# Help! Rabbit digging litter



## likkibunni (Feb 5, 2009)

Help please!!

I have two house rabbits Shadow (3.5 year old neutered female) and Bailey (2 year old approx neutered male) living in a two tiered dog crate with two high backed litter trays up top and bottom.

Shadow is totally litter trained and Bailey was to begin with but for the last month or two he has been pooing outside the litter tray in the crate and nearly every night he digs the litter and it covers the whole crate. I muck them out in the day, they use it at night and he kicks the dirty litter all over the place. He doesnt do it to the top one but he has occasionally.

I tried picking up the poos outside the litter tray and putting them back in but this just made his litter digging worse!

Im at my wits end, the crate is in our bedroom as we are in a small flat and I havent had an undisturbed nights sleep in ages. Ive also tried squirting with a water pistol when I catch him but again no use. Its such a mission to muck out as im having to change the sheet on the bottom allthe time not to mention costing a fortune in litter. Its gettin so bad im considering taking him back as he is destructive and causing loads of trouble but i dont want to give up on him just yet.

Any advice would be VERY appreciated!

Thanks


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## kathryn773 (Sep 2, 2008)

Try putting hay in the litter tray too. Have they got plenty to nibble at? Willow, cardboard boxes? Can you cover the tray with a box? may stop some poo flying and give him something else to think about.

I use a cat litter tray ([email protected])that has a lid rim on it, this helps to stop litter moving about so as they jump in and out.
Is it travelling because he is running about and could do with more space?


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## likkibunni (Feb 5, 2009)

Yeah I put hay in the littertrays too. They have loads of toys wood, loo rols, rags wicker things grass mats etc which gets rotated so they dont get bored.

It isnt travelling because Ive seen him jump in and have a good dig!! hence the squirting with a water pistol. Hes on wood based cat litter which says its safe for rabbits so I may try something else but I still dont know!


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## catty (Feb 6, 2009)

My rabbit digs in his litter too. I have found that if I put a layer of straw on it he doesn't do it. It's a shame to punish them for something that is natural to them. Rabbits dig, it's what they do. He probably enjoys it. Be careful of wood litter as some woods can cause liver problems in rabbits. He's not being naughty or destructive by digging and it would be a shame to give him up when there are so many rabbits needing homes. Also, if you intend to keep the other rabbit on it's own, you could break it's heart. When rabbits are paired you should never separate them.


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## likkibunni (Feb 5, 2009)

I think i will try straw in it. I have given him a towel which he was digging at this morning and there is no litter all over the cage this morning. I dont think he is a bad digger, shadow used to be terrible. I think ill also try a deeper litter tray, ill go to B&Q and see if they have anything that can be adpated to be a littertray or digging box. My main concern is just that he isnt enjoying life on the inside and would prefer to be an outside bun which is something i cant provide him with just yet


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