# Free Range



## Wooditkar45 (Nov 30, 2014)

I have a question for those of you who have free range rabbits. Will you find droppings around the house from time to time? I have my flemish giant housed in a big pen in the corner of a room. He is litter box trained for peeing but I have to pick up tons of droppings around his pen once or twice a day.
My plan when I first got him was to have him be a free range when I'm home. I still let him out of his pen to run around the house every once in a while but there's no way I could let him be "free range" because the house would be covered in droppings. So I was wondering if those of you who have free range rabbits don't have this problem or just go around and pick up droppings every now and then? 
Also, he is not neutered yet, could this possibly have a little to do with this problem? Input would be greatly appreciated, thanks!


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## Channahs (Nov 30, 2014)

My guy has his own room. He returns to his room for potty. He never leaves droppings around. Well maybe if he gets startled and one pops out. Even before he was neutered he would return to his room bit he would poop a ring around his litterbox but he has always peed in it exclusively.


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## whiskylollipop (Nov 30, 2014)

Intact buns will usually be much worse with their litterbox habits than neutered buns. But even some neutered buns will always leave a few droppings here and there.


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## Apebull (Nov 30, 2014)

Twigs is free range and he doesn't leave poops everywhere. Every once in a while you find a stray one here or there, but nothing you couldn't just pick up.


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## Troller (Nov 30, 2014)

Truthfully, everything Ive seen and read tells me that a rabbit will scatter some poop around, but will primarily have one spot. As long as they pee in one spot they are litter trained. My flemish are free roam now, and I do see an occasional poop, a few between them, in their favorite spot under the dining table. This is no issue for me because these poops are hard and only leave residue if they were crushed so its so easy to pick up that I don't even think about it anymore.


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## Sophie's Humble Servant (Nov 30, 2014)

It's very normal to find stray poops around. A rabbit is considered to be litter trained when they pee in the litter pan and most of the poops end up in the pan. I find a few poops right beside the litter pan and the occasional one around the living room and kitchen area. When they jump out of the pan sometimes a poop jumps out too lol. And since they are round, they tend to roll around a bit. Rabbits are such clean animals that it doesn't even faze me to find poop...and I'm a germaphobe!


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## Wooditkar45 (Nov 30, 2014)

Doesn't phase me at all anymore to pick up the dry odorless droppings either! 
Another strange thing I forgot to mention is that when I let him out of his pen when he hasn't been out in a few days I rarely find any poops...but if I let him out that same day again or even the very next day, THATS when he poops everywhere. 
He always pees in his litter box thankfully.


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## ahrat (Dec 1, 2014)

My bun will only start leaving droppings outside his pan when he thinks his pan is too dirty. That's my queue he wants new bedding. Because, to save money I have a spacial scoop that I just mix up the bedding once a day, and I get much longer with it that way. He always lets me know when he needs it changed.


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## Baron (Dec 1, 2014)

I don't know if "ALL" rabbits are easy to litter train but the Baron only had spent roughly 10 days with his peat litter tray before he was very consistent. There is poo outside the box only because he likes to dig and play in the box as well. 

There are times he will roll around and even lie down in it. I only dump it about every other day or when it looks full to me. When I do change it, he goes nuts for about 2 to 3 minutes and the dirt does fly. But there is plenty of paper surrounding it to catch the fall out. 

Also my bedroom (also his bedroom too now) has a tiled floor and not carpeted. So I keep a whisk broom and pan for any additional clean up. I haven't found any mess elsewhere in the house. 

Over at my brother's place he owns a cat. I would find it more difficult dealing with a cat's litter over any rabbit. Rabbits don't seem to produce the strong ammonia smell that cats do. Although my brother's cat is a 7 year old adult she seems to enjoy leaving him "presents" under his bed and behind his sofa. Rabbits cannot vomit, it is physically impossible. No hairballs.

Don't use cat litter, as that is clay and they could ingest it. You can find pure (no chemicals added) peat moss in most garden centers. I buy mine at Home Depot for $10 and have more than enough for the winter ahead. Some people use hay, but I have allergies. The peat moss seems to work for me.


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## Wooditkar45 (Dec 1, 2014)

For litter I've been using this stuff called Cozy n Fresh I believe. I get it at TSC. I think it's pine pellets and they absorb the urine really well. Not to mention it's only like $6 for a 20 lb bag which is really nice considering how much I use having a flemish giant!


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## JBun (Dec 2, 2014)

Rabbits leave scattered poop to mark their territory. An unneutered/unspayed rabbit will usually be much worse about it as they also have the hormones driving them to mark. It can also just depend on the individual rabbit, some are better or worse than others. But generally a rabbit when let into a new area, may not leave any poop at first as they explore, then as they start to get used to the area they start to leave poop everywhere to mark 'their' new area. Usually(though not guaranteed) this poop marking will gradually subside as they get used to this new area and no longer feel the need to mark it. Also, some rabbits will just leave scattered poop to mark their territory in their own pen, but won't poop mark when let out into other rooms that would be considered 'your area'. But again, just depends on the individual rabbit.

Really the only way to find out how your bun will do free ranging, is to give it a try. When you are only letting him out for playtime each day, this can tend to 'reset' the need to poop mark again. If he does poop mark when trying the free ranging, you may need to give him a few weeks to see if the poop marking settles down. If not, neutering often helps, or you can neuter first before trying the free ranging. But something to be aware of when considering neutering, if you have a very affectionate boy bun, neutering can sometimes make them not quite so affectionate.


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## evil_hare (Dec 2, 2014)

When I had a little nethie she pooped everywhere but my bed.


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## bunnybird (Dec 3, 2014)

My neutered male and female keep everything within a foot of their littler boxes. They seem to feel that "nearby" the litterboxes is their territory too and therefore fair game. If I clean their litterbox every day they are better about it but still must always mark their territory after I've cleaned. They have also picked a spot where they like to lay under the dining table where they scatter a few pellets. 

When I get really tired of it all I build them a NIC condo and make them stay in there for a day or two. They tend to clean up their act until they have free range for a while. 

Right now I'm in the faze of needing to rebuild a condo for them...those rascally rabbits.


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## BrittsBunny (Dec 9, 2014)

Wrangler is a house bun and I'll find a poop or two every once in awhile. He's pretty clean when he's hanging out in the main living area of the house. Poops tend to fly around his litter box but that is to be expected. He also leaves poops or "snacks" aka half chewed poops where he sleeps/relaxes during the day and at night i.e. under my bed. I guess I am not too phased by his droppings because as others have stated, they are very clean animals and Wrangler is very good about pottying in his box. All you have to do is whip out the vacuum&#128521;


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## Wooditkar45 (Mar 5, 2015)

Woody has been fixed for over 3 weeks now. He instantly stopped leaving droppings everywhere and would say 95% goes in the litter box....crazy how that works!


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## Azerane (Mar 5, 2015)

That's awesome, I'm glad that his litter habits are so good now


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## Wooditkar45 (Mar 6, 2015)

Thanks! We are too!


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## JBun (Mar 7, 2015)

Neutering is often the 'magic' cure. Glad it worked out.


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