Litter Issues

[UnluckilyLemon]

Lemon is my first bunny, and a second-hand acquisition. During the spring, summer, and fall she lives outside but in the winter she comes in to avoid the weather. She has no issue using her litter box in her cage, and sometimes sits in it just to sit. But when I let her out we have accidents almost every time. I figured she would be better if I put her litter box where can see it, and it worked for about a day. I put all her poop nuggets in the box, and put the box around where she pees. Sometimes we completely miss the mark, which is understandable, and other times she'll go next to the litter box. If I move the box, she goes where it was before. I understand rabbits can't be 100% litter trained, but she'll go in the box (that has her poop that I put in it) get out, and pee somewhere else. It's extremely frustrating, and I've stopped letting her out due to its daily frequency. I feel bad for keeping her in all day (with all her toys and chews and blankets, poor bunny) and I really want to trust her and not have to watch her every second, but it's extremely difficult when she pees right next to the box. Any advice?

 

[Blue eyes]

Actually, for urine, rabbits absolutely can be 100% good. It's the poos that are rarely 100% in the box.

Training, though, is a process and offering too much roaming space at once can cause accidents. Once they occur, it is more difficult to un-train.

I'd consider a "do-over." -- Keep her confined in her cage with the litter box until she consistently uses it. However, be sure it is set up to her advantage. It should be topped with hay and that hay refreshed daily.

Once she's consistent and never pees outside the litter box, the door to the cage should be open to a limited space. Use an exercise pen to confine the area around her cage. This way she has a smaller space and can return to her cage (and litter box) at will. After several days at least of being perfect with those litter habits (talking urine here, not poos) then the space can be gradually expanded. Stray poos are to be expected as she marks her "new" territory. That marking will dissipate in time.

The idea here is that the litter box always remains in the same location -- inside her cage. She can return to it at anytime while out.

This is all new to her after having spent most of the year where it didn't matter where she went potty. She should train but the process should proceed slowly and her space increased gradually only if she remains 100% with peeing in the box.

 

[JBun]

Is she spayed? Any other animals in the house?

 

[UnluckilyLemon]

Is she spayed? Any other animals in the house?

She is spayed, and there's cats and dogs, and they do coexist, but she's never out with them. Could it be her trying to mark her territory?