First of all. I’m in love with my house bunny. Started off with my Flemish buck, who is now 9 months old and 27lbs. He’s awesome and I adore him! He lives in his very own bedroom and is fairly wel litter box trained. For Christmas I was given my much awaited new addition, an adorable little broken tort English lop. They are already in love, although will remained separated for quite some time. They play together through the cage and xpen fence and nap together. I’m so happy with them!
Now to my question… I am trying to find a grate to put in the flemish’s litter pan. He is currently using a long under the bed storage container as one. (He’s far too large to use anything smaller) Does anyone have any experience in making s home
Made grate that will be sturdy enough to hold a 27lb bun up off the litter?? I’m thinking maybe a cooling rack rigged Into slots in the side? But I’m not sure it will work.
Any suggestions at all on what my options would be??? I can’t even seem to find anything that won’t cave under his weight!
Change!! I’m realizing you guys are right and he most likely will hate it like he does the pellets.
Why do you want a grate? They’re not comfortable on rabbit feet, especially since they don’t have paw pads. As long as you keep the litter box clean you don’t need one. My buns just hop in and use theirs like cats, except they don’t cover up their business. :lol: They do usually choose one spot for the pee though.
He’s starting to get pretty bad mats on the bottom of his feet from sitting in it I switched to a ground flax bedding as a trial which has helped a little with it but now his feet are wet from it. It is cleaned at least once a day. And hes loose in his room 24/7 so he will not be subject to sitting on it all the time. Plus he is a bit of a litter digger/flipper and makes a huge mess when new litter goes in. He never did it before with the paper bedding but since he new flax went in, he thinks it’s just so grand to flip it all out! I can’t seem to win!
I have two rabbits who use a corner litter box. Rabbits do not like the grates. My litter box is very similar to a cat box.
We use ‘yesterday’s news’ as litter, which is a pellet made from recycled paper. You can also use wood pellets. Clean the litter like you would a stall, removing any soiled bedding. Change the litter entirely every once in a few days.
I have a Flemish and an English Lop (bonded pair) who have the run of the house. I’ve had no issue with litter boxes causing matting. Perhaps it’s the litter? I like wood stove pellets or pelleted stall bedding. After day 1, they’ve usually spread enough hay about in there to create a comfy cushion.
For a litter pan, I use a large concrete mixing pan from Home Depot. It measures about 36" x 18" and about 7" deep. I have a wire hay rack hanging on the wall next to it and they delight in pulling the hay out and eating the choicest bits and peeing on the rest. I don’t mind- it’s a much less expensive hobby for the rabbits than a horse.
I did try a grate made from hardware cloth when I had two flemishes. She got hock sores pretty quickly, so I eliminated the grate and haven’t gone back.
I do notice that my Flemish doesn’t shed from his feet very well- it’s as though the hair he should be molting just clumps on and gets stuck unless I brush it out for him. Might that be what you’re seeing?
My next question was what kind of litter you are using.
Try wood pellets. You can use the equine ones, which smell nice but are a little more expensive, or plain wood stove pellets (no chemicals). Where I am the equine ones are $6.50 or $7 for 40 lbs. and the regular wood stove pellets are $5 for 40 lbs. They are solid, don’t invite digging (not that he might not do it anyway, but they aren’t good for it and my digger ignores them), and keep their feet neat and dry. As they pee on them, they disintegrate into a sort of pulp. The pulp dries pretty rapidly and is light in color, but turns dark when fully saturated.
I have four buns total; three with white feet that are perfectly clean and one with extremely thick and fluffy feet that are perfectly clean. I have tried other litter and haven’t found anything superior or more economical to the pellets.
I was using that compacted recycled paper. It worked fine but then saw he was getting some matting on his hind feet. I swapped to a ground flax bedding which is very new on the market. While it works great when he leaves it alone. He’s picked up digging through it and flipping it all over the place. Spoiled little brat
I tried the pellets before. He did the same digging in them when soaked. As well as they made a huge mess anytime he went into the box. I don’t mean to be picky but bc they have the run of the house, I can’t have something that messy. If I used them unsoaked he was eating them. And also started to not use the litter box… Which is making me realize now that he most likely won’t use a grate either one that I think about it!
The best option mess wise I found was pellets unsoaked in his pee corner covered with the flax bedding… Until he started digging to China in it!
Any other ideas on how to get him to stop digging in it? He’s got plenty to do so I don’t think it’s a boredom issue.
[QUOTE=djangology;8467663]
I have a Flemish and an English Lop (bonded pair) who have the run of the house. I’ve had no issue with litter boxes causing matting. Perhaps it’s the litter? I like wood stove pellets or pelleted stall bedding. After day 1, they’ve usually spread enough hay about in there to create a comfy cushion.
For a litter pan, I use a large concrete mixing pan from Home Depot. It measures about 36" x 18" and about 7" deep. I have a wire hay rack hanging on the wall next to it and they delight in pulling the hay out and eating the choicest bits and peeing on the rest. I don’t mind- it’s a much less expensive hobby for the rabbits than a horse.
I did try a grate made from hardware cloth when I had two flemishes. She got hock sores pretty quickly, so I eliminated the grate and haven’t gone back.
I do notice that my Flemish doesn’t shed from his feet very well- it’s as though the hair he should be molting just clumps on and gets stuck unless I brush it out for him. Might that be what you’re seeing?[/QUOTE]
Glad your two are together!! I was worried about the size difference! This gives me hope!
He’s neutered. But has been through s but if a teenage rebellion lately. This girl seems to have given him more of a focus!
[QUOTE=hlra11;8467740]
Glad your two are together!! I was worried about the size difference! This gives me hope!
He’s neutered. But has been through s but if a teenage rebellion lately. This girl seems to have given him more of a focus![/QUOTE]
The size difference was not ever a factor. I wasn’t expecting a 12 week old lop doe to be the cutthroat tyrant she turned out to be, but he seems to love her for it.
I tried the pellets before. He did the same digging in them when soaked. As well as they made a huge mess anytime he went into the box. I don’t mean to be picky but bc they have the run of the house, I can’t have something that messy. If I used them unsoaked he was eating them. And also started to not use the litter box… Which is making me realize now that he most likely won’t use a grate either one that I think about it!
Any other ideas on how to get him to stop digging in it? He’s got plenty to do so I don’t think it’s a boredom issue.[/QUOTE]
Welcome to what I call the “teenage boy bun” stage. They are determined to be either naughty, annoying, messy, troublesome, destructive, or gulp all of the above. :lol: I had three going through it at once. Keep in mind that you probably aren’t going to get him to do all that you want (or don’t want) at this stage.
Some suggestions:
Less litter. It sounds like you are using too much.
A dig box of his own. I am not sure if you spend any time on rabbit forums/sites but there are lots of good ideas for these. My digger likes a box with shredded paper. Actually, my digger is also the one that flips things around, dumps the food bowls out, etc. I think mine is just a pest. :winkgrin:
Do you have the litter box on carpet? That is another headache. If you do, buy some cheap ceramic tiles and lay them down so that the litter box is on a platform. This will make it easier to clean when he makes a mess. You can just sweep it up and then wipe any residue.
And size can be deceiving. My teeny 2 pound Netherland dwarf is nicknamed “Phoebe the Destroyer” for a reason. She may live with three boys, but they know who the queen is. :lol:
[QUOTE=djangology;8469189]
The size difference was not ever a factor. I wasn’t expecting a 12 week old lop doe to be the cutthroat tyrant she turned out to be, but he seems to love her for it.
My male house rabbit wen through the same thing in his teenage phase. Didn’t matter what litter we used, he just loved digging in it and dumping it out.
We did make him a couple dig boxes, and also leash trained him so he could go outside and dig in the yard. Having a variety of places to dig seemed to help, but overall we just had to wait for him to grow out of it.
I do remember also going overboard with the phone books and paper during that time - he really like being buried in and tunneling through crumpled up newspaper, which helped distract from the delights of flinging litter everywhere.
It is on carpet unfortunately… Which was not a problem until the past two weeks of this digging starting! We are actually going to be pulling up the whole carpet b/c it was ruined long before we moved in and it became the rabbit room… so I’m just going to lay a cheap fake floor down for them that’s easy to clean and cheap. Probably the ugliest on sale peel and stick floor they have
He did have a digging box with shredded paper but preferred and still does the dirty litter box … I guess that’s what I get for spoiling him!
Do you have any good rabbit forum suggestions I can join?? I actually have quite a few more questions now but don’t want to fill a horse forum with my bunny questions!
[QUOTE=Minerva;8469232]
Welcome to what I call the “teenage boy bun” stage. They are determined to be either naughty, annoying, messy, troublesome, destructive, or gulp all of the above. :lol: I had three going through it at once. Keep in mind that you probably aren’t going to get him to do all that you want (or don’t want) at this stage.
Some suggestions:
Less litter. It sounds like you are using too much.
A dig box of his own. I am not sure if you spend any time on rabbit forums/sites but there are lots of good ideas for these. My digger likes a box with shredded paper. Actually, my digger is also the one that flips things around, dumps the food bowls out, etc. I think mine is just a pest. :winkgrin:
Do you have the litter box on carpet? That is another headache. If you do, buy some cheap ceramic tiles and lay them down so that the litter box is on a platform. This will make it easier to clean when he makes a mess. You can just sweep it up and then wipe any residue.
And size can be deceiving. My teeny 2 pound Netherland dwarf is nicknamed “Phoebe the Destroyer” for a reason. She may live with three boys, but they know who the queen is. :lol:[/QUOTE]
This is the main website for the House Rabbit Society - you can go through and find your local chapter, who usually have their own website/forum, etc. Great resource for getting to know local rabbit people, answering bunny questions, etc. I get all our rabbit treats and toys from our local chapter, as all the proceeds go back to helping the rabbits waiting for homes. I would imagine the one near you would have similar resources?
Do you have any good rabbit forum suggestions I can join?? I actually have quite a few more questions now but don’t want to fill a horse forum with my bunny questions![/QUOTE]
Although I’m sure the bunny owners here are happy to answer questions!
Re: the digger, my diggers seem to go in phases where they dig for a while then stop for a while etc. Sometimes changing the litter stops them but they might start digging again a few months later. Since your digger started when you got a new bun (right?), I bet things will calm down once they bond, which may take a while. This digging behavior might be territorial.
Although I’m sure the bunny owners here are happy to answer questions!
Re: the digger, my diggers seem to go in phases where they dig for a while then stop for a while etc. Sometimes changing the litter stops them but they might start digging again a few months later. Since your digger started when you got a new bun (right?), I bet things will calm down once they bond, which may take a while. This digging behavior might be territorial.[/QUOTE]
Nope! It started before she got here! Actually has gotten a bit better since she’s been around but I think that’s bc he’s occupied!
I was worried about them getting along, but so far all signs a go for them bonding! It’ll be a long road but at least it’s starting off well!
Although I’m sure the bunny owners here are happy to answer questions!
Re: the digger, my diggers seem to go in phases where they dig for a while then stop for a while etc. Sometimes changing the litter stops them but they might start digging again a few months later. Since your digger started when you got a new bun (right?), I bet things will calm down once they bond, which may take a while. This digging behavior might be territorial.[/QUOTE]
OK so now that I am thawed out from this lovely winter day and my fingers can work properly, here are some more questions for my fellow bunnyparents!
my little english lop doe is NOT picking up on this litter box training. Maybe i got really lucky with my first house bun, but he picked it up from day one. He picked a corner to pee in, I put the box there, and boom, trained (until recently, but thats another issue!). This girl… maybe she is just young, but she has no concept of the idea what so ever! I’m really hoping she can put it together at some point! She doesn’t even go in a corner at times. If she is out in her play pen, shell pee right in the middle sometimes, and then bounce around right on through it! IS there any hope for her?
My buck has also recently (as in past two days) started peeing outside of his litter box, specifically next to the new doe’s set up. Not directly next to it, but close enough to be considered a bit of marking I think. Should I set up another box there for him to go in? Or move the whole set up around? Like I said earlier. He has never had any issues with marking or peeing outside his box until now. Hes a bit of a temperamental teenager at the moment so I am sure this is all tied into that. But he really does seem to love his new girlfriend. They constantly play together and lay next to eachother through the playpen fence. he even shares his hay with her through it in a bit of a lady and the tramp style.
How long has it taken some of yours to bond well enough to be safely loose together? Ive done a lot of reading on the subject. But always like to know real life situations when real life strays from the textbook!
How old is she? I find that youngsters juuuust start getting the hang of litterboxes around the time they become mature. At that point, it seems littertraining goes to hell in a handbasket as hormones kick in. Some people have had success sticking to their guns and working it out, but I have more success after getting my hormone-fueled pee-monsters to the vet for a sterilization surgery.
I also don’t let them pick a corner or a spot. I start with a tiny pen around their litterbox (wherever I want it), just about enough space to either sit next to the litterbox or to be in it. I gradually expand their pen as they prove themselves to be trustworthy. Sometimes I can double the size of their pen every day, otherwise it takes a few days at each intermediary stage and a very gradual expansion of freedom.
I’m no pro, but this has worked well for my personal rabbits (4 over the years) and my foster rabbits (10 or so).
He’s probably marking because of the interloper. When I introduced my little lop, my flemish took it as an invitation to forget EVERYTHING he had ever learned about litterboxes. It was a messy couple of weeks while we made introductions and got her spayed and let her recover. We just cleaned up quickly and tried to remind him periodically to pee in the box by setting him in there.
[QUOTE=hlra11;8470606]
3. How long has it taken some of yours to bond well enough to be safely loose together? Ive done a lot of reading on the subject. But always like to know real life situations when real life strays from the textbook![/QUOTE]
I am impatient and utilize stress bonding techniques to forge bonds. Each time I’ve bonded bunnies, I’ve set them in the bathtub together with a half-inch of water and let them do bunny things. I’ll stick them in a carrier together and go for a drive, maybe stick the carrier in a shopping cart and meander through Petsmart. The idea is that they turn to each other for comfort when they’re dealing with these scary things. A couple stressful events, some time spent in adjoining cages, and then a good amount of time loose together under supervision has always worked for me. I generally have them bonded in 2-3 weeks, with full-time cohabitation in 4-6 weeks.
Our two were bonded when we adopted them, so I can’t help with that, but good luck!
In terms of litterbox training, we started them off in an oversize wire dog crate with litterboxes literally covering the entire floorspace. No matter where they went, it was in a box. Depending on how things were going we would remove one of the unused boxes every other day or so, waiting in between box removal to make sure there was no regression. Very quickly we were down to one litterbox, reliably used.
Then we started to expand their enclosure size slowly, adding in a box or two if there were accidents, then removing them as their toilet habits solidified. They’re in a small room now (maybe 10 by 12ish?) and have two litter boxes. Less than two for that size space and we end up with pee in a corner somewhere.
I switched to a ground flax bedding as a trial which has helped a little with it but now his feet are wet from it. It is cleaned at least once a day. And hes loose in his room 24/7 so he will not be subject to sitting on it all the time. Plus he is a bit of a litter digger/flipper and makes a huge mess when new litter goes in. He never did it before with the paper bedding but since he new flax went in, he thinks it’s just so grand to flip it all out! I can’t seem to win!
