Rabbit 'saving it up'

[Bigrob34]

I've got a house rabbit, who has the full run of the house and garden when she is out, but is put into a cage at night.

She's litter trained, and I've noticed that over the past few weeks she has got into the habit of saving all her number 1s and 2s for the morning when she is let out. We changed her bedding 2/3 days ago and there is not a single poo or wet patch in there, yet her litter tray needs a twice daily skip-out!

I think it's quite fascinating that she does this, does anyone else's bunny 'save up' their business or is it just mine?

 

[webble]

Is there a way you can put her tray in with her at night?

 

[Bigrob34]

No, her cage isn't really big enough. She seems happy enough to do it, I suppose I can't really stop her. If anything, it makes my life easier and cuts down on bedding use.

 

[catxx]

My concern would be that "holding it" could wind up you finding her in gut stasis one morning. Looking at the mess my two make during the night, its not healthy for her to do this.

Can you get rid of the cage and pen off a corner of the room instead for when she needs to be shut away? If anything, use the base of the cage as a litter tray! That's what we use them for at the rabbit rescue I volunteer at, bin the wire and keep the base.

 

[twiggy2]

My concern would be that "holding it" could wind up you finding her in gut stasis one morning. Looking at the mess my two make during the night, its not healthy for her to do this.

Can you get rid of the cage and pen off a corner of the room instead for when she needs to be shut away? If anything, use the base of the cage as a litter tray! That's what we use them for at the rabbit rescue I volunteer at, bin the wire and keep the base.

this. gut stasis is a big killer

are you sure she is not eating her droppings at night?
does she have plenty of food and water available at night?

 

[Bigrob34]

She may be eating her droppings, but her first port of call on being let out is the litter tray, then we might get a nose bump after she's done that.

Daisy goes to bed with a bowl of feed, a full water bowl and a huge pile of hay. She is meticulous in her grooming and cleanliness though, even for a rabbit, and I think this may just be an extension of that; I.e. no one wants to sleep in their own poo!

So no one else's rabbit does this?

 

[catxx]

Nope! But then mine have a large enclosure with not one but two litter trays available 24/7. Most poops and wees go in those at all times of day. I don't imagine either would "hold it" in if they were denied those things.

I would be seriously concerned about your buns habits winding up in gut stasis. I would strongly recommend a larger penned area so she can have 24/7 365 access to her litter pan.