We have rabbits and cats. Our cat Kayden seems to constantly think that any container of hay is an extra litter box. He'll also use the rabbits' food bowl as a litter container if the litter boxes are too messy, but that's our fault not his so he doesn't get in trouble. The hay thing though, he's the only one who does it, the litter boxes are clean and he's the type who refuses to use any other type of litter but clumping. No feline pine, crystals, newspapers, towels, etc. Keeping the hay away or covered is impossible because then the rabbits can't get to it. Can't keep the animals separated. Any suggestions or ideas? Anything I do seems to punish him for the moment but nothing keeps him from coming back. Not a health issue either, he's had blood work and fecal exams within the past couple weeks and he's been doing this for months.
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Hay = litter box?
- Thread starter okiron
- Start Date
It's a health issue for the rabbits of course, and a serious one! There has to be some way to keep him away, or else keep the rabbits in hutches when you're not around. I've had both and had various issues between them, but there's no magic answer here. What are the chances you could train that cat to use a separate litter box with hay in it every time? It's the only solution I can think of, but putting it in place and keeping him from the rabbits' hay 100% could be very difficult. All I know is you cannot allow things to go on for one more minute the way it is or you'll end up killing the rabbits.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
Well there's no possible way I'll be able to separate the hay and the cat. There's no health issue at all, we throw the hay away completely if he goes near the thing. Just annoying to continuously have to throw good and new hay away just because he decides its his new litter box. Don't worry, if there was any risk of him accidentally killing the rabbits I would've done something drastic and not even bothered to make a post. I don't want to put hay in his litter box cause he might think hay is where he goes to the bathroom. No way my Kayden will think "I could go in the hay as long as its in my box"Originally Posted by Larke
It's a health issue for the rabbits of course, and a serious one! There has to be some way to keep him away, or else keep the rabbits in hutches when you're not around. I've had both and had various issues between them, but there's no magic answer here. What are the chances you could train that cat to use a separate litter box with hay in it every time? It's the only solution I can think of, but putting it in place and keeping him from the rabbits' hay 100% could be very difficult. All I know is you cannot allow things to go on for one more minute the way it is or you'll end up killing the rabbits.
That's quite an issue then. . . I know my four will occassionally munch on Henri and Acorn's hay, but they have never tried to use it as their litter box. I know that you don't want to seperate the bunnies from the hay but is there any way you can contain the hay so that Kayden won't be as interested in it? I used NIC cubes, bent in half and cut out a few of the interior squares so that it was a custom made hay rack. . . I'm not sure how you have your hay now, if it is just spread over the box, then maybe something like this would help?
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- #5
i have a storage container designed for under the bed storage. i have feline pine dumped in there with hay laying on top of it. im gonna try to bend the nic grids (though im scared about the idea) and make the hay racks like you said. he doesn't like going on feline pine so there might not be an issue once the hay is off to the side.
If you have a board of any kind, they are really easy to bend, just lay the board down on one in about the center, step on it, and then pull the cube back. I used wire cutters to cut out some of the inside squares and then a metal file to make sure there were no sharp edges. I use the under the bed boxes too and the NIC cubes fit perfectly in them.Originally Posted by okiron
i have a storage container designed for under the bed storage. i have feline pine dumped in there with hay laying on top of it. im gonna try to bend the nic grids (though im scared about the idea) and make the hay racks like you said. he doesn't like going on feline pine so there might not be an issue once the hay is off to the side.
