litterbox problems

[KimandCocoa]

Cocoa is having very bad litterbox habits lately!!!! Anytime I clean out his box, he won't use it the next day. I have tried so many different techniques and nothing is working!!! What the heck!

I have been cleaning out his box with vinegar/water solution and after a good rinsing, I scrub it with some mild hand soap (so it doesn't smell like vinegar.) Then I put the fresh litter in and take some of the "used" litter and sprinkle it on top. Once the litterbox is back in Cocoa's cage he'll look in it and sniff it, then he stretches completely over it, so he can eat his hay outside the box!! Of course the next day I can tell he didn't use his litterbox the whole night and I have a big mess to clean up.

Now yesterday, I didn't clean it out with ANYTHING. I simply dumped out the old litter and put in the new litter - that's it. And I still sprinkled in some used litter. Today I wake up and see that Cocoa has peed THREE TIMES outside of his litterbox. Once on top of his castle, once outside of his litterbox, and once by his water bowl. I was so mad!!! What a way to start Monday morning. This keeps happening lately and I don't know what to do. He'll only use the litterbox the day after I clean it. This is really frustrating me.

Any suggestions????

 

[aurora369]

So this is only happening for a short period of time between litter box cleanings? He's not showing signs of straining or discomfort? It's good to rule out any medical reasons for a sudden change in litter box behaviour.

I find my girls will alternate litter boxes. They have two and will use one with one clean and switch to the other one after the next clean. You could try using an additional litter box.

I would also clean his cage out with vinegar every time you change his litter box. Use a spray bottle with 50/50 vinegar/water mix and mist the entire cage out. Wipe it up with some paper towel. This should help eliminate any potty smells outside his cage.

If he's peeing on blankies and cardboard, then take those away until he's gotten his litter habits back. You want an environment that is very easy to clean and prevent any other potty smelling areas outside the litter box.

--Dawn

 

[JimD]

Did he have good habits before this?

 

[KimandCocoa]

Dawn, I don't currently clean out his cage everytime I change the litterbox. I only clean his cage once a week or less, but the litterbox is more often. Seems like it would take a long time to remove everything from his cage and spray it all down. But if that is my only solution I'll have to do it!

Jim, when I lived at my old apartment I don't ever remember him going outside of the litterbox! I have been living at my current place for seven months now though. I think these current problems have been happening on and off for a couple of months now.

 

[aurora369]

What kind of things does Cocoa have in his cage? My buns only have litter in their litter boxes, and easy to move toys in the rest of the cage. I just pull all the toys out, mist down the cage and wipe up. Then clean litter box and the rest of the toys go back.

I have found that the cleaner you can keep the cage, the faster and better litter training goes. I was cleaning my girls cage every day about three times a day for two weeks to get them trained, but now they are litter box saints.

Once you find a routine, it all goes pretty quickly.

After you've had a good couple weeks with good litter box habits, start introducing blankets or grass matts again. But before then, I normally keep those out of the cage as they retain the pee smell.

--Dawn

 

[KimandCocoa]

Cocoa has a lot in his cage. The bottom of the cage is covered with newspaper and then besides his litterbox he has a few toys, a tunnel, water bowl, and castle with a grass matt in it. I do always throw out the newspaper right after he pees on it. But I am sure he's peed on the matt and I keep that in the cage.

I think I'll have to try keeping it cleaner and using the vinegar to spray down the cage. But my question is, if I clean his cage and his litterbox with vinegar, what if he still goes outside the box? I am afraid he will be upset because he doesn't like the vinegar smell.

 

[aurora369]

My buns don't complain. They've never acted like they don't like the smell before. I always wipe it completely dry though, and that should help with any left over vinegar smell.

I would take out the newspaper and grass mats for now. That will make it easier for you to clean it more often. After the litter box habits are better, put them back in. Just wipe up any pee puddles with paper towel as soon as you see them, and then spray and wipe with vinegar immediately after.

Also, he may have decided that all paper needs peeing on... Sometimes rabbits will choose a type of surface to pee on. Often times it's any thing fabric, but it can also be paper or grass mats.

--Dawn

 

[KimandCocoa]

Oh that makes sense too.

Thanks for all your help!