Can I train my bunny to use the litter box?

Question

I just got a bunny a week ago (he's four weeks old). Ever since I got him I've been trying to get him to use a litter box. Of course, it's been unsuccessful. Has anyone out there done this before? I heard it's really easy to train him. All that he does is go pee right beside the litter box that I put down. Even when I move the litter box, he'll still pee RIGHT BESIDE it. Arggg.

Answer 1

Put him in there and move his paws arround in it... However if he has marked a spot right by it he will keep going there .. Put a little urine in the litter box from what ever he just peeded on/object/grass, cage filling i n there put it in the box. and scratch his paws in it.. He will get it. Our bunny Benjamin did!

Good luck!

Answer 2

Well male rabbits are a little bit harder to train to use the litter box. My rabbit is a female and she automatically use it. Rabbits generally do go in one stop of their cage.

Here are a few tricks. You can use a paper towel to wipe up the urine and put a small piece of the paper towel in the litter box. He'll smell it and get the idea.

Place a small amount of hay in a cleaner corner of the litter box. He might be more temped to use it.

Neutering your male might help with training him to use a litter box. Male rabbits are more aggressive and like to just mark their territory.

Here are some links below that you can look at.
Don't get discourage or angry. Bunnies take time and need alot of patience. He will get use to using a litter box don't worry about it.
I hope I've helped you.

Answer 3

I had a lop a few yrs ago that always used the litter box and even ate with the cats. She trained herself. I would put it and the litter box in a very small room like the bathroom and see if that helps. It may also be the litter you are using..

Answer 4

Yes I have 2 bunnies and they can be trained you have to use a litter box that fits in their cage and put a different kind of bedding in it and they will start to use it and any poo outside the litter box scoop into the litter box to give them the idea. Good Luck!!!

Answer 5

I've written a small article on toilet training bunnies -
http://au.geocities.com/leaswebsite/bunnyhouserabbits.html#toilet -
Yes, rabbits can be toilet-trained … whether in his hutch, or free in your home, you’ll notice that your bunny usually pees in the same corner. So, get a flat tray - we cover Pookie’s litter tray with a couple of pages of newspaper and more wood shavings - and put the tray directly where he’s peeing. He then begins to associate the tray as the toilet. (Just a word of warning - NEVER use mineral cat litter, because if a rabbit ingests this, it can swell in his stomach and he will die. Much better are wood shavings or shredded paper.) The trick is really to put the tray where you observe him peeing, rather than try to get him to go wherever you place the tray … that will not succeed! He will eventually associate the tray with pooping as well, but this is relative to the individual bunny … some bunnies are easier to toilet train than others, and you must remember that, from a rabbit’s point of view, depositing a small pile of droppings, and their regular corners where they pee also, reassures your bunny that this is his territory, and that no other pesky renegade rabbits are going to try and claim it as theirs. Anyway, bunnies’ pellet-like poop isn’t very offensive, and is easy to sweep up! You can gather up the pellets which bunny deposits around the room, and place them on his litter tray - this will encourage him to recognise the tray as the place to deposit them in future. But rabbits can indeed be toilet trained because, to reiterate, they like to go in the one place … so when you find the place that they like to go, that is where you place the tray, and they will learn to associate the tray with their toilet. If they’re also peeing in a different spot, especially in a large enclosure or a big room, you simply place another, second tray in that new spot too - so bunny may have two trays, in a larger enclosure or room.
http://au.geocities.com/leaswebsite/bunnyhouserabbits.html
Please have a browse and hope my info helps!

Answer 6

Hi

Yes , moslty bunnies litter box trrain easily. Perhaps yours does not like his or her littler box??? Doe sit have an odd color or smell to it? Shape.. is it too big or too small?

I would guess this is your problem...

Try a new box... pick up solid poo's and put them in the box after he lays them...
make sure the box is not too close to his food or sleeping area..

Sounds like you may have a picky bunny ..

Good Luck
Wismom

Answer 7

Yah you can if you work with him. you can try making a barrier around the box to keep him in one spot so he goes in the box. I did this with my rabbit and I had no problems. one thing if you can make a barrier then get a box with a caver or kick gard. Good Luck

Answer 8

put his pee/poop in the liter box..he will eventually smell it and use it..n\dont use cat litter..use pine shavings

..or unless you know someone with another bunny..you can get some of its pee/poop then your rabbit will smell it and want to mark its territory...

Answer 9

My bunny learned in a week

Answer 10

Get a small litter pan, fill it with litter, and put it in the corner that your rabbit uses most frequently. Put a few of your rabbit's droppings in the litter. Usually this will be enough of a hint for your bunny--he or she will start using the litter pan thereafter.

Once your rabbit is using a litter pan in his or her cage, you can set one or more litter pans in the room(s) your bunny runs in. Put a few droppings in each pan and show the pan to your rabbit. Most rabbits will know that they can use the litter pan to do their business. However, keep a close eye on your pet whenever he or she is outside his or her cage until you're confident that he or she is using a litter pan consistently.


Choosing a Litter Pan
Just about any pan that your rabbit can get in and out of easily will work. The litter pan shouldn't be so big that it takes up more than a third of your rabbit's cage, though. You might try a pan with a higher side if your rabbit tends to splash when he or she urinates. Your rabbit might need a pan with a lower edge as he or she gets older to make it easier to climb in and out. Some pet stores sell litter pans that are triangular in shape, such as the Super Pet Hi-Corner Litter Pan, so the pan fits easily in the corner of your pet's cage. These types of litter pans also take up less room in your pet's cage.


Check out the Bass Potty Box



Picking the Right Litter
Many rabbits will try to eat the litter in their litter pans, so it's essential to pick types of litter or bedding that will not harm them. Clumping cat litters can be deadly for rabbits; if they eat it, the litter can form a lump in their digestive systems that they can't pass. Deodorized cat litter can contain chemicals that might kill your bunny. You might also wish to avoid using bedding that consists of cedar or pine wood shavings. Many people think that the aromatic oils associated with cedar or pine wood shavings can be bad for small critters like bunnies.

Consider using litter or bedding made from recycled wood pulp, such as Carefresh. It's safe and it's pretty good at controlling odors. You might also try corn cob bedding, although it's not as good at odor control. Some people put rabbit food pellets to double duty and use the pellets as a form of litter in their rabbit's litter pan.

Potential Training Problems
Young Rabbits: Training rabbits younger than three months can be problematic--they are often too immature to learn to use one place consistently as their toliet. If your young bunny isn't picking up the fine points of using a litter pan or the cage, be patient. Keep an eye on him or her outside of the cage. If you see him or her backing up a bit, pushing his or her butt against a wall or other object, or raising his or her tail, this could be a signal that your pet is getting ready to urinate. Put your pet back in the cage as soon as you notice this behavior. This will help your bunny realize that he or she should urinate in the cage. Once he or she is going back to the cage consistently to urinate, you should be able to train him or her to use a litter pan.

Spraying: Rabbits that haven't been neutered or spayed might spray urine. Often this is done to mark territory, particularly with males. If you're not planning to breed your rabbit, having him or her fixed will usually solve the problem. You might also try putting your rabbit back in the cage, whenever he sprays.

Droppings Outside of the Litter Pan: Rabbits will often leave a few droppings outside of their cage or litter pan. This is another way of marking their territory. For most rabbits, there's not a lot you can do to break them of this habit. Because the droppings are hard, clean-up is usually easy. You can vacuum or sweep them right up.

A Lot of Droppings Outside of the Litter Pan: If you notice that your rabbit is leaving a lot of droppings in one place outside of the litter pan or cage, try moving the litter pan to that place or putting a new litter pan there. Some rabbits can be stubborn about the places they pick to go, so it's easiest just to accommodate them if possible.

Wet Droppings: A rabbit's droppings are typically dry. If your rabbit leaves wet droppings outside of his or her cage or litter pan, it's usually due to one of two reasons. If the droppings are very small and stuck together like a little cluster of grapes, these are night droppings or ceacotropes. Not only are night droppings different in appearance than regular droppings, night droppings contain nutrients that the rabbit didn't digest the first time around. Rabbits usually eat night droppings, but occasionally you might find a few that your rabbit leaves behind. Generally, you don't need to worry about finding night droppings unless you find a lot of them. In that event, take your pet to the vet. If the droppings are larger and are jelled in appearance or mashed together, this is (probably) diarrhea. You should take your pet to the vet as soon as possible. Diarrhea can be symptomatic of a number of health problems.

Sleeping or Sitting in Litter Pan: Your rabbit might like to sleep or sit in his or her litter pan. This usually isn't anything to worry about. Once your rabbit urinates in the litter pan after you've changed the litter, he or she is less likely to hang out in the litter pan. If your rabbit isn't using the litter pan for urination, however, he or she might not have caught on to the litter pan's purpose. This will often happen with rabbits who aren't yet mature. Try using a second litter pan in the corner that your rabbit is now using for urination. That way your pet will have one litter pan to lounge in and another to use as a toliet.