CHAPTER 124 – Potty Re-training
For years, Abigail religiously used the bathroom area that she had selected when she first arrived. Her litter box was actually a bath towel on top of some vinyl flooring, which made it easy for Dad to clean everyday. Lately, however, she was leaving more and more of her poop pellets by her home base spot.
“Abigail, what’s up with this?” asked Dad. “I know you want to put up some signs to mark your territory, but this is getting out of hand! There’s more poop here than in your bathroom!”
Dad had read that sometimes rabbits had to be “retrained” to use their bathrooms. Some people suggested keeping them in an ex-pen in the potty area until they caught on. But Abigail was a free roam rabbit and Dad did not want to punish her by keeping her inside an ex-pen. Dad had also read that rabbits often like to eat hay while they use the bathroom. But he didn’t want to put hay in the litter box and let it get soiled. What to do?
A similar problem had occurred with Hobo when he kept peeing on the floor outside of the litter box. Dad noticed Hobo also peed by the hay dispenser. “Ding!” An idea popped into his mind. He built a hay buffet that was the right height and width to match the litter box and placed it beside the litter box.
It worked like a charm! Hobo sat inside the litter box to munch on hay while he did his business. No more peeing on the floor! Why not try the same technique with Abigail?
Dad ordered a hay manger from Small Pet Select. It was designed to be hung on the side of an ex-pen. Dad filled the hay manger with three types of hay; orchard grass, alfalfa, and oat hay. He hung the hay manger on the wall beside Abigail’s bathroom.
Abigail hopped past her bathroom and noticed something new hanging on the wall. She went closer and sniffed. “Hay! A new place to forage!” she thought. She pulled some hay out and began munching.
As she hopped away, Dad noticed she had left a pile of poop pellets. He smiled. His idea was working!
Dad uses a hay manger to retrain Abigail to use her bathroom.
Dad builds a hay buffet to encourage Hobo to use the litter box.
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