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Non stop cleaning!!

I'm new to the forums and needing help!

We have had our 2 bunnies for 3 weeks now and I have been trying to train them to use the litter tray but to no avail! I am constantly cleaning the hutch and no matter how many times I place the litter tray where the go to the toilet they then change the location! I have been using the wood pellets from P@H with hay in the tray but it's just not working! Can anyone give me some advice? Should I try another litter type or persevere?

Thanks
 
welcome to the forum! :wave:

I don't think rabbits are too picky about what they have in their tray. ofc I could be wrong but mine have never cared for what I had given them, I used to swap regularly when I was pinched for cash by grabbing whatever was cheapest.

are they neutered? rabbits often wee/poop to territory mark, which is also hugely influenced by hormones. rabbits that aren't neutered will be harder to litter train.

along with that (a common misconception I find) is that rabbits will never 100% be litter trained, as in poop wise. they'll often poop outside to territory mark occasionally, but poop is dry and shouldn't be too much of a hassle to clean up.

litter training can take a while and can be even harder when theres two of them imho. the best thing is to wipe up any pee with a vinegar & water solution. the problem is is that rabbits will pee where they can smell that they last peed, so they'll be more inclined to pee there. vinegar removes that smell of pee, removing the 'want' to pee where they last peed. place any poops back into the litter tray and just keep at it.

I would also possibly suggest multiple trays, so if they're peeing in two different corners, I'd put two different trays in. that way they can't pee outside of the litter tray and only have the option to go in the trays, so they'll get the jist. it doesn't have to stay that way, once they're litter trained and settled you can remove one tray. I had two to begin with and eventually removed one.

I'd also like to just ask if they're vaccinated? rabbits require two vaccines against RHD1, RHD2 and myxi. both RHD diseases are airborne so its vital they're vaccinated, its rife across the country and killing plenty of rabbits wild or pets. sorry if you're already aware but it doesn't hurt to mention it :D xx
 
Welcome to the forum. When I joined this forum I was pleased with all the wonderful information on health, housing, diet, etc. It is also a wonderful place to meet people who are like minded and supportive in bunny and non-bunny areas.
BinkiCodie gave you some good advice.
When I adopted my bunnies, some were already trained; others never saw a litter tray. Although I have one bunny with medical issues that does not use his litter tray, the others use their litter trays most of the time.
Putting their hay or a treat in their litter tray or putting the litter tray next to their hay rack may help because it will encourage the bunny to sit in the box and hopefully use the box.
 
What age are they, are they neutered? Neutering definitely makes a difference - I’m currently fostering 3 15 week old males and it’s just one big poop fest all over the shed & run! They are starting to use the litter trays (they have 6 in there!) and actually I’m pretty sure there are now more pees in the tray than out but still poop everywhere every day.

If they are already neutered, what type of set up do they have and what is on the floor? I find any sort of soft surface often gets used as a litter tray so I tend to keep hay only in the litter trays and hay feeders, straw for warmth in a carrier or dog bed (something easy to clean as most fosters will toilet in it!)

I would wipe up pee and leave the tissue / blue roll or whatever you use in a litter tray and as mentioned above wipe down with vinegar to remove the scent to try to discourage them from using the same area again. Sweep up poo and put it in the litter tray too. Other than that it’s just persistence and a battle of wills :lol:
 
Lots of good advice so far. What sex are they? Maybe if you have 2 boys they are messing everywhere as they both want to be the dominant one which could lead to fighting in a few weeks, so watch them closely for that.
 
Hey,

I have 2 Mini Loos, 10 week old and we are very slowly getting to grips with the training. Few things I have found helpful...

Have 2/3 trays in the biggest hot spots. Clean up the poo and wipe up the wee and place in the tray.
Out food source directly on top or next to the litter tray.
Lower your expectations, massively. They will do their business in the litter tray a majority of the time and it will improve as they get more and more comfortable.

We have successfully got both of them weeing in the trays 90% of the time. Just the poo which isn't always consistent but isn't that much of a hassle to clean now!

Good luck!

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
 
It will probably come with time. Give them a couple of litter trays full of hay and they will probably end up using one as a toilet. Meanwhile, make it easier to clean with an offcut of lino in the floor, then it just needs a quick sweep / wipe down daily.
 
I've personally found that having the best hay supply (with some dried herbs or treats mixed in) were you want them to toilet really helps with toilet training. They seem to sit munching away and pooping at the same time :lol: My own personal findings...hope it helps :thumb: :D x
 
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