Help! Complete reversal in training!

Hiya, me again!

So we have had Widget just over 3 weeks now in our little flat, he is ten weeks old and had got litter training in his hutch down to a fine art, virtually from day 2, he was using his diggy box in the hall for toileting and we had almost got him trained to use the litter tray in the lounge (currently on the sofa as he kept going there).

But suddenly he has decided he doesnt like the litter tray on the sofa and keeps going next to it! He also did four caecetrophs within an hour and a half on he sofa which worried me, my partner put him in the litter tray and he jumped straight out and did another one, but he didnt eat any so that is also worrying me. Anyhoo, he has decided he would rather stop using it and go next to it.

Then, even more confusing, is my partner checked the tray in his hutch, and he has started doing his business on the other side of the hutch instead of in his tray! But when my partner moved it to the other side, he just went back and did it where the tray was originally! Hmmm. :shock:

He had his myxi jab on Tuesday and seemed absolutely fine after it, then the next day is when all this litter training seemed to go out the window. But that is also when I went back to work after having three solid days off just with me and Widget mostly. I work away for upto 5 days at a time alot so it is my partner currently dealing with it and he's not sure what to do or what's caused the sudden change in behaviour.
Could it be after effects of the myxi jab? Or me going away after spending lots of time with him? Help! My partner is losing patience.

Thankyou again.

I've found with mine that they are much more likely to go in the tray if it still smells like their toilet to them. Maybe your partner is cleaning it out too well?

I used to empty the tray every day and then rinse it out but have now reduced this to about every 3 or 4 days and I don't rinse it (I know that sounds disgusting but so is mess all over the place!) I just cover the bottom of the tray with the minimum amount of litter and position the hay rack above the tray so as they eat hay the bits that fall cover up the dirty litter. That way I find it doesn't smell too bad. If they do mess outside the tray I put it in there to try to indicate to them where to go.

Getting him neutered when he is old enough should also help.

The excess caecetrophs is generally a sign that he is eating too much protein, probably from his pellets, and not enough hay, although as he is still a baby should still be eating high protein pellets.

Hope that helps.

We do clean alot of the poos out during the day and most of the wee but leave a bit in there - he is a bit fussy and wont go in at all if there are too many poos, but is happy (ish) to use it when there are less and did happily make a point to go in it as soon as we had cleaned out the tray (I think he was a cat in a past life :lol. I think he is just missing his mummy hehe.

We have just got him some hay samples to try as he doesnt seem too keen on the hay we currently have for him so will see where that leads us. Thanks for your reply xx

Hi,
My two are ok at weeing in the right spot, but some how the poo seems to trail out of the litter and over the carpet. i am not sure if some of this is when they hop out, but some is certainly going in the wrong spot.

My rabbits are rescue rabbits and hate being held and only one occasionaly deems it ok to have a stroke. Any ideas or is that them for life?

Ps anybody have any experience of introducing / having more than two buns?

OK now

Just an update, all advice was taken very well, I think it was just the mxyi jab that affected him as all toileting has resumed normality now, and since he is eating more hay and less dry food mix, he eats his sticky poo's now instead of leaving them where they fall which is a bonus. Cant believe how quickly things can change. Thanks again.