HUGE step forward... small step back

I was cleaning out the Ethel and Wendy-Sue's room today. They are very messy girls! Not to sure how MacGyver will every live with them if they don't stop treating their living quarters like teenagers. :roll:

I still haven't transferred the pics of the new set up to my laptop because I haven't charged the batteries, so I made a diagram on paint. It's not exactly to scale, but it gives you a good idea of what is going on.



On the right is the cage they were found in. I keep a pile of hay in there, since they won't use a rack and their water bottles. The other is a large dog crate. That is the bathroom, with a covered litter box in there. However, it is more like the sand box as they just like to play in it. The pink thing is one of those igloos and the brown thing is a box. Big bowl that has food, various toys, a carrot :lol: and one bunny- the other is in the box :lol: .

OK- so the story. HUGE STEP FORWARD. When I went in to room to clean, I climbed in the pen to sweep all the loose hay into a pile. Normally the girls jump into one of the two cages, and just watch. Today they were so curious as to what I was doing. So I finished sweeping into a pile and I sat down an the floor with them. Ethel snuggled up next to my right leg and Wendy-Sue crawled her way in between my indian style crossed legs. Ethel was actually clicking her teeth as I was stroking her. Something she had never done before.

Step back- The tray under the hay was VERY full- fuller than I'd like it to be with droppings and urine. When I went to change the litter box, they had not used it AT ALL in 4 days. They've been using the "dining room" as I like to call it where the hay is. I know lots of buns eat and go at the same time, but MacGyver doesn't. Does anyone know how I can break them of this. I want to bond them to Mac, but he will never go for that. he likes to sit in his box of hay and eat. And I'd like to do away with the cages all together and just keep the pens. I don't want to put hay in the litter box because I don't really want to encourage the messing in it. I put the hay in the cage to help keep the pen clean and catch any lose droppings. But they haven't used the litter box once. They were using it before, but now not at all. I haven't changed the type of litter, just the location. Any suggestions?

Just be glad they're not doing it on the floor They are litter trained - you HAVE to put hay in the litter trays - I've never done anything else and all mine are trained

What you need with a group of bunnies is bigger trays and more of them - that way there's always plenty of clean hay (assuming you give fresh hay twice daily like I do)

I don't see any 'steps back' in your post - it just looks like progress all the way

I see it as a step back because they aren't doing it my way!:no:

Maybe MacGyver has me spoiled. He has a littler box and he has another plastic tub that just has hay in it. He sits in the hay and eats and jumps into the box to do his potty. Then jumps back into the hay. Rarely do I find a raisin in there, and he has NEVER peed in his hay. Much too sophisticated for that. :angel:

I do see where you're coming from. And you are right, at least they are not going all over the floor. I'd just really like for them to use the box like good little girls. Maybe I'm asking too much. MacGyver has always been special and unique- I sometimes forget his a bunny.

Maybe I'll get them a litter tray big enough to fit in the whole small cage. Cuz right now, all they have is a bunny sand box- which they love love love. :lol: :lol:

Bunnies will always do things their own way!!:lol: :lol: