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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Questions on Litter Training and Food~

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    • Takahashi
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        I am starting to litter train my bunnies, there are 3 of them, and they’re around 6 weeks old. They live in a spacious cage, and today I was told by a lady at a pet store who has had many rabbits, that she’s trained hers by using Lemon Juice in the litter/paper/ whatever you’re using because the rabbits “think it’s their pee”. So, we went to Wal-Mart and purchased Healthy Pet Critter Care Paper Bedding and Lemon Juice. Got it home and put the paper bedding in the litter box and sprinkled the lemon juice on the paper, and they sniffed it and hopped in it a few times but other than that they didn’t use it. They started pooping on the ledge where their food and water is. I also dropped a few of their pellets into the paper bedding to see if that would help but it hasn’t. Whenever I look it up on Google I’m just getting stuff about House Rabbits and how to train them outside of the cage, but ours are not outside of a cage. I don’t really mind if they’re pooping elsewhere but I’d like if they used a litter box so that the clean up would be easier and the smell wouldn’t be as bad. So if anyone has any suggestions or comments, please let me know, because it’s really frustrating.

        ***Also, I read that bread wasn’t good for rabbits, but the rabbits we have outside (Which is where these rabbits came from) have always lived on bread among other things, so I was wondering if it’s okay to give it to them in small amounts, like sugary things, once every few days. Thanks***


      • Azerane
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          Your bunnies are still young so litter training may not stick yet. I’ve never heard of lemon juice being used as an attractant. Do you have any bedding outside of the litter tray? Only have bedding in the tray to avoid confusion.

          As for training, you’re on the right track. Pick up any poops and put them into the tray. With pee, wipe it up with a paper towel and put that paper towel in the litter tray. Then spray the peed on area with a 50/50 vinegar/water solution and wipe dry to remove the smell of their pee. When you clean out the litter box, save some of the dirty litter and put it back into the box with the clean litter to maintain their smell in it.

          As for bread, I wouldn’t feed it. Grains etc really aren’t suitable for rabbits. Having said that, a tiny piece every now and then isn’t going to kill them. Grass hay should be the staple of their diet, with leafy greens (once they’re a little older) and a small amount of pellets.


        • Takahashi
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            Thank you! As for outside of the litter box, I have puppy pads (which do not work, but helps the clean up a little) and their sheet/blanket that they lay on in their bedroom//hideout, and as I said the litter box has paper bedding in it.

            I’ll try to pick up the poop as much as I can but there’s so much. Haha. As for pee, I don’t really see any laying around, I really think they pee on their sheet/blanket in their bedroom/hideout, because when I clean the cage that’s where I find the most mess, so I’m not really sure how I should go about spraying that.

            Okay, I was just going to start giving them bread every so often, like I do with fruits. I’ve started keeping a list of when I give them fruits and bread. And I only give it to them once every few days. But I’ll probably only start giving them bread once a week because they REALLY like bread, especially when it’s hard and crouton-y. As for everything else, they have a hay holder attached to their cage, so that’s always available, and they always have pellets, and I’ve been giving them carrots and celery leaves at night. However, I ran out of leaves so I was told it was okay to give them celery stocks without the strings. So I’ve been cutting that up and giving it to them with the carrots.

            I also have 2 salt licks in their cages, they don’t like them very much, but one is yellow and it’s corn flavored, but I read that they can’t have corn? But I’m assuming that flavoring and actual corn are 2 different things, otherwise they wouldn’t sell it hopefully. lol

            Sorry for all of these questions. Outside rabbits and inside rabbits are vastly different.


          • Takahashi
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              Thank you! As for outside of the litter box, I have puppy pads (which do not work, but helps the clean up a little) and their sheet/blanket that they lay on in their bedroom//hideout, and as I said the litter box has paper bedding in it.

              I’ll try to pick up the poop as much as I can but there’s so much. Haha. As for pee, I don’t really see any laying around, I really think they pee on their sheet/blanket in their bedroom/hideout, because when I clean the cage that’s where I find the most mess, so I’m not really sure how I should go about spraying that.

              Okay, I was just going to start giving them bread every so often, like I do with fruits. I’ve started keeping a list of when I give them fruits and bread. And I only give it to them once every few days. But I’ll probably only start giving them bread once a week because they REALLY like bread, especially when it’s hard and crouton-y. As for everything else, they have a hay holder attached to their cage, so that’s always available, and they always have pellets, and I’ve been giving them carrots and celery leaves at night. However, I ran out of leaves so I was told it was okay to give them celery stocks without the strings. So I’ve been cutting that up and giving it to them with the carrots.

              I also have 2 salt licks in their cages, they don’t like them very much, but one is yellow and it’s corn flavored, but I read that they can’t have corn? But I’m assuming that flavoring and actual corn are 2 different things, otherwise they wouldn’t sell it hopefully. lol

              Sorry for all of these questions. Outside rabbits and inside rabbits are vastly different.


            • Azerane
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                Well you can absorb pee from the blankets using paper towel and still pop that in the litter box. You can also spray fleece with the vinegar water mix and then soak it up with more paper towel. Removing the blanket during litter training may also help if you wanted to do that.

                Carrots so early on may not be such a good idea, carrots are considered a treat food as they are high in sugar. For daily veggies leafy greens are better. I personally wouldn’t feed bread at all. With rabbits it’s also important not to add large amounts of any new food suddenly as it can cause gut upsets, especially in younger rabbits when their gut flora is still getting properly established.

                Rabbits don’t need salt licks, they’re more of a novelty item than anything. Pet stores sell many things that aren’t suitable for pets, rabbits included. Corn is dangerous due to the fact that when eaten the hull of the kernels is not digestible and can cause blockages. Corn flavour I expect would not have that issue.

                Outside/inside rabbits aren’t terribly different. They both require the same diet, while outside rabbits may get to eat more grass and vegetation, the basic care is still the same and some people still litter train their outdoor rabbits.


              • kirstyol
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                  Your bunnies are very young, most wouldn’t be away from their mother for another couple of weeks. However I also had a six week old bunny so I feel I can advise.

                  I would think lemon juice would actually act as a deterrent for buns, since they don’t tend to like overly bitter things but I may be wrong, I have never heard of litter training using it though. Young buns sometimes just take a while to get the hang of it and since you have three it will likely take a long time, they will probably have to be desexed before they get really good litter habbits

                  You don’t need salt licks, its a myth that rabbits need extra salt, in fact it can be pretty bad for them. lots of things pet shops sell for rabbits actually aren’t suitable at all for buns, particularly a lot of the treats they sell

                  I absolutely would not feed rabbits bread, there are so many things that could go wrong with doing this. Its not part of their natural diet in any way, grains aren’t good for bunnies and bread could and probably would swell up in their tummies which could cause even more issues.

                  You also shouldn’t be giving veggies yet your buns are too young – unlimited hay and pellets is what they should be getting at this age, preferably alfalfa hay

                  I assume you have things set up to separate them in a few weeks? there is no way you can know the sex of the buns at six weeks and even if you did and they were all the same sex they will ultimately start fighting when puberty hits in a few weeks.


                • Takahashi
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                    Kirstyol: Yeah, I’ll probably stop with the Lemon Juice seeing as it really didn’t make much of a difference, they started using it anyway. I mean there’s still poop and pee around the cage but its no where near the amount as before.

                    Diets are very complicated, seeing as everyone has different opinions. I’ve been told that they should have greens everyday and pellets only a few times a day and now this. They always have hay and water available, obviously. But it’s everything else that’s complicated. As I said before, I’ve always had rabbits but they’ve been outside in cages, I’ve never actually had one as an indoor pet. So my grandfather gives whatever to the ones outside and tells me to do the same, but sometimes they’re in the cages dead with no signs of how they died, and I tell him that that’s probably why.

                    So when should I start letting them have greens? You’re saying that they should ONLY have hay and pellets? No greens, carrots, and stuff? What about treats, like carrots, apples etc. ?

                    I stopped giving them bread. The only thing they’re getting close to that is Rice Pops, That, yes, I bought from the pet store, but there is not sugar or anything of the sort and I only give them one around once a week.

                    My grandfather has looked at all of them and has assured me that 2 are boys and 1 is a girl. One is my sister’s and the other is by boyfriends (he’s still trying to convince his dad to let him take it home) I didn’t even think about them fighting honestly, because they get along so well. (until recently) I noticed when I would give them something individually they would pull it away from each other and it started looking kinda violent. I was only thinking about when they got ready to mate.


                  • sarahthegemini
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                      Posted By Takahashi on 2/01/2017 4:30 AM

                      Kirstyol: Yeah, I’ll probably stop with the Lemon Juice seeing as it really didn’t make much of a difference, they started using it anyway. I mean there’s still poop and pee around the cage but its no where near the amount as before.

                      Diets are very complicated, seeing as everyone has different opinions. I’ve been told that they should have greens everyday and pellets only a few times a day and now this. They always have hay and water available, obviously. But it’s everything else that’s complicated. As I said before, I’ve always had rabbits but they’ve been outside in cages, I’ve never actually had one as an indoor pet. So my grandfather gives whatever to the ones outside and tells me to do the same, but sometimes they’re in the cages dead with no signs of how they died, and I tell him that that’s probably why.

                      So when should I start letting them have greens? You’re saying that they should ONLY have hay and pellets? No greens, carrots, and stuff? What about treats, like carrots, apples etc. ?

                      I stopped giving them bread. The only thing they’re getting close to that is Rice Pops, That, yes, I bought from the pet store, but there is not sugar or anything of the sort and I only give them one around once a week.

                      My grandfather has looked at all of them and has assured me that 2 are boys and 1 is a girl. One is my sister’s and the other is by boyfriends (he’s still trying to convince his dad to let him take it home) I didn’t even think about them fighting honestly, because they get along so well. (until recently) I noticed when I would give them something individually they would pull it away from each other and it started looking kinda violent. I was only thinking about when they got ready to mate.

                      It saddens me to think your grandfather has such a blasé approach to rabbit care – “just give them whatever” is NOT a good attitude. It doesn’t matter if hey are indoor or outdoor rabbits – they need a proper diet…

                      Now that doesn’t mean it has to be complicated – hay unlimited, pellets can be unlimited at this age but I found I had to limit pellets for my two because they wouldn’t eat enough hay. That is something you’ll have to decide for yourself. Leafy greens should be given every day but not until they’re  little older. Start introducing veggies when they are around 12 weeks old – just one new veggie per week and start off with small amounts. 

                      Carrot can be given in small amounts as a treat, but I’d wait til they’re a bit older. Same goes for fruits. 

                      Stop giving them rice pops. They’re not healthy, and they’re not necessary. I understand you want to ‘treat’ your bunnies but I would wait til they are older and start giving them veggies or piece of fruit as a treat. They love that stuff! Just because rice pops have no sugar, doesn’t mean they’re safe to give them. I’d avoid at all costs, in fact I’d avoid most pet shop treats to be honest.

                      You definitely need to separate them soon, especially if they are getting a little food aggressive. Doesn’t matter what gender they are. 


                    • kirstyol
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                        Its virtually impossible to sex bunnies under around 12 weeks old, even a vet wouldn’t be able to tell at six weeks. My Bramble was 20 weeks before we were sure and that was after three vet visits.

                        A Rabbits diet is not really complicated and being honest I don’t know of any conflicting information coming from a reputable source. Indoor and outdoor buns should eat the same diet, although outdoor buns may need more food to help them through the colder temperatures. There is lots of great information about diet on here and other sites like the house rabbit society. Unlimited hay and pellets is all buns of that age need and all they really should be getting. Greens should be introduced slowly starting at around 12 weeks old.

                        Rice pops don’t sound like they would be good for buns, grains in general are not good for buns. A lot of things pet shops sell aren’t actually good for the animal they say they are for.

                        They absolutely will start fighting and mating if they are not separated, ideally before 12 weeks old, it honestly doesn’t matter how well they get on just now rabbits behaviour towards other rabbits completely changes when puberty hits and you will be at risk of fighting and oops litters as you cant know their sexes.

                        I am really concerned if I am honest, I am not trying to be horrible but if your grandfather is ‘giving them whatever’ that is just plain wrong and the poor buns are probably suffering because of it. Rabbits are dying and you don’t know why? I would be trying to figure that out because what if its an illness that can be passed on to the others? Did the buns that passed away show any signs of being ill? Were they off their food? Were they peeing and pooping normally? Of is it possible that they were fed something that was really, really bad for them? Have your buns had a vet check?

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                    Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Questions on Litter Training and Food~