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House rabbit litter training issues

ajay16

New Kit
I've had Leo for 6 months now, he is litter trained, as in he knows where to pee. Jumps on the litter tray and pees just fine, hops back in his cage when he's out and about roaming to pee etc.

But as soon as I put hay to line his cage he then decides the whole place is a litter tray and will pee where he wants...as well as in the litter tray.
For 5 monhts now he's had no hay in the bottom of his cage, just in racks as he kept peeing everywhere in the hay as soon as we tried it after he was first litter trained.

Any ideas how I can stop him from doing it? He doesn't pee outside of his cage at all when running around the house. But for some reason he seems to associate hay on the floor with using the whole place as a litter tray.
 
As rabbits like to poop and wee where they eat, hay on any surface will encourage them to wee. Is Leo neutered? As neutering would likely improve the situation a lot. Otherwise he will be hormonal and spraying wee everywhere.
 
As rabbits like to poop and wee where they eat, hay on any surface will encourage them to wee. Is Leo neutered? As neutering would likely improve the situation a lot. Otherwise he will be hormonal and spraying wee everywhere.

Apologies, yes he has been neutered, 7 weeks ago.

I previously had a house rabbit of 8 years who was litter trained without an issue. He always had hay in the bottom of his cage, there would be poops here and there, but he'd never pee anywhere except his litter tray.
 
Apologies, yes he has been neutered, 7 weeks ago.

I previously had a house rabbit of 8 years who was litter trained without an issue. He always had hay in the bottom of his cage, there would be poops here and there, but he'd never pee anywhere except his litter tray.

Hopefully from now on as his hormones are subsiding things should improve. My bunnies have always peed on any areas with hay, or any other soft surfaces, so I think you were very lucky with your previous bunny :love:
 
Hopefully from now on as his hormones are subsiding things should improve. My bunnies have always peed on any areas with hay, or any other soft surfaces, so I think you were very lucky with your previous bunny :love:

This is also my experience. My rabbits are largely litter-trained and will use the litter tray for the majority of their wee and poo. However, they will also use any areas where there is hay, but to a much lesser extent.
 
Hmm ok, I just don't like the idea of him having a plastic floor to his cage. I think he'd still pee on the vet bedding sadly...as he already does on the small bit of upper matt we have on his perch area.

FYI - He has a large cage in the living room, and is only really in there overnight.
 
You could try lining the cage bottom with non slip vynil. Mine have always used hay or vet bed as a toilet. I don’t use cages for my rabbits, and locking them in a cage overnight when they have some of their most active times is not advised, they should really have permanent access to at least 8ftx6ft of space, could you maybe use a pen to make a rabbit safe area if he needs to be confined at night? Most of us with indoor bunnies have them in one rabbit proofed room.
 
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