with her room litter box
        • I’ve rubbed some of her urine in the corner of the box so she gets the idea
        • I’ve put any stray poops I find into the box
        • I’ve tried starting from scratch, even with a new environment such as when I moved back home for the summer or back to the apartment
        • I have sat near her litter box so she’s less likely to misbehave
        • I’ve tried lecturing
        • I’ve tried begging
        • I’ve tried pleading
        • I’ve tried potty training videos

        All of this and every time I get the same result. Piddles next to the box or in very close proximity

        There might be something else I probably tried that I am forgetting about . She’s been spayed. She doesn’t have an infection. She knows that shes supposed to use it because if I see her start to get ready I get up to correct her and she immediately jumps right in.

        I don’t know what else to do! Is she just un-litter-trainable? Does anyone else have a bun like this?


      • MissMary
        Participant
        46 posts Send Private Message

          Oh wow I haven’t tried it myself but maybe a puppy pee pad? You might have to cover the edges so they don’t get torn up though


        • skysblue
          Participant
          208 posts Send Private Message

            Pick her up and put her back onto the litter box after she peed?
            2nd litter box in the room while free roaming?


          • blubudgie
            Participant
            178 posts Send Private Message

              I recommend putting puppy pee pads, they’re easy to throw out and put new ones down. Do you clean once a day or multiple times? When I was litter training I clean multiple times a day, basically as soon as I saw pee or poo I clean it up.
              You can try getting one of those large rugs/carpets to lay down in the room so she doesn’t ruin the house’s carpet.
              Is your litterbox high-sided? Mine wasn’t and my bunny would always scoot her butt over the edge and pee out the box, that could be what is happening with yours?

              Also, what skysblue say, possibly need second litter box.

              Goodluck! :c


            • Mimsy
              Participant
              271 posts Send Private Message

                have you tried putting something down on floor under the litterbox, such as linoleum piece, a rubber mat, even a vinyl table cloth or a shower curtain? I’m thinking most bunnies don’t like getting their feet wet with pee. This is me assuming the litter box is on carpet of course and if the floor is already non absorbent it won’t work of course.


              • Philomena
                Participant
                74 posts Send Private Message

                  I’ll try the pee pads. My only worry is that she will try and eat them but I’ll see if I can get her to not do that.
                  Sky: I’ve tried the second litter box while free roaming. I never made a difference. Also I can’t pick her up. She runs too fast. I am able to get her into her box just by getting off the couch because she thinks I’m going to pet her and she doesn’t want pet so she hops in there.
                  Blubudgi: I’ve tried cleaning multiple times a day however even after I get done cleaning. As soon as I put the box down. She will pee next to it instead of in it. It’s also a corner box as that is the one that I have had the most luck with. I’ve tried high-sided ones, low-sided one, big ones and small ones. I don’t have a problem with her scooting her butt out over the edge. It’s actually getting her to use her box at all.
                  Mimsy: Yup I tried doing that as well. I once put large plastic bins around her box so that she had to actually go inside of her box if she wanted to pee. She jumped on top of them and peed on them. -_-

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              Forum BEHAVIOR At my wits end with litter training