Hello, all! I stumbled into Bunny Mom-hood, when someone abandoned a bunny in a park nearby. After no luck finding the owner, we decided to keep him. That was a little over 6-months ago... fast forward trough lots of online research and getting him to a vet (got him neutered about 2 months ago). We think he's about 9 months old old. That's the back story.
When we first found him, we were surprised how quickly he took to the litter box (considering I had no idea they could be litter box trained). SUPER consistent - like the exact same spot in the litter box - there would be a pile of poo! Then we got him neutered. All those habits, GONE! I already read that they usually get better, so this surprised me. He rarely uses his litter box now. I feel like I've tried everything, so I'm desperate for some new ideas. And while the poop is annoying, I'm more frustrated with the peeing. He has no remorse.
So, to avoid some of the obvious suggestions, these are some of the things I've tried...
- changing the litter box set-up; from different litter, to grid/no-grid (he likes to dig, but if he'd just used the box, I'd compromise), enclosed vs. not enclosed, even different types of hay.
- One thing that is NOT feasible is moving the box to his 'favorite spot', as it is in the corner, behind an open door... I've caught him trying to squeeze behind the door, and if he can't get into the corner, he'll peep/poop as close as he can get to it. I have cleaned the area with vinegar to no avail - that's just his spot.
One thing I have NOT tried that I'm willing to, if anyone thinks it might be good, is upsizing the litter box. He really hasn't grown that much since we got him, but maybe he decided he wants more space?? But since I've read changing a litter box suddenly can also cause training issues, I didn't want to go down that road unless I thought it really would help/work.
I've currently 'downsized' his roam space, in an effort to retrain him, but it seems like he still just wants to go, where ever the litter box is NOT. It's almost like he's doing it on purpose, to spite me. And I feel bad having him so confined.
So... please HELP!! Any suggestions welcome, or if anyone has had similar experiences they've overcome, would love to hear them!
TIA!
When we first found him, we were surprised how quickly he took to the litter box (considering I had no idea they could be litter box trained). SUPER consistent - like the exact same spot in the litter box - there would be a pile of poo! Then we got him neutered. All those habits, GONE! I already read that they usually get better, so this surprised me. He rarely uses his litter box now. I feel like I've tried everything, so I'm desperate for some new ideas. And while the poop is annoying, I'm more frustrated with the peeing. He has no remorse.
So, to avoid some of the obvious suggestions, these are some of the things I've tried...
- changing the litter box set-up; from different litter, to grid/no-grid (he likes to dig, but if he'd just used the box, I'd compromise), enclosed vs. not enclosed, even different types of hay.
- One thing that is NOT feasible is moving the box to his 'favorite spot', as it is in the corner, behind an open door... I've caught him trying to squeeze behind the door, and if he can't get into the corner, he'll peep/poop as close as he can get to it. I have cleaned the area with vinegar to no avail - that's just his spot.
One thing I have NOT tried that I'm willing to, if anyone thinks it might be good, is upsizing the litter box. He really hasn't grown that much since we got him, but maybe he decided he wants more space?? But since I've read changing a litter box suddenly can also cause training issues, I didn't want to go down that road unless I thought it really would help/work.
I've currently 'downsized' his roam space, in an effort to retrain him, but it seems like he still just wants to go, where ever the litter box is NOT. It's almost like he's doing it on purpose, to spite me. And I feel bad having him so confined.
So... please HELP!! Any suggestions welcome, or if anyone has had similar experiences they've overcome, would love to hear them!
TIA!
