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Forum BEHAVIOR Digging out litter tray

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    • bwbachod
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        Hello,

        I have a pair of house buns, male and female, both of which have had their bits done at the vets.  We’ve had no problems at all with them (apart from the usual chewing etc) but recently our 2 year old female, Loppen, has taken to digging out their litter tray.  Constantly!  This has been going on for about 3 weeks now, and nothing changed that I can think of to prompt this new behaviour.

        I’ve tried everything that I can think of.  I’ve cleaned the tray out more often, left it longer than I normally would.  I’ve tried moving the tray to different spots depending on where she seems to be digging all the litter out to.  Without fail every time I clean them out and put new litter in the tray, she is straight in there and just digs it all back out again.  

        They both still seem to be using the tray, but their cage is a right mess!  I just can’t keep on top of it.

        Any advice?  Can anyone think why this change may have happened?

        Thanks in advance


      • Meesh
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          Buns love to dig.. I would suggest trying to keep it clean, but offering something else they can dig in. I have a large tray (actually the bottom of a rat cage, but you could use the bottom of a cat litter box). At first I would put a lot of fluff in it (the same as the litter boxes) and a lot of hay. One of my buns loves the idea of the hay there, but the other just loves to dig, and so if the hay is in there before she starts digging, its mixed in with fluff after and the first bun doesnt want it any more. Before I had the plastic tray (the taller edges is essential to trying to keep the floors tidy), I had a cardboard box (large) that I cut entrance holes into (in hindsight, removing the top would have been better for digging… but they also loved jumping on top of it (king of the castle)… anyways, I placed small crumpled balls of paper in there with a few treats to encourage them that it was okay to dig and hay inside. They love the boxes but they now dig and chew right through the bottom of them dropping shavings and stuff everywhere, so I leave that in the one corner to distract from walls, and the larger plastic one is their main digging spot.

          I hope this helps!


        • Meesh
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          49 posts Send Private Message

            Actually the tray I use can be seen in my profile picture.
            <———————
            I also add hay whenever I move it to a new place. For instance, in the picture it is smack dab in the centre of the room, and also in a room they are not used to being in (trying to get them used to the whole house so they can be free roam), so the hay might help them realize that it is theirs. I didnt think they would care for it in the centre of the room but to my surprise they loved it.

            As for why your bun is suddenly acting this way? My guess would be boredom or that it just really wants to dig. Just if they are in their cages and digging in the litter box, then you could also add more toys to play with that make them think, for instance, I stuck a treat between two bumps of an egg carton at one time. It is something they want, and they have to work for it. Other than that, if they aren’t out enough for rompings then they might get bored (and the urge to get destructive), or simply that it wants to dig, and the litter is the only thing around that gives them the prime opportunity. (My bun used to dig in the food bowls, flipping it almost every time. )


          • tobyluv
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            3310 posts Send Private Message

              Besides having a digging box for her, you can buy a litter screen to go on top of the litter.  They can be found here in the BB store and other places.  That prevents digging in the litter box. If you do provide a separate digging box for her, you can fill it with shredded paper, or something that’s not too similar to her litter, since you don’t want her using it as a litter box. Some people even fill a box with plain potting soil (no fertilizer added) for rabbits to dig in.


            • Meesh
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                The screen would stop them from digging, but you have to be careful with those because they can harm the bottom of their feet from standing on them. I’m not sure if some are worse than others, but I generally would stay away from that (or at least do research first!)…


              • Ella
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                  The binky bunny store actually sells litter box screens! My rabbit was doing this too for a little while and this helped. I could tell he didn’t really like the screen so once he got over this I stopped using it. So I can’t guarantee that your bun would mind it or not. The screen was a little difficult to clean but I preferred this to cleaning all his soiled litter off the floor.

                  What I would do it put about 3/4 of the amount of litter I would normally do, than I’d put the screen on top of that, and then the remainder 1/4 or so of the normal amount of litter. I’d also put hay like usual. I’d do this so the screen wouldn’t bother his little bun feets.

                  I don’t know if it was the screen or if it was just a phase but Eli eventually stopped digging in his box.

                  Hope this can help!


                • Moo <3
                  Participant
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                    Though it can be annoying and frustrating, your bun is most likely trying to tell you something– whether it’s the quality/type of hay, or the amount of hay in the box, or however clean the box is. Our buns have a certain type of hay that they love–if it’s any other, they dig out the entire box. (We actually have a band that wraps around the box and connects it to their pen due to past litter box digging) What kind of hay do you use and where do you get it from? I also found that cleaning out the box often, like everyday, helps with the mess. Otherwise, I agree with Meesh that he could be acting out in boredom. Best of luck and let us know if anything works!!


                  • ThorBunny
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                      Just popping in here to say I use the litter screen that is sold here on BB and I love it!

                      It seriously has saved me from constantly cleaning, and Thor doesn’t seem to mind it at all. The mesh is metal, but the holes are pretty small so it doesn’t seem hard on her feet. If you have a bun who spends a lot of time in their litterbox, or is prone to sore hocks, you could consider making a screen out of plastic mesh.

                      I agree about the boredom thing, Thor learned how to dig out her litterbox one day when we had to be gone a little longer than usual, aurgh! However, once they realize it is fun, they can keep doing it anyways even if given plenty of stimulation. The best solution for me was the litter screen


                    • Wick & Fable
                      Moderator
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                        I’m a constant advocate for plastic mesh

                        Tip: For easy lifting, I put a cable tie on one of the corners (in the bottom picture you can see it, but it’s now in a hay corner of the box, not a pee-prone corner because it will get stained and it’s hard to wash) so I can pull it up easily.

                        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.


                      • Meesh
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                          Well the plastic one looks a lot less painful than the wire ones, that’s for sure!

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                      Forum BEHAVIOR Digging out litter tray