I struggled to toilet train with a closed litter box, she wasn’t interested in going in there at all. I also tried the big box with a hay feeder and again she wasn’t motivated by these. I’ve just taken the hood off my closed litter box and it works so much better for her! She’s also a weirdo and doesn’t like hidey houses or tunnels at all so you I agree with you you definitely have to see what your individual bunny prefers!
Snap, mine's a weirdo who hates hidey houses too! Therefore I share the same experience with a hooded litter box. I'm glad somebody else understands, haha x
@@daniistrifee9921 honestly! I bought so many different types but she doesn’t go near them, she likes to sleep in the middle of the room in a big open space😂
I use open too. I have 2 litter boxes for my bunny in my room as he is free roamed only in my room due to our dogs and I use open because I feel like he eats hay more when it's open and it's cheaper on my end as a teen who pays for his things. It's also easier to clean
I have the Ikea hol trunk with two holes carved out, and both my bunnies love that. They feel so safe and secure when they are in there (for example, when I have guests, they always like to hide in there - before slowing coming out to sniff the guest out eheh)
I feel like debate in pet rabbit care really comes down to these two choices. 1. Do you train the rabbit to live with you in your home? 2. Do you cater to what the rabbit needs and find a way to live with them? I struggled really hard to potty train my bun with an open litter box. He would purposefully eat the hay from outside and did not want to jump into it. Even when he jumped in his butt would be hanging out and he would miss 😂😂 he almost seemed afraid to go into the container. he also pulled all the hay out and made such a mess that I couldn't have him 100% freeroam. I watched one of the videos on how to free roam a bunny from lorelei recommending a cat litterbox with a lid and decided to give it a shot. They were expensive but I would never go back. He no longer goes anywhere but inside the litterbox. Maybe this works because I only have one bunny but I live in a 2 bedroom 3 story house and he has 2 litterboxes and is free to go wherever he would like which is usually next to me. I dont think it's about philosophies or beliefs.. its just about finding what works for your life style and your bun's temperament ❤
I'm a believer of large open litterboxes too. I found a stainless steel one and wouldn't go back. It's an investment, but I now never have to replace it since you can clean the bottom like it's new if you're lining it with paper. Then I have other hideyhouses that they can feel safe in instead.
Every bunny owner is different ultimately. I prefer hooded litter box because of smell and seeing all poos etc I can see that mine jumps out if hear anything suddenly but don't see that being different with open litter box
@@jodiewhitham6850 If it works for you I guess it would probably be ok. Make sure every bunny is fine with it tho cause some bunnies don’t like stuff with one entrance and feel cornered
I like hooded large size litter boxes since they are a like and extra hideyhouse for your bunny. My rescue rabbit peanut wouldn’t leave his litter box for the first day we got him.
I got one of them and my rabbits barley used it till I took the hood off I think it was because it didn’t have multiple exits so they probably felt unsafe . So I guess it rlly depends on your rabbits preferences
Speaking on the pellet topic: Our vet suggested we give our rabbit at max 1/4 cup of pellets a day, but refrain from giving pellets two days out of the week! So they eat even more hay those days, since it's so important. They said it's becoming a bit more normal of a suggestion, even pellet companies are starting to add that information to the bags.
This is such great advice, thank you! My bunnies have open litter boxes with hay racks but i was thinking recently about creating enclosures for them, to sort of hide them for when mates come round...... but now i've seen this video i'm definitely sticking with open, large litter trays! So much money wasted on buying stuff because i've thought they need it and found out they don't! So thanks for saving me money! :)
Can you add links to litter boxes and hay racks you'd recommend? I keep trying different things with my rabbits, and I think I want to get a hay rack. I feel like so much hay gets wasted with how I have it now.
I understand why people would use a open litter box but to be honest my rabbits don’t care either way. Some people get so mad and insist that they need two exits but my bunnies are totally fine with it, also the ventilation on my closed litter box is just fine.
I also had many types of litter boxes in the past. For Eden (my bunny) personally, she liked the hooded litter boxes for a time, and then got bored and stopped using it and would mainly sleep in it. It is more ascetically pleasing because I made it look not like a litter box and friends and family can’t see the poop. Also Less hay gets dragged out. Again she liked it for a time but then got bored. My rabbit doesn’t act like a normal rabbit (she was syringe feed by me since 2 hours old). She never really learned how to be a “rabbit” so she enjoys being held and Closed spaces. Her favorite litter box I got is a corner litter box for cats. It is hugeeeee!!! I can sit in it with my legs and everything. It is high sided and can fit boatloads of hay in it. It is open topped and Eden loves it.
I've got one open tray per bun (4) and two hooded boxes for each of them. For the hooded ones I use one of the ones with space for a carbon filter insert that I can remove as well as the door flap just so I can see what they've been up to in each box without startling them. I've never had a problem with ventilation this way either. Seems to be working really well but one of my girls loves to kick the litter all over the floor 🥲
I am so glad I watched this, because I have an open litterbox in the kitchen but been worriyng that it is to open... maybe not! :D I guess in the wild they poop outside of their tunnels in the grassfields so what you say really makes sense! Maybe the most natural is pooping by a bush or tree? Then they have protection but still easily escapes... so a corner sounds good, like you said. :) I have a big corner toilet. :) haha, Us bunny owners will l never get tired of talking about bunny pooping... ;) haha. Bless you guys!
I disagree, I have 2 buns and 4 litterboxes, they do really prefer the closed one as it doubles as a hidey house. If they get scared by something that's likely also the place where they'd hide. I also have cats, they have the opposite, only open litterboxes, as they do guard their litterbox and want escape routes. Rabbits kinda dig tunnels that they'll run towards, they're also slower runners and don't last as long as cats do and tend to go zigzag. In general I think rabbits feel more comfortable running through tunnels and taking a nap in a closed pet bed hidden, under closets tables or sofa instead of being in clear view.
@@ninjadude971 I think the majority of cats don't really look at bunnies as prey, since they're about the same size, they honestly couldn't care less about the long ears and shorter tail. ;) It's a really common combination. My current 2 cats are adopted, they suggested me +10 cats that were great with rabbits. At rabbit shelters and rescues they usually also have cats roaming with em, so pretty much every rabbit there will be fine with cats. I would say kittens are a bit of a no-no as they play fight and their characteristics are still unknown. As for wild / street cats, they're actually more social and live in groups, they tend to accept bunnies to their crew more easily and often create a loving bond with em. They'll also protect em from predators. Cats that grew up indoors tend to be more afraid of rabbits than anything. There's always the oddball out of course, but in 10 years with over 20 cats of all different backgrounds, I've never had a rabbit that was injured by a cat or the other way around.
@@trickylady1423 yeah my concern is less that my gf’s cat will see my bunny as prey and more that she’d maybe be prone to roughhousing or he’d needle her too much and she’d swat/claw him haha
@@ninjadude971 Sorta? They're technically near to never unsupervised, but I can't pay attention to them while sleeping. Both bunnies & cats stay in my bedroom with me at night. It's like pet paradise in there with cat trees, hidey houses, tunnels and lots of toys. They all prefer my bed, though. I do dare to leave em unsupervised as I know their behavior a 100% by now, they're all nearly 10 years old and have been with me the majority of that time, with 0 injuries caused to each other. They'll just eat & sleep. When the youngest was still a kitten or I had just adopted a new cat, I'd place an x-pen for the bunnies to be in, in my bedroom. When I left the house for a longer time period, I did separate em, I'd lock only the bunnies in my bedroom and the cats could have the living room.
My 3 prefer the hooded, corner box that is for a large cat. They play in there, use it as a bathroom, hang out. We have 4 in total, all in varying sizes/styles but the smallest one, that happens to be enclosed is apparently the place to be
I personally use an XL living world cage BUT its doors are always open since my buns are free roamed. I turned that cage into their litter box space/ extra hideout/ home base. Bc a open cat litter box is inside the cage, it actually makes cleaning sooooo much easier since the spilled hay is contained in one area while still having lots ventilation. To clean up, I just vacuum the inside of the cage and pick out some hay strands that my bun brought out from the cage. It keeps so much hay inside that it’s impossible to find hay outside of that area 👌
Same! We also used the cage when we brought the little ones home, and had to separate them from the older one until bonding. Now it’s their XL litter box under my bed. Without the cage of course. 😅 But it’s more of a secret chill out lounge for them, when they want to sleep safely or want some peace. 🙏🏼😊 But they have more litter boxes in a triangle around the room, so they always have a small way to it. 😂
@@lunamoon604 I don’t trust my buns with beds that have space under 😂 My bed is directly on the floor so they can’t sneak under. Back when I had an elevated bed, my bun likes camping under it and I had to coax him out with food or else he’d piss and poop 😭
I have xtra large littter box open and I have another hooded litter box because my buns like the hooded one to use primarily as a digging around box. I agree it smells less with the open one. they don't pee in the hooded one for some reason, so I don't have to change it often. Being a pet owner is about giving your pet what THEY need, not the other way around. Accept them for their natural instincts, because you cannot change them. Less stress for a happy bun.
i use these biodegradable puppy pee pads! but i make sure to get a smaller size, put it on the bottom and then paper-based litter on top. i only do this because my bun doesn’t dig his litter box and doesn’t go for the pee pads (maybe it’s because it’s covered well by the paper pellets lol) btw my bun doesn’t like hay racks (i’ve tried so many!) and will only eat his hay in his litter box, so it really goes to show that as owners we need to observe and understand our buns :))
Yeah, I think each rabbit is different :) One of mine would, I'm sure, loves somewhere to hide on because she is very sensistive, and my other on is really as you said : wanted to see everything all the time ! He's a real cat, always wanted to see as much as he can by getting high as much as possible ! ^^
I use a huge bunny toilet ( I have an angora bunny) with a square metal grid. I love it! I line it with a charcoal activated P pad that I cut to custom fit the bottom. My angora is very comfortable with it. I love the part that he doesn’t have to sit, stand or hop through his pee or poo. Also the hay would be tangled in his fur. He also has another toilet on other side of house that he will use. He has my bedroom and does not live in a cage. He also is allowed to have free roam house time
I use pellets and only use puppy pads if we're off to the vet and I need to line the bottom of my bun's travel carrier. Other than that, the pellets are used weekly and I use a kitty litter box that has a removable lid & I took it off and use that in my buns X-pen. But, when he free roams, he uses the little box with a cover on it. Works perfectly because we have dogs and even though they have assimilated and accepted each other, he does better with an open litter box in his designated space, but prefers an enclosed space when he's out and about all over our house. You learn as you go with a bun...LOL
I use Grey tubs...I don't know the true name but the grey or black tubs that restaurants use to collect dishes. Airports and governments buildings use them also to put belongings in while going through metal detractors. They are perfect size and cheap. I use puppy pads for quick clean up, under a metal grate with wood pellets for material. I only give my rabbits about a teaspoons worth of timmothy pellets a day for the minerals in them. They are very good hay eaters
I definitely agree with you! The open litter boxes gives much better ventilation. I saw that your video was posted 2 years ago, curious to know if you had found more litter box solutions in the market?
Good thinking, but during the day they mostly sleep. But yes during their awake time. They don't sit in their box a lot. They eat and move on. 🌸🐰 I totally agree about the closed boxes. My girl hated closed and was always nervous in them.
Kat!! Loved this video and love the set up of your litter box. Can you link the items? I’d love to have the same set up with the tall clear storage bin and wire storage as a hay feeder!! :-)
My bunnies chewed around the edge of the litter box and the puppy pee pad. (They have chew toys they just love chewing on plastic. Which is why they aren’t getting plastic cups to play with). I do agree it’s up to the individual rabbit though.
We have great success with puppy pads but covered litter boxes never worked for us. They seem against the odor of the closed box and consume less. Lorelei taught me so much about rabbits and no hate, but certainly closed boxes aren’t the way. We use two large under the bed storage with puppy pads, weighted by shower bath mats to keep the hay from getting urine soiled
Same, our bubs loves to chew plastic including the puppy pads and those terrible puzzle mats everyone loves lol. My bun chewed the ends and I was so so worried
I have tired so many different types of litter boxes with different set ups for hay and then My bunny Butter and I came to love the second one that you mentioned in this video(the one that has grid pen on top of it), but in extra large size! Its Way bigger than the one featured in this video :) I also had kept hay in the different containers but Butter always flipped it over so it seemed the mess wasn’t going to stop. So I decided to put hays in the corner of the litter box. (Thats where Butter does DECIDE NOT to pee or poo) and surprisingly, she loves it so much so far, I totally agree that every bunny has different preference and I think this would only work for me and her. So just take this as one of idea, not a useful tip! I would probably get another new hay container that would attract Butter, but idk when that would come. LoL
I use a small dish pan with litter pads and shredded paper. The hay is hanging next to it. Works great. Get them at the dollar tree and can changed them out when they get soiled. I have a closed litter box but she doesn't like it.
I use the big bunny cages as a litter box for my baby bunnies (I do NOT keep them there, it's only used as a litter box) I love it because it's so huge so they have a big area to go to the bathroom which I noticed helped with their training amazingly. I also love this for them because I can put their food and water in there so they poop all in one place. This is easier to clean for me also.
I know this is an old video, but thank you for this. The only reason people use closed litterboxes is for their own preference. My bun has an extra large, high sided cat litterbox from Walmart, I think it was $10 US, and he loves it. It's big enough for him to have plenty of room and the high sides minimize mess. It also happens to match his food bowl and his bed, so it's not an eyesore. When I first got him I didn't know about rabbits not liking hides with only one entrance and bought him a cute cat hidey house. He never wanted to go into it and I ended up donating it. So I would never try to make him use a covered litterbox just so I didn't have to look at his poo. Besides, I like watching him eat!
I wish I watched this video before I bought a hooded litter box for my bun. He was too scared to go in there and so he didn't eat hay until I replaced it with an open one. Now litter training has been a breeze besides a few stray poops which I don't mind.
I am soooo happy to have find your channel❤️and your bun-buns are so cute too. I was planning to buy the closed litter box but now I think I should stick to my open one. I have a question. What part of Australia allows to have rabbits as pet?🥺
My Dad doesn’t let my rabbit (or his stuff) inside for even a brief amount of time, so I opted to go for a hooded litter box in order to protect the waste from flies more to prevent disease. I would prefer an open one, but this seems like the best option given the circumstances. He’s mostly litter trained, but since its becoming increasingly more likely that I wont be able to have him neutered, he is far from perfect. It has both the hood and the flap. I will say that while he does stay in there for a while even when I pass by, he does go out when I stand in front of it.
Lola uses a long, rectangular open box with three layers: newspaper, equine pellets, and hay on top. The other two layers help keep the newspaper hidden so Lola doesn't get tempted to snack on it.
The only time they like being covered/sheltered is sleeping. Agreed that cat litter boxes are too small. We just ended up getting a large low to the ground tote from Home Depot and he loves it. He likes to hop in and push his litter around how he likes it. We use a cassava based litter which is clean and dust free, clumps well but he tends to track his poop back out of the box so we need to try some alternatives. No clay though, no one should ever use that crap for any animal that uses litter. And all that dust is bad for people too. We don't bother with hay near the box because it just makes more of a mess. We keep his food well away from his litter box. He doesn't eat that much hay anyway. Much prefers his fresh greens and hay pellets for some strange reason. He's just really not into hay - and we've tried every kind from several different brands.
where do i get ur hay feeder at? im getting under bed storage bins for my bunny’s litter box then putting puppy pads and paper based pellets in it but i want another hay feeder for over the litter box like urs
And the litter box holds in some Oder better then a open one I tried the open box and his but keeps sticking out the edge and peeing and it was. Nice size tub
Wait, so basically I bought a litter box (a open litter box) and she is there almost all the time, sleeps there too. Is that normal?? Or does she think it’s her bed?
I had used the puppy pads with paper liter on top and with Hay in the it as well. Inside the liter tray and outside. Unfortunately my Bun was eating the puppy pads whenever he was very upset (which was rare) he try to rip if up or pull it out if the liter tray. You are correct it is all personalized
I used to use them too but one day my rabbit was mad or bored, who knows and he decided to destroy the pee pad and so I decided it's not worth the risk of him ingesting plastic. I don't use them anymore
I use an open litter box for my two buns. I got it on Amazon for $3 a bin. Works great for my buns. I have a Californian and a lionhead and neither of them has a problem using their area. The only problem I have is my boy always makes a mess around his area. In my opinion that’s the only reason to do a closed litter box. But I don’t mind cleaning up after my bun. That’s what I signed up for. To each his own. Do what works for you and don’t let someone else dictate how you should care for your buns. (This was in general directed at whomever is reading). I think the Lennon the bunny channel can be a little set in her ways considering she’s only raised the one bunny and we know all bunnies and owners are different. I do use puppy pads underneath the pellets only because I have dogs so they are already here. My buns have never tried to chew on the pads. Unless they dig out the litter (mine don’t) they won’t even know it’s there. I also prefer to do a hay feeder which would be hard with a closed litter box. I imagine you’d have to trash a lot more hay than you would if it was in a type of holder out of the actual litter.
My litter box is the bottom of Egg's old cage so it is pretty large. I have a hay bag attached just above it so they can eat but they go for the hay I put in the bottom of the box. :D Maybe i have a bad sense of smell but I don't find the open box smelly at all.
I have 2 litter boxes for my large bunny. One of them is bigger and has a bit taller walls he prefers that one for sure over the shorter smaller one. Even tho he fits in both very well
My rabbit has a close litter box but just recently I took the lid off because she has a lot of allergy problems and I felt like the lid just just get all clustered up in there and I wasn’t very happy with it but unfortunately I cannot get a bigger one because my parents don’t allow me to have a bigger cage but once I get my own room I might be able to get a slightly bigger cage and give her a bigger litter box will see though
I've always used an opened box (plastic container) for all of my rabbits and I never had issue litter training them. I pick a corner of the room and put their hay box next to it and they just know to do their business there.... I also don't use dog pee pads as they tend to try to dig it out and chew on them... Both my previous rabbit that passed away and my current pair of rabbits would chew the pad.... (which could give them GI statis) It's also not for all rabbits.
I am gonna try taking off the lid to bonny's litter box. She does jump out sometimes when taken by surprise so it makes sense. Like yourself the first one I had was that little corner one, hehe it got to the point where she was perching her bum on it because she got to big
"Very personalized to Lennon" yes, THIS. So don't just follow whatever she does lol... for some reason Lennon has closed litterbox, lives alone etc that might not work for other rabbits. I um, am kinda bothered how she sometimes harshly criticize other people for not giving their bunny a friend even tho she did it herself but yea, personalized care. Lol
She definitely can't take criticism but criticizes others SUPER harshly (which I don't understand considering she has admitted to doing some questionable things when she first got Lennon). I ended up unsubscribing because of how harsh (almost mean) she is towards others.
hmm idk, I don't think she ever judged anyone bc they don't have more than one bunny, and also she CAN'T have anymore bunnies bc Lennon was her emotional support animal, so she can't have anymore animals or bunnies if they are not emotional support animals, people first educate yourself then judge, this is not personally indicated to you but many people judge her because of that and it's not even her fault, she would probably now have 10 bunnies if she could
@@umikurtovic6768 you can have more than one emotional support pet, though. I would never judge someone for having only one bunny, but if she’s said that’s the reason why she only has Lennon then it’s a very bad reason considering It’s an easy process. I’ve asked my therapist about it before & you can look it up on google to verify if you’d like!
@@umikurtovic6768 that’s not why. Most people get multiple rabbits if they don’t have the time to have 100% one on one time with their bunny. She spends 24/7 with Lennon so Lennon will never feel lonely or need another bunny for support. She did say that it may happen in the future but for her life now she doesn’t need another bunny. She’s never mentioned anything about anyone not having another bunny either. It seems someone is making up rumors. Also for all the people saying she’s “harsh” she was never harsh. The point of her channel was for education. If someone is mistreating an animal she is giving them helpful alternatives while DIRECTLY STATING not to send people hate. She offered her services to even do home makeovers for people who need help with their rabbit set ups. Don’t project your insecurities onto her because she’s giving advice and you may have improper rabbit care.
Hi! New subscriber here! This is my first video so I'm not sure if you've already mentioned this before but may I ask what your litter/hay feeder setup is like? It looks so cool and I would love to make one for my 3 buns. I tried scrolling through your previous videos but I'm not sure I see anything for it. Thank you!!!
Do you think a big large cat litter box would work?? Or I will get a container. Eventually when I get more space I’m going to use the hamper thing but I was just wondering
Love your videos! We have 2 mini lops and have been using an open litter box with the puppy pads on the bottom and hay on top. I have noticed some of the corners being chewed so might think about switching to paper-based pellets. I'm in Australia too, so I was curious what brand of paper pellets you use? xx
I was using the same boxes but placed recycled litter on the bottom and and some hay in box. But found they were stepping on their wastage so I changed to a box to keep their feet clean. I would prefer to use the boxes again. But what would you suggest I line the boxes with so I don't waste too much hay
Should we not be using the grid inserts in their litter box for then to stand on? I've been thinking about taking it out of my bunnies litter box but I'm a little worried his pee will get all over his butt if there's no separation
i wouldn’t worry about it unless he’s a lionhead with a skirt! rabbits are very clean creatures and he would clean himself anyways. i line my litter box with a puppy pad, and i use pine pellet litter and i just put hay all over it in his box and i haven’t had any problems. only it’s a kind of low open litter box, and sometimes when he jumps out he slings some poops. so no worry about pee!! besides if you take the grid out, it’ll be better in the long run bc wire bottom things are bad for their feet.
@@brcsephina yessss thank you! I actually ended up taking out his wire right after I asked this question lol he's a little Netherland dwarf. He's my first bunny and my breeder provided the wire so I just assumed it was good for him. He's already spending so much more time in his box and even took a nap in there the other day lol. Thank you again for your response
Mine has a square open litterbox that he absolutely loves. The only downside is that he likes to flick his poop sometimes all over the carpet when hopping out of the litterbox 😂
What would you think about the ikea hol but without the lid? And entrances cut out on both sides? My space is small and hay and poop gets everywhere because of the totally open litter box and I think it would look much better contained in the hol. Open to anyone’s advice
Love the rabbit castle! I've tried clicking on your links and so sad it's either not sold out or link doesn't work :( Wish I can get that rabbit castle for my Benjie
I just clicked on the link and it didn't go to the castle but it did go to the right website. If you click on the menu button at the top and click on shop. You will find them. 🙂 The top one. neither of the Etsy ones work.
