most efficiant set up for pen/cage to keep clean of poop

[brendajoyce]

I'm expecting to be adopting my grandbunny soon.
Because my husband hated the mess last time we kept him here (I let him have free reign in the girls bedroom) he is less than thrilled.
I do have to make this set up as easy as possible to keep this under control.
I do have a NIC condo for him 3 layers but would like to add a pen..small at first so I can train him and then extend it when I'm with him.
I would like a fence system that is flexible and will bend to whatever shape I want.
I did see on http:wwwtherabbithouse.com a fence I like.
If anyone has the time to look its
gallery
rabbit playpen gallery
2nd picture in "playpen"
I'm probably asking too much for this one question but going to try anyway!
thanks for all suggestion!

 

[OneTwoThree]

I use a dog xpen (60 bucks at Petco). As for the poop, Samson is litter box trained, so I just dump his poop ever couple of days I use Cellsorb for litter.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We use litter boxes and a shop vac.

 

[Watermelons]

Dust pan and broom.
Theres not much you can do if their not going to do all their poops in the litter pan unless their fully confined to a cage. My guys will poop around their cage but when their out they rarely do a poop out there.

I would just get a cheapy carpet or something to put as the floor for the pen so its dirtying that and not your floor

 

[brendajoyce]

thanks for the responses.
I think the first thing I have to do is have him neutered and then perhaps I stand a chance for him to be littler trained?
I understand there will likely still be some poops around.
I noticed tonight while we were at my daughters today that he's pooping all over his cage. Not much to work with.
Brenda

 

[Watermelons]

you can try and collect the poops he does in his cage, and stick them in his litter box, might help a bit. Neutering should help as well but is a great idea reglardless of poop status

 

[brendajoyce]

ok that sounds helpful.
My daughter has newspaper in his cage.. I'm wondering if I should have multiple litter boxes in his cage so he's got more chances to get poops in litter. Might be frustrating for him though?
thanks

 

[brendajoyce]

ps she also has a litter box in the cage.

 

[funnybunnymummy]

Does he pee in the litter box? If so, the neutering will probably encourage him to poop in the litter box too.Mind you, Gus is neutered and he still scatters his poops everywhere. I just sweep it up every day or every other dayand toss the poops into his litter box. Much easier than cleaning pee, that's for sure...

Do you put hay in the litter box? That will encourage him to sit in their and do his thing too.

Hope that helps!

Rue

 

[brendajoyce]

Rue, yes he does pee in his box. He doesnt seem to like his hay that much.
Do you have your bunny in a pen? sounds like it if you sweep it up. Do you have a cage too? He has a large one from metal cubes.

 

[Watermelons]

What kind of hay are you giving him?
Maybe another type will entice him more? My guys appreciate orchard and oat over timothy.

Sometimes poops are just something we have to live with, sweep them up into a bucket and spread them over your garden. at least they help contribute that way

 

[brendajoyce]

ok I was thinking that too..try different hay.

 

[funnybunnymummy]

Gus has a large NIC cube cage and pen, but he has free range of the house during the day.However, heonlypoops in his cage or pen.Most of it goes into his litter box, but he tends to scatter a few stray poops around the floor. I believe it's a territorial thing. And since it'sconfined to his cage/pen (although some poops still find their way through the bars and onto the floor ), I just sweep it up as often as necessary (along with the hay and sawdustthatalso gets kicked out of hislitter box).

I would say if your guy is already pee trained, then you're halfway there. Get him neutered and thenjust keep putting his poops into his litter box until hegets the idea. Also, figure out what sort of hay (just not alfalfa) he likes and put that in there. It will definitely encourage him to poop in the box. He'll probably still scatter a few poops, but if he keeps them in the pen/cage, then you just have to sweep them up every day or so. Or use a dustbuster or shop vac.

Hope that helps!

Rue

 

[brendajoyce]

thanks! I'm feeling more encouraged again.

 

[brendajoyce]

I was just talking to my husband and his biggest concern is the hay smell. We didnt like it when we had him last time.
Are some hays less hay smelling?

 

[Watermelons]

brendajoyce wrote:

I was just talking to my husband and his biggest concern is the hay smell. We didnt like it when we had him last time.
Are some hays less hay smelling?

REALLY?!?
Personally I LOVE the smell of hay.
One thing about hay, the stronger it smells of hay, the richer and better quality the hay usually is. Alfalfa is the strongest smelling usually, but if the buns over 6 months, you wont be feeding it anyway

Now yes some types dont smell as strong just because of what they are, like oat hay. But at the same time whenI walk past my truck, my Orchard grass smells quite strong but when I have only a little inside, its not that bad, especially when you keep it in a rubbermaid container.
Try that maybe? If youre buying by the bale or large bag, keep most of it in your garage or in storage, and only take what you need for a week or 2 inside, and store that in a decent rubbermaid container so its not always open and giving off its odors. Then the small ammount you usually put in their cage doesnt smell as bad because there isnt as much.

Petsmart usually has the best selection of hays in the area, just because of their size and the brands their able to carry. You may have better luck there, however youre in the same boat as me with them all being equally far away from where you live Mr Pets on westwood isn't bad either but they dont have nearly as many as petsmart would.

 

[brendajoyce]

ok that sounds helpful.