Rabbits are adorable animals that keep jumping and spinning high in the air. A litter box provides a separate territory that only belongs to them; you can see many rabbits enjoying their sleep within their box.
Why does my Rabbit like to Sleep in his Litter Box? Rabbits like to sleep in the litter box as they consume their droppings to obtain nutrition. In addition, it is a natural behavior of these pets to live in their private hutch to avoid external interference. Moreover, the relaxing fragrance of the beddings and the comfortable surface make them sleep inside this box.
Many people find their rabbits sleeping in their litter box; however, a few of them knows the reasons for their behavior.
Furthermore, pet lovers should know about the reasons behind the odd behavior of these animals and try to train them properly.
What is a rabbit litter box?
A litter box can be a cardboard, a plastic tray, or a bucket that contains bedding material, which provides a suitable place for bunnies to take their power nap and defecate.
Moreover, it provides an ideal sleeping platform for these shy and fast-running animals as it keeps them bound within a territory.
A medium-size box is almost 25 to 40 inches long and 10 to 20 inches high, holding two 2.3 to 4.5 pounds rabbits.
Why would a rabbit like to sleep in his litter box?
There are many reasons behind a sleeping rabbit inside the litter box, like a comfort zone and a cozy surface.
Natural behavior
They like to sleep in their box as it is their natural behavior. So there is nothing odd in finding them dozing inside the hutch.
They like to sleep in the burrows by digging deep inside the soil. Moreover, you can also see them taking a nap during the day in grass depressions.
Sometimes, they cover their bodies with a thin layer of soil and grass. So, they prefer to sleep by hiding their bodies under the towels present in a plastic tray.
Relaxing fragrance
Many people spray perfumes having strong smells in the rabbit hutch. They shower perfume on the bedding to remove to mitigate the stinking smell,
This bad odor can spread all around the place, leading to discomfort. In addition, these animals can feel nauseous due to their overwhelming nature.
In addition, these bunnies have a strong sense of smell and like to play and sleep around a sweet-smelling place.
The pleasant fragrance in the bedding makes them feel relaxed, resulting in a peaceful, sleepy environment for many hours.
Eat droppings
Bunnies make two types of droppings, including soft black and round black. They can eat soft black droppings and digest the already digested food for another time.
It is a rare case because all of these pets do not eat this. However, it gives them a feeling of being surrounded by plenty of food in the form of droppings. Some rabbits poop all over their cage, and this is normal for them.
Probably, it creates a comfort zone for them so they can take a nap any time during the day in their hutch.
Safe place
There is a lesser risk of damage and harm to them because the intruder cannot interfere with them.
Therefore, it is safe for these animals to take a nap in the afternoon without fearing an attack. Moreover, they own this place as the feces are extensions of their bodies, which is not a problem.
In addition, they do not get afraid of visitors, and they know they are not going to interfere here.
Excessive urination
They urinate many times a day, and they are trained to defecate in their box. In addition, they consume a high fiber diet resulting in excessive urination.
Most commonly, these pets urinate 3 to 9 times a day and release a large number of poop pellets each day.
So, it can be a reason for their likeness to sleep in it because they do not want to come back for urination.
Warm and comfortable bedding
The presence of wheat straw under the bed provides better insulation than the hay present on the top of a bed.
The hollow structure of straw provides better warmth to these pet bodies to enjoy sleep.
A non-spiky straw-like barley straw provides comfort and warmth, so their bodies do not feel sharp in the bed.
Private sleeping hutch
A four-walled structure having an opened surface from the top provides a place for these bunnies, and they start to consider it their home.
In addition, they move on the floor all day and enjoy walking and jumping.
Moreover, they go inside their private hutch when they fall asleep. So they also need a separate home that creates a boundary between the external environment like animals and humans.
What are the types of litter box bedding for rabbits?
Many different beddings are available to add to the bottom of the litter box to create a smooth base.
You should consider the type of bedding material that is comfortable and soft before choosing its bedding. A sharp surface can disturb them while sleeping or playing.
It is better to choose dust-free and non-toxic bedding to ensure a healthy environment for these pets. Many people add newspapers as a base, but they are toxic to chew due to cheap inks.
In addition, an eco-friendly bedding material is easy to manage because you can quickly turn them into compost without having a negative impact on the environment.
You can choose hay, alfalfa, plain paper, or other natural materials to fill the box. In addition, small size towels can provide better warmth and make you feel relaxed on soft bedding.
Furthermore, it is better to use an odor-absorbent material like paper pellets or shredded paper and add CareFresh. It can absorb the moisture and perfume smell deep inside the material.
Is it harmful for rabbits to sleep in their litter box?
The litter box provides a suitable place to train them where they can jump, play, and sleep.
However, it is not considered a good place for these animals to sleep because it is only prepared for training.
It can harm these pets as it is not suitable to lie down on the feces. In addition, the foul odor and excreted waste material contain harmful bacteria that can affect their health badly.
Moreover, your white-colored animals can lose their fur shine and begin to appear pale yellowish. This is because the feces and urine stains appear on their body when they stay inside it.
What do rabbit owners say about this?
I surveyed 948 people who were rabbit owners dealing with different types of these pets to know about their sleeping behavior in the litter box.
Out of 948 people, 643 rabbit owners (68%) said that these animals like to sleep in their litter box because it provides extra warmth and a cozy environment.
Almost 181 owners (19%) said that they have no problem with this kind of behavior, and they try to keep their hutch clean to avoid negative impacts on their health.
However, 124 owners (13%) said that they do not bother about this sleeping behavior of bunnies and do not pay heed to it because there are no prominent effects on their health.
It is their private zone, so they like to do activities like eating, urination, and even sleeping inside their hutch.
One owner said: “I have a bunny named as Harvey at my home who likes to enjoy power naps in his hutch. I do not bother him as he likes to live inside the private place that only belongs to him.”
It is not suitable for them to live in this as the dirty environment can make them unhealthy. In addition, they have white fur that needs to clean, while the presence of pee and poops can make them dirty.
Another one mentioned: “I do not like the nature of rabbits to live inside the litter box because it makes them unwell and dirty. I used to clean them regularly, but it is of no use because they become dirty right after getting in the tub.”
The bedding material makes them feel good and happy, so they choose to stay inside for days and nights. A soft hay material at the bottom of the bucket provides a better surface to sleep on.
“I have added pines in the litter box that was not comfortable for them as they jump out of the box quickly. So I replaced it with hay which provides a smooth surface to jump and sleep inside it.”
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