New bunny with bad habits

[AutoDaFe]

I recently took in a year old female rabbit from a woman who could no longer care for her.

She’s very friendly, and we’re getting to know each other on…somewhat…shaky terms, but all in all things are going mostly okay. I’ve been looking at every rabbit article I can find that will tell me anything about her language, habits, health, etc…

So far, the only thing I’m having true trouble with is litterbox training. Let me give you some background, but before that, let me just say, I have enough food for her til I can purchase more, as well as timothy hay and bedding.

She was given to me in a homemade cage, and it seems….a bit small. Big enough for her to play in and exist in when she needs to, but if I were to put a litterbox in there, it would take up almost 70% of her space. Until next month I won’t have the funds to buy her a better cage, and I’ve been thinking about drawing some blueprints and just building it myself, which I’ll look up proper instructions for when the time comes. I also, until next month, don’t have the funds to buy her a proper litterbox, or the apparent multiples that I need to do this correctly. I suppose it goes without saying that I don’t have the money at the moment to get her spayed, either. I appear right ill-prepared, hm? Well I am, as far as box training goes..

I made a makeshift one for now out of cardboard. I tore several newspapers apart and put the shreddings in it, as well as putting her poops and pees I clean up in the box. Not too many, though, right? So its not too dirty? There’s also some hay in there. I tried fitting it in the cage anyway, which just made her upset. I had to remove it. Or did I? I guess thats what I want to know. Will I be able to train her with the supplies I have at hand? Should I wait until later? I want her to be able to run about, but I know I can’t have that until she’s box-trained. I’m a bit distraught, but also quite determined. I fear my technique needs some shaping up, and I know I need to be consistent. Any advice that can be offered that hasn’t already been utilized is extremely welcome. Also…whenever I pick her up to place her in the box and correct her behavior, she just kicks like mad. I know I’m picking her up right, and I know its common, but its making the process so hard, and I don’t know if she’s making the connection between doing business outside the box and then being placed into the box as a corrective act.

I heard unspayed does are very hard to litterbox train, but since spaying doesn’t seem very likely until a few months down the road, I have to work with what I have. I also heard few females survive being fixed, which scares me. Despite our shaky relationship, I am already fond of this little rabbit and I want her to be just as fond of me, if its possible.

Please help us. 

[Sarita]

I think you should wait until you have adequate space to litterbox train her – if the litterbox takes up 70% of the current cage then it’s just not at all adequate and you might as well wait until you can get a proper set-up. It’s probably just confusing to her to have the litterbox in there along with any other items needed for her to stay in the cage.

For litter box training to be successful you do have to have the correct setup and space needed for the litterbox and other necessities. Spaying will help but you can always start the true training when you have a more appropriate space :~)

I think in time she will start to trust you too – you definitely sound like you are going to be an excellent caregiver.

[AutoDaFe]

Thank you so much for the confirmation, Sarita. In the meantime, what should I do about bonding with her? She tends to pee on just about anything. I considered laying some towels down and keeping her in that area, but then she’d just pee on me. 

I hope to become a better caregiver. She’ll be a joy when I can finally get her the right supplies and space. I feel bad that she’s been living in the little cramped space she has now.

One last thing…is it quite as hard as people say to litterbox train her if she’s unfixed? I thought at some point down the road, when I get more acquainted with the idea of bunnies and how to care for them, some baby bunnies would be a new adventure. I’d like to let her keep her lady bits if I can.

[Sarita]

Bonding just takes time – just allow her to come to you on her own terms. It will be hard for her not to pee on everything – if you are considering a new setup – consider an exercise pen (like for dogs) – that will allow you to sit in the pen with her and also have adequate space for all her belongings.

Spaying is as much for health reasons (uterine cancer is high in unspayed female rabbits) as for behavior – it can though make it more difficult for them to litter train.

As for breeding – we prohibit the subject of intentional breeding. There are already many rabbits out there in need of homes and as you can see by rescuing your new rabbit that many people just aren’t able to care for them and it becomes an endless cycle – finding good homes for rabbits is a challenge.

[AutoDaFe]

Alright, that sounds well and good. Sorry about that little topic, there. I’ve just contacted a vet about getting a quote on the procedure. It seems he comes highly recommended by rabbit owners.

Thats understandable, and a shame that its so difficult to rehome them. I didn’t know about all the poor abandoned bunnies that are bought around Easter until just last night.

I can’t wait to get her a nicer setup. She’ll be so happy. I can’t thank you enough :] You’ve alleviated quite a few of my worries.

[LopNessMonster]

While spaying will probably help with the litterbox training, it is far from impossible to train an unspayed doe. I got my female before she was spayed and her litterbox habits were fantastic. If the cage is as small as it sounds, she probably just feels like the whole cage is a litterbox. You may want to put it in the cage even though it takes up so much space so she at least gets used to it a bit. Most female rabbits will pick a corner of their area to use as a toilet. It is much easier to put the box there than to try and convince them to go somewhere else. Sounds like she’s just going everywhere though so maybe she’s still adjusting. A bigger cage will probably make a big difference.
I am going to draw you a picture of the cage that I made for my rabbit. If you have access to some simple tools, you should be able to make it or something similar for not as much money as buying a cage. Hopefully the savings on that will help you save up for a spay, which can be quite costly. Spaying is a very safe procedure when done by a good veterinarian. Make sure to check out the resources up at the top of the page to find a qualified rabbit vet in your area.

[Beka27]

Welcome to BB!

I first want to say thank you for taking her in! Even if her conditions are not “perfect” right now, it sounds like she’s already 100 times better off! So please, don’t be hard on yourself! The first step is seeking information which is what you’re doing, and for that I commend you!

My first thought regarding the lack of a litter box was to check out the local dollar store. They usually have plastic “dish pans” (like the ones busboys is in restaurants to clear tables but smaller). That will be more resilient than cardboard until you can get a regular litter box, although some people just use those and they work fine. And they only cost a dollar… Lol!

As far as the cage size, you just have to deal with it until you can get something bigger, or build a larger space. The minimum recommended size for a small-medium bunny is 2×4 feet, but even that doesn’t leave a lot of space once you put a litter box, food/water dishes, a hidey house, and toys in. So definitely plan for larger than the minimum!

I do hope you decide to skip the baby bunnies. They are impossibly cute, but hard to find GOOD homes for. She’ll be much happier as a pampered house pet anyways… 🙂

[AutoDaFe]

LopNess, thank you for offering to send that, I’d really like to see. I have some nice clean wood to work with, but not much else. I think I’m going to wait to try and litterbox train her, like Sarita suggested…I don’t want her getting confused. She seems happy as could be in the area I designated for play, but I know this is not a substitute for a new living space. I have 3 towels spread out and have given her the cardboard leftover of a toiletpaper roll to play with. She keeps throwing it. As for a vet, I’ve sent a message to the only qualified vet I’ve found in my area, and he’s actually about two towns away. (I live in a low-population area in Montana, so there aren’t many vets to go around.)

Beka, thanks for the kind words! She’s very sweet, and she’s already getting more friendly with me today. She flopped down next to me earlier and let me give her some rubbins, and even gave me a few licks. <3 Unfortunately, I can't afford much of anything right now, and I'm not exaggerating. That will change the beginning of this coming month. I won't wait til she's spayed to start training her, but I must wait until she has a new cage. Right now its about 2×2, which seems unacceptable. I let her out quite a few times throughout the day, though, and sometimes leave the cage open for a few hours so she can hop around in her "play area" under supervision. Knowing what I know now about the wee babby 'uns, I think I'll put that idea aside. If I have a hankering to raise a bunny from baby-hood, I'll be sure to adopt instead. But that should wait until I've become a better mum to the ladybun I have now. There's so much I don't know, and so much to learn. I'm trying to figure out what breed she may be, now.

[Haley]

Just wanted to mention that is indeed possible to litter train an unspayed doe! It took me about 2-3 weeks of work with mine, but eventually she got it. So don’t give up!

[AutoDaFe]

Thanks, Haley! I’m relieved, but I think I’m going to have to get the spay done! She has been spraying me every day, and so far all I can think of to do is get the procedure done. I know she needs it for her health, too, but it would sure be nice not to have wee splashed in my face whenever she comes out to play.

[Author]

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