Could he really have litter trained himself?!

[cadburybunz]

 I’m TOTALLY NOT complaining, because I really thought I would have to work hard with him, but could it be possible that Cadbury pretty much litter trained himself? I’ve only cleaned up 1 pee incident, and I very RARELY have to pick any poo’s, and usually those are just a few strays here and there!  

I really had prepared for a battle, considering he’s not neutered (YET!) and that he was living in a barn for several months before coming here. Should I expect to have to re-train him after he’s neutered? Can I truly consider him “litter” trained already? I just feel like it was so soon. 

[piperknitsRN]

He’ll probably be easier to keep litter trained after his neuter, and you may pick up less stray poops and so forth. Both of my rabbits took a surprisingly short time to “get the picture”–remember, rabbits are clean creatures by nature and normally choose to go in one place–and every time they return to that place (hopefully the litterbox) they are reinforcing that choice, so they do self-train in that sense. Simon was not litterbox trained when he came home with me from the shelter (or he was so stressed out he temporarily lost his litterbox habits) but I made sure to clean up his accidents with Nature’s Miracle (you can also use vinegar/water combo to neutralize the odor) and to soak up the pee with a paper towel and put it in the box if he went outside the box. I only had to do this a few times before he got the message. (Plus, he was in the middle of bonding with Olive, my Holland lop, and once they more or less started to get along and I could leave them in the pen together, he seemed litterbox trained. Haven’t had an accident since then).

[cadburybunz]

AWESOME! I’m so proud of him! I think tomorrow I will do my first “complete” litterbox change and see how it goes. Being that cadbury is a larger than average bun, and lays some “larger than average” poo’s and pee’s… LOL I’m skeeerrrddd! LOL

[piperknitsRN]

Yay!  In theory, he should be easier to litter train completely when neutered because the hormones cause them to want to “mark” their territory with poos and pee.  So, if he’s getting the gist of it now, I don’t see why not after his neuter.  My Holland lop bunny came to me unneutered, and a 10 week old baby at that, and she litter trained herself.  Only had two “accidents” since then–when I brought Simon my NZ White home, and I think that is because she was unhappy (initially) he was here and was marking her territory.  But luckily those happened downstairs on carpet remnants in the basement.  She didn’t lose her litterbox habits after her spay at four months, either.  Now she’s got this annoying habit of leaking a stray pellet out when she jumps out of the litterbox, but I guess I’ll take that over pee.  How old is your bunny, again?  Older rabbits tend to be easier to potty train (especially when neutered).  

[bunnyfriend]

Yup, Wilbur trained within 3 days. Enjoy!!!

[bunnyfriend]

Posted By cadburybunz on 11/08/2011 02:13 PM
AWESOME! I’m so proud of him! I think tomorrow I will do my first “complete” litterbox change and see how it goes. Being that cadbury is a larger than average bun, and lays some “larger than average” poo’s and pee’s… LOL I’m skeeerrrddd! LOL

ahahahhahahaha Totoro has this going on too, very scary 

[cadburybunz]

He’s my good boy, he’s 8 mths old, almost 9 mths. I’m going to get him neutered after thanksgiving, hopefully right after, we are going out of town for thanksgiving (cadburys going with us too!) so that’s why I’m not doing it now.

[lashkay]

piperknitsRN: “has this annoying habit of leaking a stray pellet out of the litterbox?”
A stray pellet outside the litterbox would be heavenly for me, compared to the 40-some or more mine leak all over the pen, in their beds, in and on their hidey-houses, etc. So your bun just trained itself to leak generally not more than 1 or two stray poops and most if not all of the other poops go in the box and you didn’t have to do any reinforcing steps, etc? I so admire that! I’ve become resigned to living with random poops all over their pen, they seem to just “fall out” wherever they happen to be sitting or lying, or probably more likely, they enjoy the layout of their pen and are marking it against other rabbits coming upon it and deciding to claim it. I don’t know what their mojo about it is, but if you have any inkling how to convert a rabbit who regularly pees in the litterbox and leaves a mound of poops piled in there but leaves poops helter-skelter all over the pen, to one who sticks to all pee and poop in the box, except for leaking a stray out of the box now and then, I’d be ever so grateful! What do you advise? Thank you in advance!

[piperknitsRN]

Lashkey:  I’m not really sure what to suggest; like you said, this could be marking, in which cause that’s not failure to be litter trained.  I’m assuming your bunnies are neutered?  Are they pair bonded, too?  (Couldn’t tell from your post).  If they aren’t neutered, neutering would help (but I’m assuming they are).  If they aren’t pair bonded, it could be a marking issue.  Even if they are pair bonded, one supposes it could be a marking thing, too, if you have other bunnies coming up to their pen.  This random thing of Olive’s just started a couple of weeks ago (before I got Simon, my new bunny, so it’s not related to him)–before that she was spotless with her litterbox habits.  Now it’s become something of a habit.  Oh well.  I count my blessings.  At least the majority of poo and all the pee goes in her litterbox.  

[cadburybunz]

Well… basically all I did was first off, bought a HUGE rubbermaid tote (sweater box style) so it was big enough for cadbury (Flemmie) I put hay in the box on top of (off to one side) equine fresh pellets, I also made sure his pellet bowl AND water bottle where mounted so he had NO choice but to hop in the litter pan to eat, and the 1 accident he did have (pee) I soaked up some of the urine on a paper towel and put it in the box, and then any stray poos I found the first day I put in the box as well. After that he has literally just gone to the box to do his business. He does occasionally have a few strays here and there, and some I think he flicks out when he hops out of the box too, but other than that, I’m impressed with his habits!

[lashkay]

piperknitsRN and cadburybunz: Thanks for the tips! For a while, I tried rounding up all the stray poops and putting them in their litterboxes, but abandoned the practice before they got around to catching on! My bunnies both live in their own separate x-pens and I haven’t had a chance to neuter either but Buddie (he passed in April of last year) I did get neutered. So yes, I guess these two are probably marking, as I suspected til they get neutered, hopefully soon. Little he-men! lol Thanks for sharing your advice. Even I, with their 40 or so stray poops, count my blessings that all the urine goes in the litterbox, and a coffee-can sized mound of poops, as well!

[Huckleberry]

Awesome! Bunnies are so smart!
Huckles trained herself within a week of having her (she was around 6 wks old). She had a short problem for a while about marking clothing and blankets being left down but that ended when I a) started cleaning the house better and b) she got spayed.
Congrats with Cadbury!!!

[kinggoblin]

Mine was completely litter trained within 3 days of me getting him, he is neutered now and still has not lost his perfect litter habits. I guess some learn quick!Thank god….. my friend has a little over a year bunny that still hasn’t picked it up! I was prepared for the worst.

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