Rabbits don't sleep in their hutch

Thanks everyone for your replies, really appreciate all your help. The hutch is up and there is now straw and hay in the bedroom and I've put their litter tray on the opp. end (uncleaned - so it smells good )

I've not moved them in, I'll do that tomorrow. Right now it is connected with a tube to their old eglu and run so they can get used to it.

Joey and boo, did you rescue your disabled bunny?

keletkezes - can't quite see his face, but I'm sure it's a cross one!

OK, so here I am again!
They are still using their hutch as a loo.
I put their bed one end and their litter tray the other, food and toys in the middle and they still use the hutch only as a toilet. I tried putting their bed outside (where they never poo on it) and then bringing it in at night, but then it becomes a litter tray again!

Finally someone suggested shutting off the hutch for a few days as it's warm (and they don't use anyway), putting the litter tray outside and then keeping it outside. This is where I am now. Last night they had no access to the hutch, slept in their bed in their run and just used the litter tray for business. All good so far.

Is this the best solution, to leave their tray outside? I just don't want to be back to square one when I open their hutch again...

They will always have access to the run via a short tube.

Appreciate all your help.

How old are the Rabbits? When they are not used to using a litter tray it can be difficult to train them. Have they moved into their new hutch yet? I would try leaving the hutch empty apart from a litter tray with paper or similar and hay on the top to see if this will help them to get into a habit of using it. They don't need a "bed" as such and they don't really need straw. Lino works quite well. I usually have 2 litter trays in my hutches, one upstairs and 1 down, both filled with hay. Rabbits like to do their toilet while they are chewing their hay and as we want them to be eating hay above all else, this system works very well with most Rabbits. Once they have wee'd on the hutch floor they will keep doing this as they can smell it so best not to encourage this.

Hi, Rabbits are about 3 years old. When the tray was in the hutch they did use it and didn't wee on the floor of the hutch, they did however leave some droppings in the hutch and as soon as I put their bed or any hay in the hutch they used that as a litter tray too.

At the moment their hutch is closed and clean. I've put the litter tray outside. They are not pooing in their bed and seem happy like this. They only ever seem happy outside. I want them to see their hutch as a refuge when the weather gets cold.

I am thinking of just leaving the litter tray outside and opening up the hutch and putting just toys and food in there?

I think you will just have to find out what works best for you. Rabbits which are litter trained do sometimes leave droppings elsewhere but should wee in the tray.

Update! They are both now using their hutch as base camp

I have woken up a few times to find them missing from their runs as they are in their hutch.

They still drop their bobbles everwhere despite having two litter trays, but I sweep them daily and feed them in their hutch.

They seem to like it in there now.

So they are in their run in the day, have time free in the garden, and take shelter in their hutch.

I am happy as it means that they will hopefully take shelter in the winter, instead of sitting in their run.

All is good in the (bunny) world.

Hi I'm glad you asked this as I also have two Nethies refusing to use their Eglu hutch at all! They sleep on kids sponge matting in the run! I have tried so many combinations of things to get them to go in that hutch. I did originally have hay and straw in there. But I found that made them poop and see in there (which I don't want as they are litter trained and have 2 litter trays and the other end of the run. So at the moment I've lined it with newspaper to make it flatter..... WISH that plastic tray was flat!! And topped with straw. They only occasionally run in there when having an excited Binky time, but I don't think they sleep in there ever as I've been up in the night and still see them in the run! I love the Eglu hutch as it's easy to clean and predator proof, also good insulation and ventilation, but out of interest what hutch are you getting? And how are you going to attach it to the run? Also, don't wooden hutches smell? I can't imagine how you get the odd corner wee out of wood?

Just seen this is an old thread. Would love to hear how you're getting on

Hi, nice to meet someone with the same problem! In the end I ditched the eglu for large hutch https://www.rabbit-hutches.co.uk/6ft-rabbit-hutch and attached the hutch with a long tube to a run. They never sat in the eglu, never, not once. With the new hutch it took some time, but one morning I woke up and they were in their hutch Now they sit in there a lot.

My problem now is that during the summer they just had 2 litter trays in their hutch which kept it quite clean. Now they need straw, so I have put paper, shavings, straw, hay in the whole hutch and they are back to pooing and weeing everywhere. I have tried to put their litter tray in the same place, they seem to push it around, but it seems they can't help themselves but to go to the loo on the straw which is everywhere.

I may rejig. I know what you mean about wood and the smell of wee, but I'm assuming you are outside? You won't smell it

Yes I'm still having the same problem with my Eglu hutch. So basically if there is hay .. bunnies will wee or poop. I'd suggest with your new hutch don't put anything in it except toys and a bowl of water and a litter tray filled with back to nature. This is exactly what I have in my run and it is as clean as a whistle-lovely! My problem still remains that I have my hay in my Eglu hutch, so naturally they poop in there (as well as the litter tray in the run). I'm now thinking of getting a cat litter box that you climb in (taking the door off) and putting their hay in there in the run. This would keep the hay dry, contained and poop and wee contained too. I was originally putting hay in the Eglu hutch to just get them to go in the dam thing (which worked), be at the expense of my girl weeing in there and I've found out that rabbits do not like to sleep where there is is wee because they don't like the smell. How are you getting on? Trial and error isn't it?