Litter Tray/Hay Rack Advice

Ok here's one for you!!

In the rescue, Dougals litter tray had hay in it. Florence doesn't eat hay from a hack rack. So I'm getting Dougal not using the litter tray and using the hay instead, and Florence not eating the hay because Dougal has peed and pooed on it!

Any ideas?!

So, where do you put the hay at the moment?
I would put some in a rack that isnt too compact/with quite wide bars so she does have some clean hay available. You could also buy a lunch box sized tub that Dougal cant fit into so that florence has some hay that she can easily munch on.

I have another idea too, but cant explain it. Its something designed for horses, but you could probably do it for bunnies too. Bare with me while i find a picture/link.

ETA: Have a look at these, do you think shed prefer something like this to a hay rack? Im sure you could fashion something similar
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=the+hay+bag&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=3772l4790l0l5357l11l7l0l0l0l0l0l0ll0l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1366&bih=636&wrapid=tlif132820184336210&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=e8AqT4OzGYj_-ga7teirDg

In the indoor cage, half is the litter tray, which has shredded paper in it, and the other half is newspaper with hay on top. Which worked fine when it was just Florence, but Dougal is assuming that's where he is meant to go to the toilet! He also digs out the shredded paper, but that's not so much of an issue.

I've tried putting some of the posh hay from hay for pets in the hay rack, as I'm not having him weeing on that, but I think she's ignoring it. Do you think if I don't put hay on the floor, instead shredded paper all over the bottom, to try and retrain Dougal?

icedancer wrote:In the indoor cage, half is the litter tray, which has shredded paper in it, and the other half is newspaper with hay on top. Which worked fine when it was just Florence, but Dougal is assuming that's where he is meant to go to the toilet! He also digs out the shredded paper, but that's not so much of an issue.

I've tried putting some of the posh hay from hay for pets in the hay rack, as I'm not having him weeing on that, but I think she's ignoring it. Do you think if I don't put hay on the floor, instead shredded paper all over the bottom, to try and retrain Dougal?

Im not sure really. All three of mine had it down to a fine art until i bonded them and it hasnt been the same since. However, when i bonded marley and dolly, it took a while for them to settle down as they had different habbits. One liked a hay rack, the other liked hay in the litter tray. Now both bunnies will do the same thing. I tend to put some hay in their litter tray, but put most of their hay in a big home made rack. Its difficult really, I would train them to do what you want them to do - easier said than done i know, but its just been trial and error for us until we find something that suits everybun.

Sorry, i know i wasnt much use!

I can see her disgust when she goes up to the hay and sniffs it!! Lol. I think she's still using the litter tray, but I can't actually tell because Dougal is digging in it I've asked her to have a word with him!!

icedancer wrote:I can see her disgust when she goes up to the hay and sniffs it!! Lol. I think she's still using the litter tray, but I can't actually tell because Dougal is digging in it I've asked her to have a word with him!!

Bless her.
Mind you, now the honeymoon period is over, its all downhill now! What did she expect, hooking up with a big burley bloke Theyre messy beggars!

You've got a good point there!! Its the same as leaving the toilet seat up isn't it!!

icedancer wrote:You've got a good point there!! Its the same as leaving the toilet seat up isn't it!!

I wouldn't worry too much about peed on hay. Bruce and Flo have their hay in a large litter tray with just newspaper underneath. They have tended to pee towards the back and eat from the front. Poos are certainly not a problem as they do not contaminate the hay. I just change the tray every evening and all is fine.

She turns her nose up at it though

I put some of the Hay For Pets into the hay rack with it hanging over, and she has shown some interest. She's nowhere near munching it as much as she did when it was on the floor though.

They are also now both pooing in the playpen I know it's both of them, as his are larger It looks like I'm going to have to re-litter train both of them. Florence litter trained herself so I'm not even sure where to start. I think I'm going to have to lock them both into the house overnight to try and remind them both. I just feel so bad doing it.

After yet another wee in the dog bed (DOUGAL!) I've taken drastic measures. I've got a second litter tray to go at the end Dougals been using, and now the whole of the cage is covered with shredded paper. They've also been shut in the cage tonight, which I feel awful about, but I've got to do something, they are both losing litter habits, and Florence isn't eating hay if Dougal has peed on it!

She was so well litter trained before I'm a bit confused, but I suppose if she was peeing on hay too she might be confused.

Once they are litter trained again, hopefully I can address the hay problem. And they can then have the playpen back at night.

Poor bunnies

Lots of buns like to have hay in their litter tray. Mine all do and luckily none of them do their business anywhere else. Its because most buns like to eat while they "go"

They all have megazorb and then a layer of hay on top.

Daisy also has a teeny plastic dog bed which I put his eating hay in.

Pic 4 in this post

https://happyhoppers.forumotion.co.uk/t11109-this-is-where-i-live#136926

This really helps as its soo much tidier than a hay rack - he hops in, eats his hay and hops out again, the hay doesnt get everywhere so its not messy. I only put the hay in a pile in one end so that it doesnt look the same way his litter tray does so that there is no confusion......

Just an idea hunni x x x