Rabbit won't come out of litterbox

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Maverick061106

Maverick061106

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Fall Branch, Tennessee, USA
I devised a new cage with a litterbox attached to the outside for my Flemish Giant. It is one of the large covered cat boxes wired to the doorway of a large parrot cagewhich hasrubber matting on the floor of the cage (bedding in the litterbox). His food and water are nearby, but not within reach of the litterbox. (His previous cage was simply a large rubbermaid container with bedding in it.)

He went into the litterboximmediately and will not come out on his own. It has been 2 days now and I have to take him out of the box and block it from him in order for him to eat and drink.

What should I do? Will he get out on his own if he gets hungry or thirsty enough? I am at a loss...
 
Ooooh, you built him a warren!! He's probably one really happy bunny. They love being in covered spaces (instinctual, keeps them safe from hawks, other predators). He's just chillin' out, it's new and cool!

I actually wouldn't cover his litter box unless it was in a big enough area to house both the bunny and the box. Can you put another litter box in the corner and let him use the covered box for his hideaway? Or cover another area of his cage (or put in a cardboard box) so he has an alternative 'chill' spot?

Bunnies really really don't like being caged in an open area. It goes against every instinct.


sas :bunnydance:
 
The parrot cage is about 2'x3'. It has a lower door and an upper door and I had planned on adding a platform later so he could have another level up top...although if he never comes out of the box, there wouldn't be much point in that... I'll try to post a pic of the setup soon.

Being a Flemish, 6 sf is not really that big anyway, so I hate to add another box inside the cage...the only reason I got a covered box is because it was large enough for him, for one, AND he wouldn't be able to kick bedding out of it. My landlord is none too happy about me having any animals in the house, so I can only keep him indoors if the area stays CLEAN.

Would I maybe be able to replace the solid top on the litterbox with something see-through? If he likes it so much, I don't mind if he stays in there as long as I don't have to worry about him eating and drinking. Will it being a hidey spot discourage him from using the bathroom there?

We get him out often and let him hang out in the living room (wood floors - no carpet). He even jumps up on the couch with us ;) I just hadn't seen him get out since I put him in there and don't want to worry about him!
 
I THINK he may have come out once, becuase there was a small piece of bedding lying in the cage floor this morning...but he could have kicked that out of the litterbox, also, so I'm not sure...
 
Well, I took the lid off the litterbox and moved it inside the cage. Now, he will put his feet on the side of the litterbox and reach as far as he can to get to his water and food. He will jump out of the box to leave his cage...but not to eat or stretch out...I don't understand. The only thing I can think that it might be is that the bedding is more comfortable than the rubber floor?

Here is what the cage looks like at the moment...

102_0763.jpg


102_0772.jpg



And here is Luca, snoozing...

102_0739.jpg

 
Do you think the litterbox is too big? Maybe if I tried a smaller one that he can't lie down in?
 
I think the litterbox is a good size - bigger is almost always better, especially with a big bun.

Maybe he doesn't like the cage flooring? Can you put down a blanket or something? My bun wouldn't leave his litter box when the cage floor was slippery plastic because he was scared.

How much time does he get outside of his cage? Unless he's out 24/7 and that cage is only for food/litter box, it's far far too small for him.
 
I think he needs a bigger cage, as that one is way too tiny for a Flemish Giant to even just sleep in.
 
undergunfire wrote:
I think he needs a bigger cage, as that one is way too tiny for a Flemish Giant to even just sleep in.
Click to expand...


I agree. My flemish looks smaller than he is and I could never picture putting her in that. How much does Luca weigh? How old?

 
Luca is about a year and a half old. I havent weighed him since he was 6 mos old. I'd say he is probably 18-22 lbs or so... VERY rough estimate.

He gets out most of the day. Mornings when I get ready for work, and when I get home until bedtime, unless we leave to go somewhere.

He is now getting out on the floor of the cage, but we have a new issue. He is peeing in the litterbox, but dropping his pellets on the cage floor... At least he is peeing where he needs to be, but it is still an inconvenience. I have been scooping the pellets and putting them in the litterbox every time I see them.

And I have black rubber mats (an outdoor mat turned over to the smooth backside) on the floor of his cage...

Any more advice, guys? I feel he has enough room in his cage for as much as he gets out. He can comfortably lie down in the litterbox and on the open part of the cage floor. The pictures do not show the sizing very well compared to him. I will try to take some more. Maybe I'm wrong... He was in a slightly smaller enclosure before and did quite well in it. I would like to build a second floor in this current cage, but want to get these kinks worked out first to see if it is even a possibility...
 
He needs a bigger cage. That's the only piece of advice I can offer right now and I think it will help all of your other issues. That cage is far far too small for him to ever be shut up in, even if he does get a lot of exercise time. The minimum size for even a small bun is 4'x2'. For a flemmie I think 4'x4' would be the bare minimum.
 
:inlove:First of all, I WANT YOUR BUNNY!!! LOL. Luca is now officially on my bun-napping list. We love blue flemish, and think they are AWESOME!! 6 months ago we had 3 of them; right now, we have just 1,our 5 year old blue flemmie, Velvet. And, she thinks Luca is SO handsome!

I would agree with elrohwen about the bigger cage space. Even though Luca is out a good bit of the day, it sounds like he doesn't have a enough room to chill in his cage.

It is hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like he can be in his litterbox, or laying beside it with barely enough room to stretch out...and even then, part of him would be under his food dish.

Our experience has been that buns do like to hang out in litterboxes....really, boxes of any sort. I think they feel safe there, and don't mind the confines of the box. However, in an area that is supposed to be open, they don't want tobecramped for space.

A 2nd floor is a good idea. Lots of good pluses: It gives the bun a chance to hop up, it adds something interesting to do, he can get up there and have a different perspective on the room, it's a place to chill out, you can put snacks or toys up there occasionally for him to discover, etc.

And you are right...he might also dislike the feeling of the floor mat, for whatever reason.

I'm a fan of choosing the easy fix first (the mat), but I definitely would add more space (2nd floor), and keep the litter box....it's just the right size (we use a kitty boxforVelvettoo).
 
My flemish giants love to chill out in their litterboxes....even though they have a lot of cage space that is free beside the box.

I don't think I'd worry about it too much - he could just be one who likes the idea of laying in the box.
 
Luca says thanks for the complimentwabbitmom12 ;)

I think I will work on putting a second level in there - that would give him a good open space to chill in. Maybe by this weekend we can get that done.

Now that he is coming out of the litterbox, our issue is getting him to poo in there. As I said, he has peed in the box every time, but now keeps pooing on the rubber mats...
 
I doubt putting in a 2nd level is going to do any good for that cage :( - the cage is just too small for him. I'd look into getting a really large dog kennel.
 
A dog crate is actually what I used as his very first cage. I raise and train coonhounds, so it is the largest crate I could find, since my dogs are large. That crate is pretty much the same size as the cage, just not as tall.
 
Maverick061106 wrote:
Well, I took the lid off the litterbox and moved it inside the cage...
Click to expand...

This was the exact opposite of what I said would make him happy. :? Rabbits feel uncomfortable and insecure without something over their heads, you removed his refuge.

Keep the covered litterbox for sleeping and put a smaller litter box in the pen that fits snug against the side of the crate (you can't afford to lose an inch with the limited size).

Or put a sturdy cardboard box in the pen with a nice big doorway. He can go inside or on top. (You can also put the litterpan inside the box).

If you fasten a hay wrack to the side of the pen above the litterbox, he'll sit and munch and poop.

DEFINITELY put in a shelf. As wide as possible.

But unless he can do at least a full length Flemish flop and have the room to stretch from nose to extended back feet, I have to agree that the cage isn't big enough. If he can't stretch out, he's forced into sleeping in an unhealthy cramped position and he'll pay for it later in life.


sas :expressionless:
 
Is there a possibility he is terrified of the rubber mat, dislikes the rubber smell or doesn't like black?:?:shock2: I bought a black sheep skin cover for Sox and she was absolutely terrified of it would not go near it. I would put her favourite food on it and she would not go for the food and when the food is immediately placed elsewhere she would grab it. I placed her on the sheep skin and she would immediately run off. When I place her food and water on it she just refused to eat. And when I turned the sheepskin over to the grey leathery side, she would come over and investigate with curiousity and she would flipped it over she sees the other side and run off. In the end I used it to cover up her route of escape and it worked!

When she comes out for a play, try placing her on the mat with her favourite food and see what happens?

Just a thought.

Hope you solve the mystery!

Cheers, Carol


:bunnydance:;)
 
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