New to Bunnies, Litter Training Questions

[x3lady]

Hello! I am new to this forum. I currently do not have a rabbit, but I am searching for one right now. As soon as I get him or her, I will put up a  better introduction with pictures! However, I do have questions about litter training a bunny. I understand that neutering/spaying is important to help with litter training. Once this is done though, should I expect a lot of stray poos? Or, will the bunny keep everything pretty much to the cage and litterbox? I am asking, because I talked to a lady with a two year old Netherland Dwarf female that she is adopting out. This bunny is NOT spayed right now, and she told me she pees in the litterbox but does poo outside. Also, how easy is it to re-train a bunny to use the litterbox? I talked to someone else (and am really drawn to this bun based on the fact that he is currently being neglected!) with what looks like a grey and white harlequin mini-lop three year old male bunny, and he is already neutered. She said that he was litter trained at one point, but since he is not being cared for properly, he is no longer litter trained. I’d appreciate any information on litter training in general. And, again, when I get my bunny, I will re-introduce myself and the bun with lots and lots of pictures!

[jerseygirl]

It can take a bit of detective work as to while they’re not using the box but usually it’s a matter of confining the amount of space they have and they can become good with litter habits again. Sometimes it a change in routine, type of litter or box, position of the box, or illness that has them not using the box. When you bring a new rabbit home, it’s a good idea to only have them in a small space anyway so as not to overwhelm them. This helps with the litter habits too. As you allow them more room, they can scatter some poos to mark territory but this is usually temporary.

I have a litter problem currently but it’s a behaviour issue. In general though, litter habits can be restored – especially if the rabbit is fixed.
What are your concerns with this rabbit, not being cared for properly?

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I wouldn’t say it’s hard but it does take some effort on your part to either train or re-train litter habits. The easiest litter training I ever had was with ONE rabbit. My current set up has two pairs in one bedroom -and although everybunny is fixed there are territorial poops. I adjusted to that as best as I could by putting litter boxes where the two pairs set ups touch so that when they want to poop near the other pair it’s in the box.

That being said-poops while they sound gross are no big deal A rabbit who pees in the litterbox 100% of the time is easy to do and that’s your main concern because pee is yuck especially if you have carpet. And once they adjust, and if they don’t share the home with rabbits they aren’t buddies with their habits should be great

[Beka27]

In my mind, a litter-trained rabbit is one who is 100% with pee, and at least 90% with poop. Like Kokaneeandkahlua was saying, poops are not as big of a deal b/c they are small and hard. They can be easily swept or sucked up, or if I come across a stray one, I’ll just pick it up with my hands and toss it in the litterbox (keep some hand sanitizer nearby.) Rabbit poop is not like with dogs or cats where it can leave a big mess.

That being said… some altered (and even unaltered rabbits) are just perfect with the box almost without trying, and other buns have a harder time getting it, regardless of what you do. If this is something that is very important to you, I’d suggest that you continue to look and speak with the people at rescues about which buns might be the best for you.

Welcome here by the way! Keep us posted on how everything goes.

[LizzieKnittyBun]

Hey there!

When I was litter training Remy and Momo, I learned some very useful things…

First of all, if your litterbox is too small, they will either not go in it, or accidentally pee over the side! Remy and Momo, for whatever reason, like to be in theirs at the same time, so I have a HUGE one and they never pee outside of it, which is a relief.

Another trick, especially if you have a large litterbox, is to keep their food dish and hay within the litterbox. It’s natural for bunnies to eat and eliminate at the same time, and they just get used to it much more quickly if the two are already in the same place.

So excited to see your new bun!

[x3lady]

Okay, thanks everyone for the information. I am not too worried about the litter training. I figure as long as he/she uses the litter box for the most part, I will be happy. I actually might be picking up my new bunny this Saturday! I hope, hope, hope! If I do, I will post pictures and information immediately!

[BinkyBunny]

I also recommend that when you bring a new bunny home that you don’t offer too much freedom too fast. IF he has a smaller cage than offer an xpen for exercise and you can use it to expand and block areas as he gets better with his habits. It would be normal though for even a littertrained bunny to mark a “new” home with territorial markings. This is different than the piles of poo that normally will be in the box if he’s trained. It may take a couple of weeks for that to subside as he identifies HIS space and marks it with his poo. That is why it is important to provide “his” space first and let him get comfortable in it without allowing him too much freedom right away otherwise your whole house will become his place to claim (with poo)

IF he is leaving piles of poo and urine outside of the box, then you will have to try and figure when he does it the most (many times after meal time) and try and be there and as soon as he lifts his tail to pee or he seems to be sitting in a position that tells you he’s pooing, you can scoot him to the box, and then offer a healthy treat once he’s in the box. NOTE: many will naturally pick a corner for the poo business and so sometimes it’s just about moving the box. But if it seems your bunny avoids the box, then healthy things he likes to the hay during the hours he seems to poo the most. Like get some shredded carrots and add a little bit to the hay. Or if he likes craisins, then cut up the craisin into tiny little pieces (since they are sugary it’s better to cut them up instead of adding a few whole ones)

Once he seems to do better, then allow a little bit more freedom gradually. The thought is, if he recognizes the rest of the place as a general shared territory, he won’t mark it as much. (Not all house bunnies adhere to that rule, but you can train/remind them that it’s not allowed by escorting them back to their place) Even when my bunnies get into a “marking frenzy” out of the blue in their bunnyroom, when the come out to living room, they leave that almost poo free. I can’t say they are always 100% all of the time, as every once in a while, they seem to “test” out their poomakers in the general territory.. but finding a couple of stragglers happens every once in a while.

Also, a bunny at a shelter who seems to have poor litterbox habits doesn’t necessarily mean that he will when he finds a home. Bunnies in shelters may be more apt to mark their territory with all of the other bunny smells around. There was one bunny at a rescue group who was one of the messiest bunnies ever, but he was so loving the person that adopted him said she just didn’t care, she was in love, but low-and-behold, she later updated to say he was almost perfect with his habits in her home. So you just never know.

[x3lady]

Thanks for all the advice on littertaining, BinkyBunny! I guess I will treat the new bunny kind of like a puppy… constant supervision! I think I will put an x-pen around his/her cage, and then, until he/she is good with the litterbox, only let him/her play in the x-pen. I hate the idea of keeping the bunny so restricted in the beginning, but I guess it is for the best!

[Sarita]

My thoughts on the rabbit who is being neglected and has lost his litter training it’s possible that this rabbit may have some medical issues as well that are keeping him from using his litter box – maybe a urinary tract infection – if he’s being neglected then it’s highly possible he does not receive proper vet care and possibly his area is not kept clean which could increase the risk of a UTI.

[x3lady]

Hey Sarita! That seems to be very likely given what I have been told about him… The girl I contacted about him isn’t the actual owner, but she is friends with the owner. She told me that his cage is not being kept clean, so it is very possible that he has some sort of infection. If I get him, I figure I will give him a day or so to adjust, and then, take him to the vet and see if there is anything else going on!

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