Rabbit stopped usin litter tray and holding it!

I have started work and at the moment my shift pattens are early,

I am getting up and leaving the house at 6.30am getting home at 4.30pm ish.

Stu has been happily using his litter tray in the hutch overnight and when left in for the day when it has been raining, untill the stupid pet shop stopped doing the Critter Litter pearls and i have had to try to convert him to the eco friendly grey paper pellets which he does not like, (not an eco bunny )

I used small amount of new and left in the old that was OK, thought i was winning, did this for a week or so using more of the new as the old ran out, once it was all new he stopped using the litter tray completely! but is not weeing or pooing in the litter tray at all and is holding it himself all day.

As soon as i get in i put him out and nice as you like to the corner and has a look of relief of his face then binks as to say thats better.

i'm worried about tummy ache and urine infection as he is holding it for so long.

There is the odd poo in the hutch bit not many and defo no wee i have checked everywhere and no damp patches.

Is it too early to put him out at 6.30am as it is getting cold now overnight and in the morning, in the run he has cover and i have a large cat litter box with lid that i can put in the run under the cover that will stay dry, if i fill this with hay and a blanket will he stay warm.

Is the hutch outdoors ? If not then IMO I would not want him to be outdoors for 10 hours as the weather gets colder.

Is the run 100% secure and predator proof. If you dont consider it to be safe to leave him with access to the run overnight then it is not safe to leave him in it unsupervised during the day.

Can you try just using hay and newspaper in his litter tray, the eco bedding may just smell wrong to him.

Jack's-Jane said:

Is the hutch outdoors ? If not then IMO I would not want him to be outdoors for 10 hours as the weather gets colder.

Is the run 100% secure and predator proof. If you dont consider it to be safe to leave him with access to the run overnight then it is not safe to leave him in it unsupervised during the day.

Can you try just using hay and newspaper in his litter tray, the eco bedding may just smell wrong to him.

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Hi Yes, His hutch is outdoors but th run is separate fully covered and safe, i do put him out for a whole day when im off but thats at 10ish, maybe im being a wimp on his behalf he does have a fur coat and wild rabbits live outdoors, he has always been an outside bun.

There is news paper on the floor of the hutch along with sawdust, he pushes the sawdust away 'not lying on that, orrible stuff' and lies flat out on the paper, there is hay also, but that is for chewing and bed, he wont use that either

Got home today and we have finally had a wee in the litter tray, tried the small animal critter litter for hammies half a box and some of the paper, i have ordered a bag of bunny critter speciallly from the pet shop maybe try to change it over a few weeks this time.

I have a cat litter box with lid, clean, but no door so i am going to put some nice warm blankets and fill it with hay for tomorrow, so he can be out all day.