Hay in litterbox

[Izabelle]

My boyfriend asked me why you put the hay in the litterbox and not separate, so not to soil the hay.
And the only reason I could come up with is thats just what you usually do.

I've always put the hay in the litterbox, both because I think I've heard that rabbits like to eat and poop simultaneously and because it keeps the mess contained to one area.

Now I wonder, does anybody know exactly why you do that? Is there a reason behind it other than that it just works to do it that way? And could you actually put them separately and make it work?

Thanks for the answers

 

[JBun]

Yes, that's part of the reason. Rabbits naturally poop, and sometimes pee, while they eat. So it helps to contain this mess to the litterbox. And like you said, it also helps to contain the hay mess in the litter box.

But hay also helps contain the odor from the litter box. So a hay layer over the litter, helps trap the urine odor, or maybe just helps mask it with the hay smell, I'm not sure. I just know when I use hay, it helps. ''

Hay in the litter box also, gives the bunnies a soft layer to step on. This is especially helpful if a hard pelleted litter is used, as some rabbits don't like stepping on the hard litter.

Hay also helps keep the pelleted litter from shifting around as much when bunnies are stepping around in there. The hay also can help prevent digging in the litter to some extent, if a good hay layer is covering it up so as to distract bun from thinking it's a good place to dig(though doensn't always work).

Yes, some of the hay does get peed on and essentially wasted, but it's something we(rabbit carers) have learned is a helpful addition to a rabbits litter box setup, for all of these reasons.

You could certainly have the hay separate, though I would still keep some in the litter box for all of those above reasons. And some rabbits do like having a separate hay source, which some owners have learned about their rabbits. But you may also find that some rabbits just end up deciding it's another good place to pee and poop, especially if the hay is on the ground and they're sitting on it while they eat. So better to just keep it contained in the litter box.