Bunnies Eating Litter

No never give up. They use their sifting tray in their "play room" but we are having a power struggle over them using it in their main room. I don't know why. So I was doing as you suggested and slowly migrating them in but once they saw and smelled the Carefresh...you know where they went. So I am going to cover the Carefresh with hay so they get used to the hay and slowly take the EXPENSIVE Carefresh away. :) :) You said you mix it together? I am always so busy trying to keep the hay and litter separate. So you are saying, they will separate the litter from the hay they want? I am SLOWLY being trained. I have a friend that wants to sit for them while I am gone coming over today to see if they like her. :D :D I know they will not....they are so spoiled.

(pssst...sshhhh!!! I had started a reply earlier today and then decided discretion was the better part of valor...in other words my boss came in... and got off POTD pronto!!!!) :D

Remember that experiment I was running about litter and litter boxes??? Well, I'm depressed. My guys tell me they love the Carefresh, no matter if it's underneath a sifting tray or not. But mine don't eat it like yours do. I think they like it because it's soft to lay on. :confused:

No I never mixed the hay in with the carefresh....I put it on top in a pile at one end of the tray and then THEY distributed it over the rest of the Carefresh or sifting tray when they were selecting which strand of hay they thought was worthy of their attention. However I did con them by putting a layer to Tidy cat in (about an inch) and then an inch or two of Care Fresh in both the sifting tray as well as the pan without the sifting tray....they didn't seem to notice, or if they did, they didn't tell me about it. And by combining using the two diff types of litter I'm still not buying as much of the Carefresh as I was when that's all I used.

They're stubborn and they are smart. ;) I guess I'll keep using some Care Fresh after all.:o

So they broke you down too???:p It is true...they love the softness of the litter box and I am not fighting anymore !! THEY WIN!!:D :D I am still not giving up on the sifting box in the playroom. It is working. It just seems in their bedroom they want the softness. Not worth fighting over.

Hope you don't mind me butting in to the conversation, you are all so lucky, my buns are not litter trainned at all.

Poor me, They just won't take to it at all.

I have to go around with the vacum, so when they are in the house I have to limit them to 1/2 rooms.

First Heather, you are not butting in. All input is welcome. :) :) I am kindda lucky, they are litterbox trained but they still "drop" a little but nothing a dustbuster can't pick up and that only seems to happen near their play box and they kick out their newspaper and bedding. :( But they litterbox trained themselves. I put it in their cage and they went. I was doing the happy dance !! They love their litterbox !:D :D

Heather, have you tried to get them to use a litter box? Bunny should have no problem with it at all since she is older. Older buns are so much easier to train because they've figured out they don't want poop and pee in their food, etc. Even wild bunnies will select one area of burrow as their watercloset.

As I mentioned to Tazz, the key to get them using the litter box is to put some of their timmy hay in at one end in a pile. The other trick is to put the box(es) where THEY want it, not necessarily where you want it. Just put out a pan (or two or three) and see where they go, then if necessary move the pan to where the location they choose. You usually should start out with several pans and then gradually take them away as the buns get used to them. You should also have at least one in each room they have access to as they won't they the living room (especially if they are having fun) to use the litter box by the back door. There's ways to hide the litter box too if you're concerned about appearances..... You might check the house rabbit soc website on litter training. It really is easy! ;)
Try it, you'll like it!

It was SO EASY !!!!:D :D :D

Thanks guys, Each hutch has a tray in it, as it is easier when cleaning the hutch. The two girls are the cleanest and do most of their toliet it. Twinkle is quite clean to but Cadbury just drops where he is standing.

It's when they come out of their hutches in the spare room that the problem starts. I have put trays down but still they prefer to do it on the floor.

What I shall do is try again by putting trays in both rooms when they come out of the hutch and I will let you know how it goes, it would be so much better for them if they done it in trays as I could leave them to roam about on their own a bit more.

Don't give up Heather. I have had to move trays to accomodate them more than I can count.

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Originally posted by tazz1227
Don't give up Heather. I have had to move trays to accomodate them more than I can count.

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I agree, don't give up. Just remember that they will tell you where they want their litter pans.... Start putting the pans where they are doing their business and putting one right in front of the cage door/or hutch door is an excellent idea, since most rabbits will go immediately upon release from their cage. You might take a quick look at the House Rabbit Soc website,www.rabbit.org, they have litter training advice. ;) Just remember that they are stubborn and this will take a lot of your patience. Good luck!!