Anyone had a bun who has NO CONCEPT of litter tray?

I have always had my indoor buns as total free rangers and apart from the odd poo, or sometimes the very occassional pee in elderly or disabled buns I have never had any real issues.

However we currently have a younger female bun (c12 months, neutered several months ago, no health issues name of Princess Peach Blossom) with absolutely NO IDEA of the concept of litter training. She just pees and poos wherever she happens to fancy. She is not incontinent as she knows she is doing it - and it is not a dribble wee but a proper one.

She has unsettled one of my other buns so that they are now doing this as well.

We have tried putting litter trays in three different corners and tried low rim ones just in case (though she happily jumps into trays to munch hay etc), and still she will pee wherever except in the tray .


I have tried putting her with a tray in a dog crate for a while in the hope she would then recognise this as 'her area' where she should pee - but no change.

TBH she seems to have none of the territorial and 'keep poo and pee smells in one place' instinct that most rabbits retain from wild behaviour.

Obviously we have no carpets (and the only large rug was sent to a specialist antique rug cleaner at vast expense and is now packed away).

But its beginning to affect the floorboards - which are 18th century!

I have also had to start closing the door to the stairs and upper rooms so that she cannot get up there - which has upset Parsley Piert as now he no longer has total free range and we have to carry him up and down the stairs at bed time (he sleeps in our bedroom).

Has anyone any ideas to try and install some concept of spatial awareness of litter training to her??? I am desperate!!

One of the ways to get a bunny litter trained is by putting them with one who is litter trained and they sometimes follow suit! It doesn't always work mind you!

Is the hay in the litter tray or next to it? I read a post - might have been on here - once about a rabbit who would only use the tray if the hay was suspended next to the litter tray, so that he could reach it but it wasn't in direct contact with the tray... I assume because he didn't want to potentially eat hay that had been 'contaminated'.

I've had the same issue but never found a solution I'm afraid We had laminate when we had this bun & she refused to walk on it so the lounge floor had to be covered with numerous fleeces, towels, bedding . The washing machine had a very busy time.

My Mimi is the same, and unfortunately Timmy has followed in her footsteps a bit. My washing machine is forever on the go washing their bedding, drives me up the wall! :evil:

Is she using corners of rooms or literally anywhere in true guinea pig style?
When we first fostered Jasper he wouldn't use a tray with hay in, but would use newspaper of the floor, so we used that, then moved onto puppypads, then a litter tray and he's been 100%perfect ever since.
I can't remember is she was originally from a breeder, if she was might be worth trying a tray of shavings....
Is it possible for you to wipe up rather than 'properly' clean and hopefully the smell will encourage her to use one area, then clean properly after a day or so but leave puppypad etc in that spot.

One of my fluffy girls thinks near to the litter tray eg on the other side of the fence or the shelf above is perfectly acceptable - it's very annoying but not nearly as irritating as what you're dealing with :roll: From now on I'm going to check all potential buns are litter trained as somehow I keep forgetting to do so (sigh)

Had a similar thing with Nutmeg, am sure it was down to her being spayed later in life after acquiring the habit. Didn't really find a way to make it any better, only cleaning up quickly and thoroughly so less scent. That was one the reasons I wanted to get textured Lino (and NOT slippery laminate as some people seem to think!) so that I could clean it up quickly.

I have this. Petra used hers for about a week and then decided she would use it before launching it over the carpet!!

Thank you everyone for those thoughts and ideas.

Tonibun: I am afraid that living with 3 litter trained buns have not improved her . . . more the opposite!

Tabithakat: She tends to use a radius of about 80cms or so out from each litter tray OR uses the mats that we have put down in the centre of the room or she will also go over the edges of those (we use what are called 'turtle mats' which area really for doormats etc and are cotton with rubber backing).

So not really totally totally random but not 'corners' as such - although as the poo trays are in corners its tricky to say.



I think she was probably a breeder bunny - (although we got her from a rescue) so I could try the sawdust i guess - that is an interesting option.

Gemmapookie - interesting that yours also resulted in the other buns loosing their litter training.


Elena: we cant put down vinyl here except in the modern extension - the floorboards are actually one a couple of inches above ground level and rely on air to stop them getting damp and also so we can check for woodworm etc etc. Its an 18th century house but the floorboards are probably from an older house on the site - very wide and rather knackered! The boards are not slippy though so thats not an issue.

Jemjabella - I could try removing the hay from one of the trays and see what happens - she is so very very fluffy though that i suspect she would get wood shavings or other litter material in her floof!

Thank you for all your ideas (sorry if I didnt mention anyone individually) its been very interesting thinking about it - took my mind off the parlous state of the floor at least!

Oh yes I have got a perfect example here. Pees and poos no matter where she is. Even on my cushion.
Since she has got an inoperable tumor, we thought it was tumor related.
However, I had to leave her with a friend for 2 days as I had to go away with work. I warned my friend that Honey was a complete pig and that she needed to keep an eye on her.

Well, Honey used her litter tray perfectly not one drop or even the tiniest poo anywhere else but in the litter tray.
My friend even let Honey sleep in their bedroom and accidentally closed the door. Honey had no access to her litter tray for 8 hrs amd still no accident.
As soon as I brought her home Honey morphed back into the pig I knew.

If you have a friend you could lend your rabbit, that could give you some clarification ( if it doesn't destroy the bond she has with the other rabbits.

Or it could possibly be something organic?