I love Russell so much. Sometimes I lay on the floor in front of him while he pancakes and begs for earjobs and purrs like a tiny motor and I marvel at his otherworldly cuteness. (Those feet! Those ears! That little butt-skirt!) He gets more treats than any child and is generally feted and adored on a daily — not to say constant — basis. He has inspired at least a half-dozen songs; for example, there’s “Good Morning to the Bunny” (sung at breakfast time to the tune of “Happy Birthday”) and “My Sweet Bun.” (Really wanna pet you! … really wanna rub your cheeks!) Point is, Russell is wonderful and he bloody knows it.
You may recall that kicking all the bedding out of the litter box is his all-time fave thing to do. I don’t know why he does it – he’s got plenty of non-pee-soaked things to dig in – but after a couple months of bewilderment and hourly (hourly!) litter box cleanings, I decided to give up and just let him do it. It doesn’t really hurt anything, though I’d rather not have the buns sitting in damp bedding, and it appears to give him immense pleasure. Once he’s kicked all the litter out of the box, he’ll keep going, slapping away maniacally at the box’s plastic bottom. Exhibits A, B, C and D:
At this point I’ve noticed and exclaimed, “Russell!” in desperation and defeat.
He turns slightly toward me as if to acknowledge my dismay and communicate his indifference.
He exits the box briefly to ascertain establishment of the biggest possible mess.
Satisfied with emptying the box of its contents, he settles in to admire his work.
Note: Today I acquired two small square grates and placed them atop the bedding in what is probably a very foolish attempt to thwart his mess-making. Stay tuned.
Have you thought about giving Russell (who is completely adorable, by the way!) a digging box (box filled with paper strips, maybe?) of some sort? I’ve found that I can’t ever stop a bun from doing what he or she wants, but I can distract him/her to partake in a slightly less messy or destructive pursuit. Now, if I can just figure out how to get my Marley from eating an even larger hole in the couch cushion…
He actually used to have that (paper strip-filled box), but he wasn’t crazy about it. He had a big mound of old towels at one time and he really enjoyed that. You’re right, bunnies are gonna do what they’re gonna do! The grates seem to be working so far. Fingers crossed!