New Hutch Problem Please Help!!!

On Sunday I purchased a new hutch for my neutered almost 2 yr old bunny. It is Thistle Hall, a 2 storey hutch from Pets at Home. For the last 19mths he has lived in a home made hutch. It was single level and about 6ft by 3ft by 2.5ft high inside. Anyway, we put Toby in the bottom and tried to coax up the ramp but he wouldn't go so we put him in the top level. He uses a litter tray so we put this downstairs aswell as his eating hay. His nuggets and veg were in his bowl on the top level with him. Yesterday - Monday - I moved his food down to the bottom in the hope that he would use his ramp and noticed that he is using a corner of the hutch at the top for a toilet. i have tried gently pushing him towards the ramp and he panics and runs into his bedroom. i do not want to make him go down his ramp to the bottom level forcibly because i do not want to traumatize him but what can i do???

It took Nia Noo a couple of weeks to pluck up courage to use her ramp. It is early days for Toby still - ramps can be big scary things for little bunsters In the end with Nia I actually placed her halfway up the ramp and she went up the rest of the way by herself.
If he has a fave food you could try coaxing him down with that when he shows an interest in the ramp.

I wouldn't bother trying to move the litter tray, bunnies go where they want not where you want :lol:

I'd try just placing him in the bottom part once or twice a day and if he doesn't go upstairs then try placing him on the middle of the ramp so that he can see up and down. He should get used to it soon enough.

I had the same problem with my Guinea Pig - Toby.
We waited for days around 4-5 i think.
Then gently gave him a little push to go down the ramp and since then he goes flighting up and down it!

I've just had this with my foster bun. I made sure there was water top and bottom and then just moved her downstairs. I sat and watched and eventually she went up on her own (having spent a day and a half there).

My first pair of bunnies was the same, Riley wouldn't venture downstairs, though Harriet very confident and went down almost immediately. I waited 3 days and then put him downstairs myself and after that he was fine.

You need to give the corner upstairs where he is weeing a good clean, with vinegar or something or else he'll not stop using it
If he can't smell wee there he might go back to his litter tray.

Flopsie took a few days to get used to his new house last week. I was told bunnies don't like change too much but they get over it

It's quite easy to teach buns to use a ramp if they haven't used them before. I would suggest first trying food, like putting something strong smelling on each step. It's easier to go up, so do this when he is down stairs to start with. Then try doing it do he goes down.

If he doesn't get the hang of it, put him half way up, or, use your hands and guide him up, so that he realises it is ok and safe. If you do it calmly and carefully it shouldn't traumatise him, just show him what it's for. Never bothered any of mine doing it that way. Hopefully he will get the hang of it soon

I find its easier to put them at the bottom first. It's not quite so daunting going up it as it is going down and once they've mastered it up, down comes alot easier.

Thanks for all the replies. I put Toby a third of the way down the ramp and he went down the rest of the way. I did this a further 2 times so he ended up on the floor level. I then left the hutch door open and he went into the garden for the rest of the day.
About 6.30pm he was put back in for the night on the bottom level and I checked on him about 8pm and he was at the top.
I put his heat pad in at 8.15pm and he hopped down to the bottom.
Since then I have seen him go down and then back up twice.
Thanks for all your help, if I hadn't down anything with him no doubt he would still be sitting on the top level!!!
I will also clean his toilet patch with vinegar in the hope that he uses his litter tray again.