New owner and confused

Thanks Fluffers,

Was just about to post on here when I noticed your reply, feeling a bit despondant as the new hutch seems to have created about 4 times more cleaning out, don't get me wrong I knew I would have to clean her out everyday but the whole hutch is covered in urine and poops and the amount of newspaper and hay I am getting through is incredible, it takes such a lot of hay to cover the floor, I just put it into the sleeping area but she drags it into the other area, the carpet protector hasn't worked so the floor of the run is just covered in urine as the newspaper though thick seems to move round and the urine gets into the wood, added to that athough I have put a box with hay in the run the run is covered in poops and urine, so I am having to do quite a lot of cleaning each day and I work, have two children and it's hard fitting it in. Also, I can't fit all the waste in the bin - bin already always full as collected fortnightly and no room for two -three plastic bags of bunny paper and hay each day. I am not sure if I am doing something wrong to make more hard work of it than it has to be?

I will try and get some lino but I wonder if it might be hard to fit as I struggled to fit the carpet protector all over due to a hole where the run stairs go, the carpet protector didn't work as ended up trapping the urine underneath it rather than protecting it.

Do you think when Hunny has been spayed she will be more litter trainable, oh yes also I tried putting the litter tray in with hay in her sleeping bit where she poops etc even more but it didn't seem to make any difference and just seemed to make her cramped.

Sorry to sound like I am moaning, don't get me wrong I knew it would be more work for me but the time and waste is alot for every day.

Help!

Yes things will almost certainly improve once she's been spayed

TBH I didn't think the plastic carpet protector thingy would work, sorry I've not seen it but I imagine it's too rigid and you can't get a snug fit around the edges? I expect it lifts up in place too?

Lino is soft & plyable and so moulds better and you can tack it down quite easily. I've actually cut my lino a little too large on one hutch so that it curls up the sides an inch or so, stopping any wet going down. I was able to cut it with scissors and then with a stanley knife make the hole where the ramp sticks through from underneath. I can post a piccie later if you like, might help to have a visual

You (or rather she) really shouldn't be creating that much waste and once she's doing things in the right places it really should be a 5 min job Hang on in there, we'll get it sorted.

Other than the bowl with hay in what else does she have in her sleeping area?

Fluffers - thanks for the reply, relieved you think it will get better and the waste / time can be reduced. I think the protector was definately too rigid, a photo of what you have done would really help as I can show it my hubby then so he can help me with putting the lino in, I will try a few more shops to see if I can source some, the local one said that they leave any excess at people's homes so don't have much waste and they wouldn't sell me a small piece unfortunately. In her sleeping area she just has newspaper and hay, I took the litter tray out as she wasn't using it and was just sitting next to it. I have ordered a hay stack for her and will order a snuggly though at the moment if I put a snuggly in her bed area I think it would very quickly end up soaked in urine, they are washable but think it would again be soaked quickly so might be better to wait until she is spayed? On the plus side she seems to like her new hutch, had a bit of a panic Saturday night as she had quite a stressful day as noisy due to building hutch and she was a bit loose motioned and then later noticed her wee was an orange colour, eventually once kids got off to bed I looked it up on the net and realised it was as she had quite a lot of dandelion leaves, stopped them Sunday and wee returned to normal. She is taking time to adjust to her ladder, have had to carry her up and down am and pm but this morning she went up her ladder herself, still not going down on it though she pokes her head over the hole and looks down now and again.

Thanks for your time and guidance Fluffers - really appreciate it.

The lino can be a bit fiddly and you might want to do a template if you don't have enough to practice one on. Best to cut it a bit big and then adjust once it's in.

Now, there's no right or wrong way of doing it and everyone's layout varies, just as it should according to what your bun seems to prefer. i.e. the bun in this hutch insisted on doing his business downstairs in the left hand corner - so that's where I put his litter tray! Since then (day 2 of him being with me) he's been 100% clean & dry elsewhere

Both floors are fitted with lino and in this one I've put a little carpet sample mat downstairs for the bun to sit/play on (you can buy these for 50p from most carpet shops & some will give you them for free, just be careful your bun doesn't chew them though).

The top level has the food/water bowls, more hay, toys etc. The sleeping area (which you can't see because Jester was asleep in there when I took the photo!) has lino, then a few sheets of newspaper (just folded, not shredded), another carpet sample mat and then 2 towels folded up. It's nice & cosy in there & really easy to keep clean assuming the bun uses his/her litter bowl.

In my other hutch (5ft single decker) the litter bowl doubles up as a bed - that's just the way the bun I have seems to prefer the layout but there is a thick towel in the sleeping area as well (it's a deep hutch so plenty of room for both), just in case he changes his mind and wants to snuggle on there instead!

Each day I simply lift the litter bowls out and empty the wet paper & hay from the bottom. Rinse with the bowls with water or spray with hutch cleaner (not always necessary). Then, replenish with clean newspaper (a good thick wedge), any hay from the bowl that is still clean & then a fresh layer on top. So you're not throwing the entire bowl full out each day, just the wet from the bottom (of which there is usually very little because the paper soaks most of it up) but there's always fresh on top for the bun, creating a sort of layering system. You'll need two containers to hand though, or the bin & a bucket etc, one to put the mucky stuff in and one to put the clean stuff in whilst you clean the bowl out & put fresh paper in. Then with my dedicated bunny dust pan & brush :lol: I give the rest of the hutch a quick brush out, plump up the towels (important to check these each day in case they've been chewing or if they are wet) change the water etc. Takes me around 5mins per hutch & it's lovely & clean again. So easy and not messy at all - honest A hay rack is a good idea - put this within reach of the litter bowl, straight over the top if possible but nowhere else, not on the floor etc. Only where you want her to poop/wee

Your bun might not get it right first time, it may take a week or two but whatever you decide to do, try and stick with the same routine and she'll get there eventually. If she's weeing on newspaper pop some of the wet paper in the bowl along with the hay & the poos. Go over board on newspaper for a while until you get your lino sorted to save your hutch floor.

Can you shut her out of the hutch & in the run (with cover) for a few hours whilst you 100% empty & disinfect it & let it dry out in the sunshine? Might help if you can sort of start again with her?

Re. the ladder - you may need to make this a little longer & less steep.

Here's the pics, they may help a little (and btw, they were taken first thing, not after I'd just cleaned it out :shock

Bottom level

What Fluffers just said is very similar to what we do even though we are indoors.

Our enclosures (basically indoor hutches in many ways) are covered with lino with an old top or towel for them to sit on and dig in, they also have vetbed on a shelf or the floor. We change the litter boxes every few days (we use underbed storage boxes) as they are quite big. We have three of them per pair so basically I put new litter (Megazorb and hay) in a new box, then I sweep out the enclosures with a wallpaper scraper (personally i find these better than a brush as I find with a brush all the hay and fur just gets stuck in the bristles) and a dustpan and put that in the old box, swap the old box for the new box and then the old box goes out in the garage until we go to the allotment, and when they come back from allotment they get washed out with some hot water then some cool and get stored back in the garage again.

Every day I sweep the enclosures and quickly sweep their vetbed, doesn't take too long. I have a routine in the evening of fresh hay, then sweeping the enclosure, shutting them in (in the case of the lionheads, my other two free-range 24-7), and quickly and roughly sweep the vetbed.

Schuette said:

What Fluffers just said is very similar to what we do even though we are indoors.

Our enclosures (basically indoor hutches in many ways) are covered with lino with an old top or towel for them to sit on and dig in, they also have vetbed on a shelf or the floor. We change the litter boxes every few days (we use underbed storage boxes) as they are quite big. We have three of them per pair so basically I put new litter (Megazorb and hay) in a new box, then I sweep out the enclosures with a wallpaper scraper (personally i find these better than a brush as I find with a brush all the hay and fur just gets stuck in the bristles) and a dustpan and put that in the old box, swap the old box for the new box and then the old box goes out in the garage until we go to the allotment, and when they come back from allotment they get washed out with some hot water then some cool and get stored back in the garage again.

Every day I sweep the enclosures and quickly sweep their vetbed, doesn't take too long. I have a routine in the evening of fresh hay, then sweeping the enclosure, shutting them in (in the case of the lionheads, my other two free-range 24-7), and quickly and roughly sweep the vetbed.

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You sound very organised Schuette and I like your underbed storage box idea

Oh it's necessity more than plan. :lol: I can't cope with doing a lot so I have to make it as simple and easy as possible.

Thank you both so much, I feel better just knowing that it will get easier, I was worrying how I'd cope come winter and short days (as mornings are a rush so change everything at teatime just food and water before off to school / work),the photo really helped too, the hutches look so clean, tidy and organised, I will get the lino and then won't need so much newspaper in the main living area and put the litter tray back in the sleeping area with some hay in it, hay stack should arrive any time so will then put that in her sleeping area too. I might try another litter tray in the run as though poos are throughout this area she seems to like using the corners even more. I will get her spayed next week as well, have been waiting for pay day as hutch wasn't cheap but will ring and book her in as that will hopefully make a big difference too. I can put her in her other run over the weekend for a few hours and then really clean and dry her hutch out before the lino goes in. Once I have managed to litter train her a bit better (fingers crossed) I will put the towel into the main sleeping area too and the litter tray on top. I feel more confident I will get there in the end as you both are so organised and have managed to get into a good routine with your bunnies.

That's the spirit I'm on my 4th foster bun and they've all litter trained within 24hrs of being here & kept their hutches lovely & clean - but they have ALL been neutered boys and I think that's the key so roll on "spay day" :lol: On that subject, are you using a recommended vet? There are a few Notts based people on here who could advise. They can vary in price too so worth asking up front .

Buns will usually wee/poo in a corner hence the corner shaped litter trays for buns so always put your bowl/tray in a corner for her and she'll be much happier

Here's our house bun Inca modelling hers (& enjoying some parsley, nom nom nom) :lol:

Spaying definitely helps as they then tend to settle down to just one corner instead of all of them!

We still have an extra litter tray in the lionheads room, like the one in Fluffers picture but bigger because, darnit, there is one corner where they WILL pee no matter what. :roll::lol: But I tend to just empty that out into their dirty box and refill it, doesn't take long at all.

I found keeping on reading various threads on here about how other people do there's got us into a good routine.

I don't know the size of your hutch, but I would buy one of those rectangular cat litter trays and fill with a layer of newspaper and then hay. Mine sit in it to do their business and to sit and chomp hay.

Thanks for all your replies, have just posted on the health bit about recommended vets and hoping someone will get back to me and will hold fire on booking until I see if I can find a good one locally tried and tested so to speak.

I am going to try the litter tray again in the corner of her sleeping / pooping area and see if she uses it, if she doesn't then might try a corner shaped one which will give her more room to sleep as well. Hutch seems really big to clean and is meeting the spec for the right size and is much bigger than her last one and yet also seems small once litter tray is in :roll:

Fluffers - noticed you had given Inca parsley - I believe basil is okay too so will try Hun with a few leaves - gave her a bit of cucumber without seeds (as net said don't give seeds?) but she didn't eat it, might try her with a bit of carrot, different sites give different advise and don't want to get it wrong and make her ill. One site said not to give avocado as could poisen her, you have to be so careful, before having her I didn't realise just how careful you had to be.

Fluffers - noticed you had given Inca parsley - I believe basil is okay too so will try Hun with a few leaves - gave her a bit of cucumber without seeds (as net said don't give seeds?) but she didn't eat it, might try her with a bit of carrot, different sites give different advise and don't want to get it wrong and make her ill. One site said not to give avocado as could poisen her, you have to be so careful, before having her I didn't realise just how careful you had to be.

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There is a great list of 'safe' veg here:

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/leaflet_pdfs/going_green_oct_06.pdf

If you mean the soft seeds in the centre of the cucumber these are perfectly fine, you don't need to cut them out.

Amy

That is really great - thanks :wave:

Realised why Hunny doesn't like the ladder, put her in her run whilst started to clean out her hutch, she doesn't seem to like the run and yet it is twice the size of her other one, anyway she scrambled up the ladder very unsteady and her nails were skidding and she made it up but not very easily so can see why she doesn't want to go down it, I don't know what to do to make it easier for her? The hutch is a good one so I know it is suitable but hadn't thought she might struggle physically with it. Do you think rabbits generally take time to adjust to a new hutch? Also just tried the litter tray in a corner and she pulled it around her hutch - didn't seem to like it alot - then she started chewing off newspaper and spitting it around the other part of the hutch, I think she seems fed up and prefered her old small hutch, new one much better but Hunny doesn't seem to agree !!! Hey ho :roll:

Realised why Hunny doesn't like the ladder, put her in her run whilst started to clean out her hutch, she doesn't seem to like the run and yet it is twice the size of her other one, anyway she scrambled up the ladder very unsteady and her nails were skidding and she made it up but not very easily so can see why she doesn't want to go down it, I don't know what to do to make it easier for her? The hutch is a good one so I know it is suitable but hadn't thought she might struggle physically with it

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You could try tacking carpet to it, it might give her a better grip. You could also raise the lower end so its not so steep.

Thanks Amy, will get some carpet and in the meantime put a brick under to raise it.

Jane Rooms said:

Do you think rabbits generally take time to adjust to a new hutch? Also just tried the litter tray in a corner and she pulled it around her hutch - didn't seem to like it alot - then she started chewing off newspaper and spitting it around the other part of the hutch, I think she seems fed up and prefered her old small hutch, new one much better but Hunny doesn't seem to agree !!! Hey ho :roll:

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Yes I would say it does take a while for them to settle and some adjust quicker than others. Persevere and keep putting the litter tray back into the corner along with whatever "presents" shes left. Don't worry about the newspaper, Inca does that sometimes :roll: not sure if it's them having strop or them making it "right" for them :?

Oh and yes Inca LOVES basil and Coriander, as do the other buns, can't grow the stuff quickly enough :lol:

I've not read the whole of this thread due to lack of time (sorry). I never put bedding in for my buns they usually sleep in their litter tray or in a cardboard box or they have an old blanket. I put megazorb in the tray and then a layer of hay and just empty the tray every day or so depending. As for the ladder is she's not used to using one it might seem quite scary for her. Does it have plenty of rungs on it so that she doesn't slip? As fot the hutch floor, I used lino tiles for my guinea pig hutch, they are easy to clean and stick in place. I got a pack from B&Q for a few pound. Once you both get into a routine it will be easy for you.

Suzanne said:

I've not read the whole of this thread due to lack of time (sorry). I never put bedding in for my buns they usually sleep in their litter tray or in a cardboard box or they have an old blanket. I put megazorb in the tray and then a layer of hay and just empty the tray every day or so depending.

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