# Bunny Renovations



## degrassi (Dec 9, 2009)

I spent 3 hours redoing Gimpy's NIC cage. I had been noticing he hadn't been using his second level for the past 6 months or so. He used to spend a lot of time up there, usually sleeping all day up in the corner next to my desk. But I think I've seen/heard him go up there maybe 4 times in the past few months. Not sure why. Maybe now that he is a bit older(he's going to be 6 in Jan) he doens' t like using the ramp as much. Who knows. Anyhoo, I thought it was time to change it and maybe make it easier for him to get up there. So I took everything apart and gave him a new second level. It took longer then I thought it would but turned out really nice. 

Here is what his cage looked like before. It had a full second level with a ramp to get up. 












And here is the new L shaped second level with a step up, instead of a ramp.






Its hard to believe but thats the same color of carpet in all the pics, lol. The first 2 pics have 6 years of rabbit fur ground into it though, lol. Only issues I had making it were that I ran out of black zip ties towards the end and had to finish with white. I'll be redoing those later. 

Gimpy isn't too sure of his new home yet. He hasn't tried to go on the step or the second level. The most he did was put his paws on the step and look up at the second level. He's also left me lots of little poop and pee piles all over to let me know how much he loves it :foreheadsmack:


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## missyscove (Dec 9, 2009)

Looks great! That's really similar to my set up actually, but my top level is solid except for the step portion and I have a vertical grid to help support the step as well.
Try putting something on the top that Gimpy likes like some treats and see if they disappear while you're not looking.


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## degrassi (Dec 9, 2009)

My step also has a vertical NIC panel support on the inside side. I also ran a small piece of wood across the length of the floor(you can kind of see it in the last pic) to help support the second story and prevent sagging.

I thought about doing another solid floor but thought i'd try this way so I could have a double door and more access for easy cleaning. 

I"ll try later putting a piece of banana on the step to see if that can coax him onto it. So far he really enjoys sitting under the step,lol. he's spent all afternoon under there


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## NorthernAutumn (Dec 13, 2009)

Do you ship to Ontario ? 
Preferably with bunny included 

Looking good... I like the wood underlay a lot.


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## degrassi (Dec 13, 2009)

Well Gimpy is not impressed by his new house. He hasn't used his litter box since wednesday and keeps peeing/pooping right next to it. He hasn't used the second level at all and hasn't even looked interested in it other then a few times he's kind of looked up there. The most he's done is put his front paws on the step. I even tried putting banana pieces every few inches to try and coax him to reach or jump onto the step to get them. I left them there over night and a few were missing so he must have reached up on the step, i'm not sure if he hop up on it or not though as the really far ones were still there. 

Poor grouchy Gimpy. I really hope he stops peeing on the floor soon. Its getting on my nerves. As soon as a clean it he pees again, like 2 secs after I close the door. So then I thought, ok after 4 days I'll move his litter box into that corner maybe that will help. Well I just get finished moving it and then he goes and pees in the other corner, from where I just moved the box! Devil bunny!

I understand he's probably just marking his cage since its changed but why is he 100% not using the litter box? Anything I can do besides wait? Is cleaning it every time he does it just going to prolong the process?


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## funnybunnymummy (Dec 13, 2009)

Gus did this when I first built his NIC cage. What I did was puta second litter box in his cage inthe othercorner he was peeing in.After a week or so, Iremoved the second litter box and gave his first box a good cleaning. He hasn'tpeed in anything but the original litter box since.

As for hopping up on the second level, it may take him a week or more to feel comfortable enoughto use the second level.However,perhaps he'd just rather have a larger one level cage? (Y'know, kinda likeretirees all seem tomove into ranchers... ). Maybehe's getting arthritis? Have you hadyour vet check him?

Hope that helps!

Rue


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## degrassi (Dec 13, 2009)

Thanks, I'll try making another litter box. I took Gimpy to the vet in the spring for a check up and he checked out fine then. He's still running and binkying like normal. I"ve seen him stretching and stuff too. He seems normal in the movement department. If after waiting longer he doens't start using the second level, I might take him to get checked out.


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## missyscove (Dec 13, 2009)

My Timmy has 2 litter boxes. He would pee in the corner across from wherever I put his box, so I just gave him two. Now he uses one as a litter box and the other he sleeps in. If I take one away he goes back to peeing outside the box.

Whatever makes him happy, right?


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## degrassi (Dec 27, 2009)

OK its been almost 3 weeks and Gimpy has completely stopped using his litter box, he both pees and poops 100% on the floor right beside his box. This is getting annoying as my room smells HORRIBLE! even with me cleaning it up 100x a day. 

He also hasn't even tried to go onto the step or second level. Even with me tempting him with bananas and treats. 

The weird thing is he hasn't even touched his litter box(jump into, sat in) this whole time. I had to move his hay rack from over it as he wasn't going into this litter box to eat his hay anymore. 

I"m quite frustrated and don't know what to do. Should I put his cage back the way it was? Remove the new step/second level and put the old ramp/second level setup back but with a lower incline ramp? 

He is still eating normal, drinking normal, eating hay normal(now that I moved his hay rack out of his litter box), active when I let him out. He just wont' use his litter box since I renovated his stupid cage!!!

Gimpy's broken his litter habits once before after my dad did some renovations in my basement and used a jackhammer that freaked him out. After that, for a few weeks he peed outside his litter box but he was still pooping in his box. This time its different since he is both pooping and peeing outside and i havent' even seen him jump in and sit in his box this whole time. At the most I saw him put his paws on his box(on the grid) and reach over to try and reach his hay rack, thats when I moved the hay rack for him. 

Any ideas on what I should do? Change his cage back?


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## NorthernAutumn (Dec 27, 2009)

LOL! Well, he may be quite the creature of habit... I wonder, has he selected a new corner to piddle in? OR is it just random?


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## degrassi (Dec 27, 2009)

*NorthernAutumn wrote: *


> LOL! Well, he may be quite the creature of habit... I wonder, has he selected a new corner to piddle in? OR is it just random?


I thought it might be a new corner, so I moved his litter box to that corner but 2 seconds after he realized I moved he it, peed in the opposite corner(where the litter box used to be).

I noticed as soon as I clean up any pees or poops he immediately goes right back there and pees again within seconds. So he is definitely purposely marking that area.


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## NorthernAutumn (Dec 27, 2009)

What about putting in two boxes for the time being, then slowly move them closer together over the next few weeks?

I also can't remember whether he's neutered or not? Sometimes it doesn't make a difference with a determined rabbit (Evie is like that at my house).


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## degrassi (Dec 27, 2009)

OK I was planning on doing the 2 litter box thing before xmas but didn't have time. 

I just set it up tonight. I put 2 litter boxes right next to each other. So if you look at the pic I posted in the first post, there is his regular litter box and now I put a second box where his food dishes are, as that was the area he was peeing in. I"ll take a new pic when my camera recharges.

I put his food bowl in the far corner of the litter box, and the hay rack on the back wall of the litter box. So he will have to jump in the boxes if he wants to eat. I also put a pee soaked paper towel and a few poops in the boxes so they smell like a litter box. So now he has no excuse not to use them! lol. 

Also yes, Gimpy is neutered.


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## NorthernAutumn (Dec 28, 2009)

Sounds like a plan, Valerie! For my Evie, if the litter box is cleaned too well, she will poop and pee everywhere. Thus, I only empty hers half out when I clean up... not ideal, but that is what works for her. 

Looking forward to hearing the results of your experiment!


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## funnybunnymummy (Dec 28, 2009)

Have you tried putting him into the litter box? I've had to do that with Gus a couple times after I cleaned his litter box too well and he forgot what it was supposed to be for. (Iusuallyjustscoop outthe wettest/dirtiest litter and then add more fresh pellets so it always smells like a litter box--at least to him! ) 

Rabbits can be so funny about their litter habits! 

Hope that helps!

Rue


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## degrassi (Dec 28, 2009)

well its only been 4 hours but so far he hasn't peed on the floor, which is an improvement over the last litter box move. He left a couple poops scattered around right after I put him back in his cage but no pee. So far, so good  

I also saw him jump into the litter box to check out the hay rack. He didn't go onto the new litter box(they are right next to each other touching) to check out his food though. 

The big test will be how he does over night. Thats always his worst time as I always wake up to a huge pile of poops drenched in pee. So when he can make it through a night with no accidents, I'll know it will be back to normal.


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## degrassi (Dec 28, 2009)

Progress! No pee over night! Just poops but even that isn't the big piles that I was seeing before. He didn't eat his pellets during the night but I saw him test out the new litter box this morning and he was sitting in it eating a few pellets  

I also removed the step, which I think he liked the most.He wasn't interested in it and wasn't even attempting to go on it, so I figured I'd just take it out.Plus now with 2 litter boxes taking up 1/3 of his cage he needed the extra space. If his litter habits improve over this week I might try adding a ramp back, with a lower incline, and see how that goes. 

Hopefully this 2 litter box thing keeps working


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## funnybunnymummy (Dec 28, 2009)

Oh, I'm so glad! Hope it keeps working out!

Rue


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## degrassi (Dec 29, 2009)

ugh, might have gotten excited a bit too soon. Woke up to 3 pee spots and piles of poops 

Cleaned everything up and put the poops in the boxes. Keep trying I guess. 

Ugh , I should have just left everything the way it was even though he wasn't using the top level. I guess I learned that lesson, lol. Don't mess with his cage design!


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## aurora369 (Dec 29, 2009)

Are you cleaning up the pee spots with vinegar? I find that helps to eradicate peeing outside the litter box.

Keep the litter box smelling a little bit like pee and the rest of the cage spotlessly clean. Any accidents, as soon as you find them, soak up with tissue/paper towel, and put in the litter box. Then use 50/50 water/vinegar to clean the floor and get rid of any pee smells.

You have to be diligent and clean up regularly through out the day (which it sounds like you are doing anyways).

-Dawn


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## degrassi (Dec 29, 2009)

Yes, I'm cleaning the spots with vinegar pretty much as soon as I find them. His cage is right next to my computer desk, where I am 80% during the day, so they are cleaned up right after he makes them. I soaked up a few with a paper towel and put them in the litter boxes, along with some poops. So the boxes smell "used" and the floors are clean.


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## aurora369 (Dec 30, 2009)

Well, sounds like you are doing everything that I would do...

Keep it up for a little bit longer. I think now that he has been disturbed, that it won't make much of a difference to change it back. 

Hopefully he will "get it" soon. I had a pair of older girls that where horrible to litter train. Made a mess all over the cage, and I had to constantly clean them. But, one day, it was like a light when on, and they got it. From that day forward, they where perfect with their litter box.

I can just imagine how frustrating this is for you. Thought you where doing your bunny such a nice favour by giving him some swanky new digs, and he in turn freaks out and looses his potty training. Hopefully he will settle down soon.

-Dawn


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## JeffS (Dec 30, 2009)

Reading though your trial-by-pee-and-poo I couldn't help but wonder if you kept the old carpeting. Maybe since his smell is gone he's trying to make up for it?

If not maybe put the new carpeting on the lower floor and let him poop and pee and shed all over it. Even if you clean it and eventually put it upstairs it'll make the cage smell more like it used to be.

Also if the upstairs smells like pee, maybe he'd want to go up there. Sheesh, the weird thoughts having bunnies gives me.


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## degrassi (Jan 1, 2010)

Thanks everyone for the replies.

It seems to be slowly improving. There were only a few more pee spots outside the boxes but for the last 2 days there havent' been any!!! and no poops either!!:bunnydance: 

Do you think I"ll have to keep the double litter boxes forever now or will I be able to remove the second one(the new one) later on? And if I can remove it when should I do that? Sooner, before he gets to used to having it? or later, so he gets used to using the litter box again before taking it away?


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## Luluznewz (Jan 7, 2010)

I have a suggestion about the second level thing. People might disagree with me though so i'm not sure. My rabbit is really resistant to change. When I brought her to my parents house she wouldnt get out of the cage at all. Finally, I just took her out and put her on the ground. Instantly she started hopping in and out on her own.

When I brought her back home she did the same thing, even though she was used to the house. I had to take her out myself becuase she was never going to come out on her own. 

If I was to add a second story to the cage I know I would have to pick Lulu up and place her on it. After that I think she would do it herself. I know its weird. 

Maybe you just need to show him that its okay to use the shelf? I would just pick him up and place him on it if you can.


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