hay in the litterbox?

[ratty_ratkins]

i have recently been having bad luck on offering hay to Ryo. i through the hay feeder out and now they hay is even more messy. i have tryed puting it in a small box, and somehow ryo manages to fit her body in it and go poopy in it.
i have seen alot of people put hay in the litter box. i have never thought it sounded like a good idea. they would be eating contaminated hay!? and you would have to change the hay everytime it got some pee or whatever on it. and on a tight budget i cant just go throwing away hay!
what do you guys think of hay in the litter box.
also any ideas on offering hay to Ryo

[3Bears]

Hello

this is my setup


The box is a cement or soil mixing box that can be purchased at the Home Depot, the white plastic grid is a ceiling tile called "eggcrate" which allows the waste to fall thru below where the rabbit sits. The eggcrate is held up by PVC tubes cut to length. I put the hay in a bent NIC panel which is attached to the pen or wall. This was not my idea but I thoroughly love it and have been using it for years.

Sandra

This was another one when my rabbits were babies

[ratty_ratkins]

that does look VERY nice. but i dont want to use a hay rack at all. but if i did what you did i could just have it on the ground. (on the white thing)
but actually when i had the hay rack i didnt have to worry about her getting waste on it.
she just wants to use hay on the ground as a second litter box!

[ratty_ratkins]

i found something!
http://www.critterstore.com/sp-61913.html
i wonder if that would make a mess....
looks safe

[3Bears]

I bought those once and it does keep the hay more "inside" the cage... but I found it to be a big pain... in that it was hard for the bunnies to get at the hay. But give it a go... you never know how you'll like it until you try right?

[Fane81]

hello

i use one of those big-sized high-back litter trays and fill the back of it with their litter and then line only the the front with hay. my rabbits jump in the box and eat their hay while doing their "business" only in the back of the litter-box. i have never had any contamination. i spot-clean the box out every time i enter the room if i see something in their and i freshen the hay every day. they only pee and stuff in the back corners of their littter-box. i'd say it works pretty good. i don't know if it would work for your bunny or not but thought i'd share this idea

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by Fane81 hello i use one of those big-sized high-back litter trays and fill the back of it with their litter and then line only the the front with hay. my rabbits jump in the box and eat their hay while doing their "business" only in the back of the litter-box. i have never had any contamination. i spot-clean the box out every time i enter the room if i see something in their and i freshen the hay every day. they only pee and stuff in the back corners of their littter-box. i'd say it works pretty good. i don't know if it would work for your bunny or not but thought i'd share this idea

I do the same thing.

I've also found that rabbits are much more reliable with going in their litterbox if there's hay.

[Fane81]

Quote: Originally Posted by Sasami I do the same thing. I've also found that rabbits are much more reliable with going in their litterbox if there's hay.

yes! exactly! they love to nibble at the hay while they do thier business. and also i think they like the way the high-back and sides give them "bunny privacy" while they go to the bathroom! hehe

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by Fane81 yes! exactly! they love to nibble at the hay while they do thier business. and also i think they like the way the high-back and sides give them "bunny privacy" while they go to the bathroom! hehe

Yup! Exactly

[ratty_ratkins]

i have been putting it in the litter box the past couple of days. it works pretty good. she hasnt done any messes on it. just on a little bit of hay she did, but not much, it looked like she didnt mean to do it.