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Forum DIET & CARE Litter Training Blues

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    • ashley_c
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         I’ve only had Biddy a few days and the people who had her previously made no attempts to litter train her for whatever reason. So I’ve been trying to make progress but so far I don’t think I’ve had much luck.

        I only have one box right now, but will be picking up another one sometime soon. She will pee in the box in her cage but poops pretty much wherever she wants to. During exercise time she’ll go anywhere and everywhere and hasn’t really chosen a specific corner. When this happens I pick her up and place her in her cage and put the pills in her box. Not sure if she’s getting the memo or not. 

        She also really likes to go on my bed. I read this could be her way of marking it as her territory, so I’ve been trying to show her I’m the alpha bunny when she hops up there by keeping my hand on her head. It works most of the time but not always. 

        Like I said, it’s only been a few days and I’ve been very consistent in my actions. I just can’t tell if I’m making any progress or not. 

        Any tips? 


      • ashley_c
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           Another thing I’ve noticed that I’m unsure about!

          She does pee in her litter box in her cage, but also in the corner opposite the box. I noticed that earlier and switched the corners since I thought she preferred the other one, but now she seems to pee in both corners. Is this a problem?


        • Deleted User
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            Some questions first to help give you the best answers. How old is your rabbit? Is she spayed? How big is your litter box? Can she lie down in it? Do you have hay in it or where she can munch on it when she is in the litter box?

            In general terms if she has only been with you a few days she will want to mark her territory, … droppings are a marking as well as urine. While I definitely understand that you don’t want her peeing on your bed the desire to mark is natural and she probably will settle in after she has, … though that will depend a lot on whether or not she is spayed, or very young. It sounds as though you are doing the right things, think it will be easier to give you some more specific advice when we know the answers to questions I’m posting.


          • ashley_c
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              She’s about four months old and hasn’t been spayed yet, though it’s definitely at the top of my list as soon as I can put aside the money. The litter box is big enough for her to lay down in, and I actually see her sitting in his pretty often. I don’t have hay in it but I will definitely give that a try!


            • bpash89
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                Definitely put some hay in there for her. Bunnies like to eat while doing their business. Her litter habits are not going to be great until after she’s spayed but she should still be able to pick up on the gist pretty quickly. Just be patient with her (everything is so new and overwhelming for her right now) and be consistent with cleaning up after her. It really helped me to have multiple litter boxes when I was first training my little girl. Once she got the idea and was using the boxes consistently I was able to slowly remove one at a time until we were down to just one.


              • Deleted User
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                  Bpash has summed it up nicely.

                  Of course you’ll have a settling in period but I doubt you can count on really good litter habits until after she is spayed and the hormones have worn off. (My sympathies on the wait.) That said consistency from the first is important and you’ve made a good start. Do put hay in her litter box, eating encourages rabbits to relieve themselves so it is much easier for them to have good litter habits if they eat where they should be going to the bathroom. Continue putting the droppings back in the box to help her make the connection. You will probably always have a few stray droppings that don’t go in the box, but they should be the exception. You can also put something she likes to eat in with the hay, herbs or a little fruit, a treat that rewards her for going into it to use it.

                  There are lots of other tips on training and different ways to set up the litter box with hay racks etc., … you can always try searching the Binky Bunny site for good ideas from past posts. (Just don’t respond to an old post, if one gives you a question best to start a new thread.)

                  Oh, do you have anything on the floor of her cage? You mentioned she is peeing in a corner, … its best not to have any kind of bedding in the cage, … just thought I’d mention it in case that’s a contributing factor. Some times other things can be a problem at first too. I had a couple of different baskets in my condo when I brought my boys home and that was a mess. I took them out (and a few other things too), and then once they were using their box without mistakes and had settled in began reintroducing the baskets etc. Now they don’t pose a problem.

                  Good luck and do let us know how it goes.


                • ashley_c
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                     The people who owned her before me were putting bedding in the cage but it seems to be more of a messy nuisance than anything, and she pushes it all away so she can lay down so I was planning on taking it out anyway. Will she be cold or uncomfortable without it? 

                    And thanks for the tips and support everyone! I should be able to get her spayed within a month or so, so I guess patience will have to be my technique until then. 


                  • Annabel93
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                      My bunnies are exactly the same, it is incredibly frustrating so I’m just waiting till they’re neutered. One thing that was mentioned and I found really helpful is to have several trays. Mine have 2 in 2 corners of their cage and 2 more in the corners of the area of my room they’re kept in. I’ve had to ban them from my bed because they kept marking their territory D: Just keep being persistent and from what everyone else has said on here having her spayed should be the key!


                    • Deleted User
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                        Definitely get rid of the bedding, it is likely the major source of your in cage problems, and not helping anywhere else either.

                        I believe she has already answered your question, if she were cold or uncomfortable she wouldn’t prefer the floor to lie on. However, offering a variety of textures and surfaces to lie on is a good idea, … a lot depends on what she chews. Grass, straw or hay mats are all good providing something softer to lie on and being safe to eat. A little rug can be nice as long as she doesn’t eat it, the same is true for a cotton towel or fleece blanket. But it is really Important to watch and make sure she doesn’t eat any of these things. And she may not like lying on them, some rabbits don’t. You could also give her a little hidey house made out of a cardboard box, the cardboard again being something different to sit and lie on.

                        But I think if you put a generous amount of hay in the litter box and clear all the bedding out you should see a decided improvement in her litter habits, … enough at least to make the next couple of months tolerable. Good luck and do give us an update.


                      • ashley_c
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                           Okay, update! It’s been a little over two weeks since Biddy and I have been together. I now have two boxes, one in her cage and one in the corner of my room where she likes to hang out. There’s hay in both cages which keeps her pretty happy. I’ve been doing what I can in regards to encouraging her to utilize the boxes but I’m not holding my breath until she’s spayed. 

                          What I’ve noticed now is that she seems to not want to pee in her box in her cage. I noticed her peeing in the corner opposite her box so I switched it again. But tonight I see she’s chosen the corner diagonal to where I moved it to pee in. I’m now at a loss for what to do. Help?


                        • Nelli
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                            Can you put something else in the other corner? Something, that prevents her from going to pee there, but something fun? Or maybe try to put another litter box there as well? I had the same problem with my bunnies (girls as well), but that turned out to be a territorial issue, so two litter boxes were the answer to that. But before I figured out the real issue, I used to put some toy things, a hidey hut etc. in that corner. Plus, I put the hidey hut in a way that the entrance was towards the opposite corner, so since they had to go through there, they completely stopped peeing in that corner as well (which was a problem when the hut entrance was towards the middle of the cage. Here’s a pic of the early days:

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                        Forum DIET & CARE Litter Training Blues