Help! Rabbits Using Entire Pen as Litter Box

[Ozzy]

I'm becoming a very frustrated rabbit mama.
Ever since I bonded my two rabbits, who were both litter trained before being bonded, the rabbits have gone completely backwards in their litter habits. My bonded pair both have free run of the house at all times (it is fully bunny proofed), and just have a home base where they have a bed, water, hay, and a litter box. This area set aside for them is an open pen on a laminate floor with foam pads lining the whole pen. They also have a second litter box outside of the pen which they are great about using and wee no where but inside the pen.
But the problem is that one of my rabbits refuses to use the litter box in the pen, she just enters the pen and wees wherever she sees fit inside. And now my second rabbit is starting to catch on and pee wherever he feels like in the pen. Every time I know they are about to wee, or if I catch them midway through, I pick them up and place them in the litter box. If they do use the litter box they get a treat as a reward. But I just don't feel like my girl (Ruby) is getting it. She's not learning and treating the whole pen as a litter box.

I am now at my whit's end with how many hours I have now spent cleaning urine off the cage floor and the runoff that has spilled on to my floor.
What should I do?

Any responses are greatly appreciated.

 

[Ozzy]

I forgot to mention that both buns are fixed and the litter boxes are cleaned daily too.

 

[natsusakura]

How big are the litter trays and what do you use in then?

i use under bed storage boxes, likes ones you can use to store shoes and stuff.
then i use newspaper to line the bottom and hay on top.

using white vinegar to clean the floor should help as well.
itll totally take away the pee smell.

hopefully there will be others along to add other suggestions

 

[Ozzy]

The litter trays are big enough for both my rabbits it lay down in them comfortably at the same time. I use Yesterday's News, a compressed newspaper and wood chip pellet litter.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[Babsie]

The litter trays are big enough for both my rabbits it lay down in them comfortably at the same time. I use Yesterday's News, a compressed newspaper and wood chip pellet litter.

Thanks for the reply!

I would try lining the litter tray with newspaper and then using hay instead of wood chip litter, which is what I do - may encourage them to use it.

 

[natsusakura]

Yeah, give changing the litter a try :thumb: good luck!

 

[Ozzy]

Thanks all.
The litter isn't actually wood chips, it's compressed recycled newspaper pellets and they never had a problem using it before I bonded them.
I'm really thinking this issue is more behaviour related. Any insight on this?

 

[Babsie]

Thanks all.
The litter isn't actually wood chips, it's compressed recycled newspaper pellets and they never had a problem using it before I bonded them.
I'm really thinking this issue is more behaviour related. Any insight on this?

I suggested hay as rabbits like to poo and eat in the same place - sounds horrible but it is fine - and would also encourage more hay eating.

 

[natsusakura]

Similar to carefresh then.
i used to use that with hay on top, otherwise mine wont use the litter trays.

maybe put a hay rack right next to the litter trays? So they can eat and poo as babsie said they like to do that.

i have a pair that pees always in he litter tray but will happily leave me round presents when they get excited.
i just sweep them up daily, hopefully your guys will start using the litter trays again once you make some changes. ( changing the environment will also be stimulating for the buns. So changing the litter or moving the litter trays around would make them interested and hopefully kick start them to use them again)