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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BEHAVIOR litter training my bun is confusing.

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    • oh_katiee
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        hi! my bun nutmeg is 10 weeks old. a lot of people say that bunnies aren’t mature enough to start litter training until they are 6 months old, but then i also hear stories of people who have litter trained their baby buns! is it possible to litter train nutmeg? he doesn’t go in one specific corner, he just does everywhere . it’s getting expensive because he uses SO MUCH bedding (i use care fresh natural) because every 2 days there is so much bunny poopies that i have to scoop out the top layer and re-cover it with fresh litter, and then take it all out and refill it completely at the end of every week. i put a litter box in his cage and filled it with a different kind of litter so he doesn’t get confused and think that’s just a normal part of his litter box by using the care fresh… and he went in it but still went everywhere else! when i let him have free run of my room, he really doesn’t go potty outside his cage ( i do leave the cage door open) except for the occasional poops. anypne have advice? i could sure use the help! i’m a first-time bunny owner, and i love it, my bun is so cute and he makes me really happy with his silly antics~

         

        Nutmeg!                                                                                       

         

        *OOPS! i just realized i put this in the wrong forum! sorry guys!


      • Stickerbunny
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          Sometimes it can be hard to train a bun before they are mature and altered – but not always. If you want to try, remove all that bedding from the cage and put bedding JUST in the litter box, then adjust for where he chooses to go. Buns prefer an absorbent area and multiple boxes to start iwth are best if the cage is big enough. Spot clean the areas he uses outside the box with vinegar/water as needed. Also, putting hay in the box / over the box in a hay rack helps. Not sure about 10 weeks, since that is pretty young… but I litter trained my 4 month old before she was physically/sexually mature or spayed (of course, she’s since lost her litter habits due to bonding, argh, but solo she was perfect about it).


        • piperknitsRN
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            I agree with Stickerbunny–remove all the bedding except for what goes in the litterbox.  When he makes a mistake, soak it up  with a paper towel and put the paper towel in the litterbox.  Clean up accidents with vinegar and water solution, or a product like Nature’s Miracle.  It may not be the prettiest looking thing in the world (pee soaked paper towel), but that’s how I trained Simon (he was neutered, and about four months).  the poos you can just pick up with a paper towel and place them in the litterpan, too.  Eventually, he’ll get the message.  It took Simon a couple of days and a few accidents, but he’s been free range for over three weeks now and no mistakes.  Time and patience are your friends.  And like Stickerbunny said, he may not completely train until he’s a little older and neuter–or he’ll train up nicely, and the hormones will hit, and then you’ve got what appears to be an untrained bunny (but really you’ve just got a hormonal bunny whose natural instinct is to mark territory with pee and poop; that’s one reason neutering is so important, it will help with litterbox training). 

            Also, limit his free range time.  Cage time isn’t a punishment–it’s a learning experience.  Depending on his set up, you can put two litterboxes in his cage or X pen.  See where he tends to ‘go’ and then put one there.  The more, the merrier, when it comes to litterbox set ups!  You can gradually decrease the amount of litterboxes when he gets the idea. 

            Olive pretty much trained herself, but now she leaves stray poops around on the carpet .  She used to be impeccable with her litterbox habits, and this started before Simon came along (I bonded them; Simon’s from a shelter) so I can’t for sure say it’s a territory issue (she’s spayed, he’s neutered).  But, she pees in the right place, so I count my blessings, and pick up the poos like a good human slave .


          • LoveChaCha
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              I agree with everyone else. I did the bedding mistake, and took it all out, and put it only in the litter box, and wham! My bunnies litter habits have been good since she was a tyke.


            • Sarita
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                Moving to behavior section….


              • Elrohwen
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                  Great advice from everyone! It depends on the bunny, but it’s very possible for some to be fully litter trained at that age (my boy was). Like the others said, all of the bedding in his cage makes him think going everywhere is ok, but if you put it in just his litter box, along with some hay, and see if he gets the hang of it.

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              Forum BEHAVIOR litter training my bun is confusing.