# Bed = Toilet :(



## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

HOW do I get Cookie to stop toileting in his bed area??


His hutch is to small, I know, but I am working on that.

In the left side where the bed area is, its not the whole left side but its split so above his bed area ther is a shelf.


First when he come, he had hay for his bed and he was weeing in that corner so I moved the stuff with wee on into a litter box.

I got him a cat bed and he has just pooed in it loads. More than anywhere else in the hutch put together.


What do they like to toilet on best?

Shall I put the litter box in the sheltered area then, and put a different kind of bed on the shelf? 



My other problem is that the water bottle (brand new) seems to leak but I tried leaving a dish in there for water but he hopped over it and tipped it up!



Last thing... where the hutch is now, its sheltered. But 4ft wide really is my limit as we need to get past the side. If I get a bigger hutch, its not so sheltered where it can go and it does get quite windy here. I know a hutch is different but it can get so windy it moves a 12ft trampolene! Will the hutch be ok further up the garden? Shall I attach it to the fence? I want to be able to let him have access to the run but I can't do that where he is just now.


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## Stufi (Mar 26, 2010)

With regards to your toilet/bedding issue where does his food get put?

Naturally, a Rabbit will toilet where he eats. There will always be a few stray ones but the majority should be there. 

As I don't know the layout of your hutch I would try, 

- Putting the food and Bed at seperate ends of the hutch.

- Remove Hay and any soft bedding type stuff and just put down a either carpet or carpet tile. Just something to keep the chill off but nothing to tempt the weeing etc. If the current bedding is near/has a corner then that is the natural temptation for the little man to go

This may sound harsh and less comfy but none of mine (although some peoples do) like the cat beds or hay and either end up shredding them or moving them.

Also, although it doesn't sound like you have room, I would look to get him a little wifey. Male Rabbits are a bit like us male human counterparts and need a good lady to keep us in place and clean and tidy. However, as I said it doesn't sound like it would be possible/fair with your current set up.

Water bottles do tend to leak and, again if possible, I would look to get the little fella a water bowl. It is more natural for rabbits to drink with their heads down and it also helps keep their home dry, especially outside.

Hope some of this is worthwhile


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## Guest (May 4, 2011)

If he has always wee'd in that corner of his hutch then it will be hard to change it I think, they do two types of poo the soft ones that they eat sometimes and the hard ones which they don't but they will and do poo hard ones all time every where, my Bunny only ever wee'd in the litter tray and I used a mix of catsan and wood shavings but that years ago and it's probably all changed now and you shouldn't use either


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## wacky (Jan 23, 2011)

i just watched where he weed then put litter try there but he poos evry where he wees in the tray ive tred putting his poo in the tray but he still poos evry where


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## Guest (May 4, 2011)

Is he neutered?

Not gonna be what you want to hear but I'm afraid buns choose where they want to wee and you just have to put a litter tray there lol. Some of mine have been trained for a while so I can move the tray around and they will search for it, but it took me nearly 2 years to get to that point.

As for the soft bed you might find he is just a bun that likes to destroy nice things  My nethie girls make it their mission to eat and pee on anything nice so I had to give up and stop giving them nice comfy things :


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

B3rnie said:


> Is he neutered?
> 
> Not gonna be what you want to hear but I'm afraid buns choose where they want to wee and you just have to put a litter tray there lol. Some of mine have been trained for a while so I can move the tray around and they will search for it, but it took me nearly 2 years to get to that point.
> 
> As for the soft bed you might find he is just a bun that likes to destroy nice things  My nethie girls make it their mission to eat and pee on anything nice so I had to give up and stop giving them nice comfy things :


Exactly the same as mine, lol. They wee and poo on and destroy anything nice like blankets/beds very quickly! The only thing they havn't is an old pillow of mine which I put a blanket over  so I will do that for now, when I am getting new pillows, they can have the old ones!

As for the litter trays, I have 4 area's for 6 rabbits now! Its getting silly, but if I move the litter tray from one area they still go there! Its frustrating but I have tried pretty much everything! 
When mine were in hutches, most of them used their beds as a poo area!

*Heidi*


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

Thanks I shall put the litter tray in the covered bit and put a bed on top of the shelf so its behind the sheltered bit.

I am definitely looking into getting a bigger hutch so I can get him a friend when he has had his wee op.
My run also is only 4ft square so I will be making a bigger one (he didn't have a run, I got this off someone who had two the same and put them together then they rehomed the bunnies and the people wanted one of the runs to leave stuck to the hutch)


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

PoisonGirl said:


> Thanks I shall put the litter tray in the covered bit and put a bed on top of the shelf so its behind the sheltered bit.
> 
> I am definitely looking into getting a bigger hutch so I can get him a friend when he has had his wee op.
> My run also is only 4ft square so I will be making a bigger one (he didn't have a run, I got this off someone who had two the same and put them together then they rehomed the bunnies and the people wanted one of the runs to leave stuck to the hutch)


Its great you are giving him the op and getting a wifey  And obviously the hitch etc to go with it 

How are the dogs taking to him being there?

*Heidi*


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

The dogs are doing really well.
They have to walk by the hutch to get to the main part of the garden and I have put a fire guard infront of it just to give him that extra foot of space from the dogs so they can't poke their noses but they are really good, before I open the back door I tell them leave and they have one look then carry on.

I can't let them out in the garden when Cookie is in the run because Dave just wants to chase him but sometimes I put the run inside the dog run so they can't get close to get them use to him being there.

Cookie is not bothered by the dogs at all infact when Dixie goes upto the run Cookie comes to say hello! Lol
Next doors dogs bark loads when he is in the run (they are part foxhound- but they cant get out) and he just acts like he can't hear them! Lol

He was doing laps around his run yesterday but I do feel so bad its not very big so looking at either getting another one or making a bigger one very soon!

He is ok to be picked up now. Sometimes in the hutch he hides but it never takes me longer than a few mins to get him then I just put a blanket round to make him feel safe to get him to the run then use the blanket as a shade lol.


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

PoisonGirl said:


> The dogs are doing really well.
> They have to walk by the hutch to get to the main part of the garden and I have put a fire guard infront of it just to give him that extra foot of space from the dogs so they can't poke their noses but they are really good, before I open the back door I tell them leave and they have one look then carry on.
> 
> I can't let them out in the garden when Cookie is in the run because Dave just wants to chase him but sometimes I put the run inside the dog run so they can't get close to get them use to him being there.
> ...


Glad they are doing well  You thought Dixie would be fine didnt you  Naughty Dave wanting to play the other side of the run! If Cookie isnt too bothered by it, if he is running up and down with him or sat ignoring him then thats great 

I'm sure you will get him/make him a bigger run as soon as you can  I would say making one would be better because you can make it whatever size you want but they are fairly expensive to make tbh, need alot of mesh for a run and mesh isnt cheap  But its worth it in the end, they last longer usually.

*Heidi*


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

I can get mesh for £5 10meters 
It's just the wood! Maybe ask my cousin to get some for me and help me make it. 

How big a run do I need for two bunnies?
I want to make a folding run if I can because OH thinks this one takes up alot of room :lol:


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

It needs to be galvenised mesh(the square stuff) not chicken wire did you know? Rabbits can bite through chicken wire.

I get my wood from Focus or B&Q. 4 x 2.4m lengths is £12 which isnt too bad.

I would say 6ft x 6ft by 2.5 ft high would be a minimum, but obviously if you can make it bigger/have room then bigger is better, you've seen how quick cookie can move! Making it folding sounds tricky, not done that one as of yet!

*Heidi*


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## PoisonGirl (Oct 24, 2008)

Yeah... I don't think folding is going to be an option.... as we only have grass for it to go on so I have plastic coated wire mesh on the bottom just now.

I was thinking about buying a puppy pen off ebay, the folding ones, and taking it apart then screwing each section to a wooden frame. One of the sections has a door in it and I'd just need to make the roof then.

Also, I thought if I just make another 4ft square one, or slightly bigger with the whole top removable, I can put the one we already have inside it when OH wants it out the way, and attach them together so he would have 8x4 to run about in.


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

Sounds like a good compromise to me  
8ft x 4ft would be pretty good for him and a wifey  If you can attatch it to the hutch then even better.

*Heidi*


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