I guess he hasn’t found China yet…

[LBJ10]

Well, Leopold is at it again. He stopped for a little bit, but now he’s back to digging to China in the litter box. It’s primarily at night, when we are trying to sleep. My husband is not happy.

What have we tried?
New litter box with taller sides (he found the “doorway”)
Less litter in the box (what litter there is still ends up on the floor)
Digging box (they just peed in it…)
Toys, toys and more toys (he plays with them for a bit, then returns to digging)
Redirection when we catch him in the act (he now makes a mad dash when we catch him red handed)
Time outs (he could really care less, just goes back to digging afterward)

Note: There is no telling him “no”. He can’t hear me.

We haven’t tried a litter screen yet because we would need to make one to fit the box.

So what else can I do? I can’t keep cleaning up a mountain of litter every morning. And, like I said, my husband is not happy with the amount of noise he’s making.

Additional info for those who do not know: Both buns are 7 years old. They have NEVER in their 7 years felt the need to dig in the litter box. It’s only Leopold who is doing this, not Wooly. We recently put new indoor/outdoor carpet in their room, so I expected some pooping/marking. But the litter box is pretty much in the same place as before. Leopold did not start digging until we were away in Hawaii. This was last month and we had already been gone for a week and a half when he started. He continued after we returned home. We tried some things, he stopped for a little bit, now he’s back at it.

[Q8bunny]

Could it be the scent of the new carpet triggering him??

[LBJ10]

I don’t know. Maybe? It’s been a month and a half now since we put it in.

Oh, I forgot to add as well, he has become aggressive with the vacuum. I was vacuuming around the litter box last night and he ran over and clamped onto the floor attachment with his teeth. He wouldn’t let go, so he was being pushed back and forth. o_O

[Q8bunny]

Sorry, I know it’s not funny, but it’s funny.

[ThorBunny]

Relatively new to bunny ownership, but I faced this same problem with Thor: after months of good normal behavior she started digging like her life depended on it every day! A litter screen was the only thing that worked. Could you make your own screen? I did a makeshift one, got 1/4″ metal screen at the hardware store, cut it to size and sanded down the sharp edges. Then I taped up all the edges using electrical tape so she couldn’t chew the metal. I was worried at first that it wouldn’t be comfortable but she never seemed bothered by it, now she goes in the litterbox perfectly

[BanditCamp]

I’m making a play sand dig box for my bunny. I’ve filtered all the bad stuff out like extra dust and stuff and I’m waiting for it to dry, not sure why your bunny has decided to try and find brown gold in the box have you tried neutralizing the box my cleaning it and washing it down with vinegar?

[Deleted User]

Maybe the feel of the new carpet makes him sort of cringe? And the digging might be a way of him trying to get his feet to feel how they used to when you had the old carpet. Just a thought. I know it’s a weird comparison but my 5 year old son hates it when I cut his finger nails and he will squeeze his hands because he says it doesn’t feel right. Maybe he is used to it feeling a certain way and now the carpet is new and it doesn’t feel how it used to and he thinks his claws or feet are the reason so is trying to do something about it

[DanaNM]

Make or buy a litter screen!

I think that now that he’s discovered it’s a fun thing to do, the screen is really going to be the best option.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Vienna Blue in France]

Henry still digs from time to time trying to get to Australia (or China! Or even our next door neighbours!) but not as much as when he was in the small run.

Previously unbearable and sleepless nights are quieter now (hope i havent jinxed it) because I give them a whole heapload of food (I know I’m not supposed to) and for the last three nights it’s worked !!!!! Sheer bliss. 10 fibre sticks disappear, 8 endives and an extra handful of pellets.

So Sherlock Vienna is deducing that the previous nocturnal incessant yoblike behaviour was “oi! You! Wake up and feed us!!!! NOW!!!”

[Vienna Blue in France]

Got woken up at 3am by the biggest firecrackers ever !!!! Nope, it was just Henry with 2 EX.PLO.SIVE. thumps on the Condo’s first floor.
I don’t know how Zou puts up with him…. and he’s really got into a habit of nipping at her mouth and scratching her back (like digging at it) when he’s agitated when hungry. She has become the total submissive bun and lets him do almost anything…

[LBJ10]

Bandit – I wash out their litter box.

Eddy – I don’t know. I mean, they have no problem flopping on the new carpet. They did seem a little apprehensive at first, of course. But this was before we left for Hawaii at the very beginning of March. And there was no digging apparently until we had been gone for a week and a half.

Vienna – I don’t give in to demands. They get fed when it’s time to be fed. LOL :p

Well, it seems a litter screen is the consensus. I’ll have to see if my husband wants to make one. I do worry though that it will make them not want to use the litter box. Wooly, especially, doesn’t like change. It might scare him. LOL

[vanessa]

My chubby Guinevere just started digging in her litter box too. I put a grate over the litter pellets, and LOTS of hay on top. I find that the mounds of hay distract her from her mission to reach China, and instead, she practices burrowing under the hay and jumping out like a plus-size birthday cake surprise! Still messy, hay everywhere, but at least it’s not litter everywhere…

[Vienna Blue in France]

LBJ – I just like to sleep. I’ve just changed when I feed them in the evening.

I have a double filter tray and it doesn’t stop him, he just digs into the bottom of the top tray – but what has maybe helped is lots of hay on top. Maybe he digs a bit and then finds what he is looking for.

Try more hay on top first. I too thought “less was more”, but he dug harder !!!! More hay in the litter tray (with hig sides of course!) has calmed them both down… a bit ! LOL

[LBJ10]

Should I try going back to 2 litter boxes? Like I said, Leopold has become possessive of the box. I keep finding piles of poop behind the box and I think it’s Wooly.

[LBJ10]

OMG… someone is really asking for it…

So I was late to my 2nd job this morning. I saw the horrific mess, but I didn’t have time to clean it up before I left (yeah, I literally rolled out of bed and went). Anyway, Leopold had completely emptied the litter box onto the floor. And it’s been raining pretty good since last night, so the ceiling leaked in their room this morning too. So not only did I have to pick up litter, I had to pick up wet litter. Not happy. I ordered a litter screen. It needs to get here soon. But with my luck, Leopold will be too smart for it. *sigh*

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