• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Why is Molly doing this? And how can i stop her?

R

ripminnie

Wise Old Thumper
Trashing her litter tray. She hasn't done it for weeks, and suddenly started again a couple of days ago. I can't understand it. She digs all the hay out of the way, then shreds the newspaper underneath. SO then there's nothing covering the bottom of the tray, she wees in it, amd it just sits there in a puddle. If i put it all back she just does it again. If i try to stop her she growls and lunges at me :( It's really annoying me, as i just don't have time to keep fixing it and I don't have endless funds to replace everything four times a day!! Also, digging up her wee and poops makes it stink!!! I change it every morning anyway, it's not like I leave it for days. And she does it whether i'm in the room or not, so it can't be that she's lonely. Does anyone have a clue as to why???? And what can I do about it? Help!!
 
Mr B started this two weeks ago, he used to only ever use his litter tray, now its the litter tray and hay and he is also kicking out a large amount of hay and poo. As it is out of character and he is not liking the heat I am assuming its the weather.

Hope someone else is more help.
 
What kind of litter tray is it? My pair do it with their trays sometimes (32L storage boxes) but never how you describe so I can see how it would be annoying :(

You could always try what yaretzi does for her pair, I think it's the 80L storage box, she cut out a hole in the middle so that makes a lip for everything in there to stay in there (hopefully!). They're not mega expensive so it could be worth a try?
 
Aly&Poppy<3 said:
What kind of litter tray is it? My pair do it with their trays sometimes (32L storage boxes) but never how you describe so I can see how it would be annoying :(

You could always try what yaretzi does for her pair, I think it's the 80L storage box, she cut out a hole in the middle so that makes a lip for everything in there to stay in there (hopefully!). They're not mega expensive so it could be worth a try?
Click to expand...

Everything does stay in the tray, it's a 32 litre storage box, but it's the fact that she moves everything to one end then wees in the space she's made!!!
 
ripminnie said:
Everything does stay in the tray, it's a 32 litre storage box, but it's the fact that she moves everything to one end then wees in the space she's made!!!
Click to expand...

Ahhhh, yeah my 2 can be a pain for that. I found if I packed the litter tray full of hay then it helps :) I use the baled hay for that, otherwise it would cost a fortune!
 
Aly&Poppy<3 said:
Ahhhh, yeah my 2 can be a pain for that. I found if I packed the litter tray full of hay then it helps :) I use the baled hay for that, otherwise it would cost a fortune!
Click to expand...

No that doesn't work either, it's always full of hay!!! She just digs more frantically :roll:
 
ripminnie said:
No that doesn't work either, it's always full of hay!!! She just digs more frantically :roll:
Click to expand...

She sounds like a right handful! Does she have a digging box? Maybe if she had something like that she might not do it in the litter tray. A 62L box would be good for that :)
 
Aly&Poppy<3 said:
She sounds like a right handful! Does she have a digging box? Maybe if she had something like that she might not do it in the litter tray. A 62L box would be good for that :)
Click to expand...

I did think about that, so this morning i gave her a cardboard box and put scrunched up paper, different hay, and some plantain in it. She does like it,but still trashes the litter tray!!! I'm out of ideas!!! :?
 
What if you got a large heavy duty seed tray put some extra holes in it then you could put it upside down on the newspaper with the hay on top? Then if she digs she wont get to the newspaper and when she has a wee it will go through the holes?
 
My two go through phases of doing this, normally only day long phases though. It's awful, it makes everything smell, but they look like they're having so much fun I just leave them to it. I think they've been doing it today so they can lay on the cool plastic floor of the litter tray. That's right, they dig everything away, wee on the plastic, and then do big flops in the wee and fall asleep........ :roll: I'm just left thinking, you'd look so cute if it wasn't for that lovely glimmer of urine over your coat, ew!
 
My two dug in their litter box, well it was willow.....I put megazorb in it and the digging stopped?

Might be worth a bash.

Fee x
 
Fee said:
My two dug in their litter box, well it was willow.....I put megazorb in it and the digging stopped?

Might be worth a bash.

Fee x
Click to expand...

Thanks, I may resort to that, would like to resolve it without it costing me though, so i will bear it in mind :wave:
 
peterjames

Sorry I did not know this had gone through, so I sent another message similar but in another form of posting. And have cancelled this one.
 
Last edited:
peterjames

ripminnie said:
Trashing her litter tray. She hasn't done it for weeks, and suddenly started again a couple of days ago. I can't understand it. She digs all the hay out of the way, then shreds the newspaper underneath. SO then there's nothing covering the bottom of the tray, she wees in it, amd it just sits there in a puddle. If i put it all back she just does it again. If i try to stop her she growls and lunges at me :( It's really annoying me, as i just don't have time to keep fixing it and I don't have endless funds to replace everything four times a day!! Also, digging up her wee and poops makes it stink!!! I change it every morning anyway, it's not like I leave it for days. And she does it whether i'm in the room or not, so it can't be that she's lonely. Does anyone have a clue as to why???? And what can I do about it? Help!![/QUOT
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
peterjames

ripminnie said:
Trashing her litter tray. She hasn't done it for weeks, and suddenly started again a couple of days ago. I can't understand it. She digs all the hay out of the way, then shreds the newspaper underneath. SO then there's nothing covering the bottom of the tray, she wees in it, amd it just sits there in a puddle. If i put it all back she just does it again. If i try to stop her she growls and lunges at me :( It's really annoying me, as i just don't have time to keep fixing it and I don't have endless funds to replace everything four times a day!! Also, digging up her wee and poops makes it stink!!! I change it every morning anyway, it's not like I leave it for days. And she does it whether i'm in the room or not, so it can't be that she's lonely. Does anyone have a clue as to why???? And what can I do about it? Help!!
Click to expand...

She may be like my male rabbit, to hot. The coldest place to lay, is on the plastic. Mine has never wanted to lay on a bed of hay. Also she may find that to lay on her wee is cooler. I would not try to force her to stop laying on what she chooses. As for the wee and poo. As long as you have something that you can easily lift out of the cage to tip away, it does not matter how much hay is there or not. I lay a sheet of a thick plastic bag at the end of the cage where nine wee's and carefully lift this out with any hay, first before cleaning the rest of the cage. I throw away the plastic sheet with the hay each time. Others have said they would worry about the rabbit eating the plastic. well he has had a nibble at it occasionally. but not a lot, nor has it given him any indigestion.problems.
 
peterjames said:
Mine has started throwing his about in his cage. But he still poops and wee's at the same end as he always has, so I have no problem. My rabbit will never rest on straw or hay in his cage. He scrapes it away to lay on the plastic base and I wonder if that is because its cooler. He has never has wanted a bed. I wonder could your bunny be trying to cool himself by laying on something wet. I have a air cooler pointing at mine when he is in his cage Also I gather your cage has not got a plastic base. It is a boon to have one of these. So easy to wash and disinfect daily.
Click to expand...

Molly doesn't have a cage, she has a whole bedroom to herself, and she has a big ceramic tile to lie on when she gets hot, which she uses, so I don't think that is the case here :?
 
peterjames

ripminnie said:
Molly doesn't have a cage, she has a whole bedroom to herself, and she has a big ceramic tile to lie on when she gets hot, which she uses, so I don't think that is the case here :?
Click to expand...

What a lucky bunny. She owns the bedroom and is letting you know it. I hope it's not carpeted.
 
I had this problem a while back, so I folded up some newspaper and rammed it into the bottom so it was a tight fit and couldn't be dug up, it also meant if they scootched stuff to one side... or out of it completely, there was still something to absorb the wee so they wouldn't get so messy. :D

As for a dig box, when mine come in for playtime we have a huge plastic box 1/3 filled with compost in the bottom and then shredded paper and hay piled on top, I put that on one of those plastic backed picnic blankets in case anything spills out. The girls love it. :love:

Have you considered a drain of some sort, a plastic box lid that fits inside your current box with slits cut in it will mean that the wee will just drain away. :thumb:

Lastly, maybe you have too much hay in there? o_O Since this nice weather has come I've taken all my hay out of the litter trays and have put a hayrack above it so they can reach up and eat and it means the litter tray doesn't feel so warm, especially if Molly is anything like my two, who take a good 5 minutes finding the right position to wee in :roll:
 
Some good points there, thanks :wave:

bunnylover1995 said:
I had this problem a while back, so I folded up some newspaper and rammed it into the bottom so it was a tight fit and couldn't be dug up, it also meant if they scootched stuff to one side... or out of it completely, there was still something to absorb the wee so they wouldn't get so messy. :D

As for a dig box, when mine come in for playtime we have a huge plastic box 1/3 filled with compost in the bottom and then shredded paper and hay piled on top, I put that on one of those plastic backed picnic blankets in case anything spills out. The girls love it. :love:

Have you considered a drain of some sort, a plastic box lid that fits inside your current box with slits cut in it will mean that the wee will just drain away. :thumb:

Lastly, maybe you have too much hay in there? o_O Since this nice weather has come I've taken all my hay out of the litter trays and have put a hayrack above it so they can reach up and eat and it means the litter tray doesn't feel so warm, especially if Molly is anything like my two, who take a good 5 minutes finding the right position to wee in :roll:
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

~ILoveMyBunny~
Prognosis on fractured spine vertebrae (thorax area) - update: she's gone
Replies
16
Views
701
bunny momma
bunny momma
nicki
Take a break?
Replies
6
Views
549
Orenoko
Orenoko
C
How can I make an enclosure quieter
Replies
13
Views
2K
uniquefat
U
Back
Top