hello. So, we have an 8 month old sweet Netherland dwarf female name Snowball . We have a fairly big cage that she sleeps in and then we let her out several times during the day to roam the tiled bathroom area (big bathroom) We have set up a pen area in our tiled walk way that she can run around and play in as well. We started to let her roam the house and of course she chewed a tiny chord that we didn't even know was there before we could stop her....my questions are....do rabbits ever get fully litter box trained? she does not pee in her cage, only in the box, but some days she poohs everywhere in the cage...(mad maybe?) and some days none. in the run we have for her, she poohs everywhere and is still peeing outside of the litter box. I know she will never stop chewing things...but, do they ever get fully litter box trained? or is that a myth....like some of the time it works, but not really?
Frustrated First Time Bunny owner
- Thread starter dgos17
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I’m still cleaning up droppings after my bunnies and both are neutered. But they got better litter habits after neutering for example my couch is safe, my bed is only safe when I’m in the room because one of my bunnies won’t respect the rule of not peeing on the bed.
Spaying will often help and at least make their temper more stable and they won’t want to mark everything. But bunnies will never be as cats, you will find a few scattered droppings. Myself often find 3 to 5 droppings outside my bunnies litter box somewhere in the house but it’s just picking it up and throwing it away ☺
If your bunny isn’t spayed it might explain the bad litter habits, it often calms down after they get one year old. Later when your bunny get hormonal again it will all start from scratch with some, my own doe was like that
Also litter box set up will have an important impact on the bunnies litter habits.
Spaying will often help and at least make their temper more stable and they won’t want to mark everything. But bunnies will never be as cats, you will find a few scattered droppings. Myself often find 3 to 5 droppings outside my bunnies litter box somewhere in the house but it’s just picking it up and throwing it away ☺
If your bunny isn’t spayed it might explain the bad litter habits, it often calms down after they get one year old. Later when your bunny get hormonal again it will all start from scratch with some, my own doe was like that
Also litter box set up will have an important impact on the bunnies litter habits.
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If they pee in a pan they are litter trained. They mark territory with poop. I've only had 2 out of 47 rescues that only used the litter box for both exclusively--why I own a shop vac this last 2 decades.
thanks so much for the advice. feels good I'm not a complete failure at this bunny Mom thing.I’m still cleaning up droppings after my bunnies and both are neutered. But they got better litter habits after neutering for example my couch is safe, my bed is only safe when I’m in the room because one of my bunnies won’t respect the rule of not peeing on the bed.
Spaying will often help and at least make their temper more stable and they won’t want to mark everything. But bunnies will never be as cats, you will find a few scattered droppings. Myself often find 3 to 5 droppings outside my bunnies litter box somewhere in the house but it’s just picking it up and throwing it away ☺
If your bunny isn’t spayed it might explain the bad litter habits, it often calms down after they get one year old. Later when your bunny get hormonal again it will all start from scratch with some, my own doe was like that
Also litter box set up will have an important impact on the bunnies litter habits.
I love the shop vac idea! ok, all good to know. thank you!
When she's in her run does she still have access to her cage with the litter box?
A rabbit should be 100% with urine in the litter box. Poos should be mostly in the box with occasional poos especially as she marks new territory.
A rabbit should be 100% with urine in the litter box. Poos should be mostly in the box with occasional poos especially as she marks new territory.
The really funny thing about the shop vac is how the bunnies reacted to it. Nikki, our avatar was always trying to look up the tube so I usually put her up as she was tiny and would have got sucked up. Serena was the same way but I didn't have to put her up as she was a 20 pound Checkerd Giant and would not fit even though it's a 35 gallon giant rig. Finn, a medium sized, usually mellow, would treat it adversarily and attack the tube, hose, and the vacuum itself. The others just ignored it--we had to vacuum around Ted and Mel as they laid where they laid and wouldn't move for anything except food.
she has an identical litter box in the run. I noticed she's mostly going in one corner, so, I moved it, we'll see if that helps.
That sounds like it should be made into a hilarious kids' cartoon! They sound like real characters! I love it.
A rabbit really should have constant access to her actual cage (with its litter box). It isn't the type or appearance of the box that makes her go to it. It is because it is in a particular location (her cage) with her waste in it. Her chosen potty spot is in the cage in the litter box and she should have access to it at all times (and access to her cage as well). She's being deprived of that when she is in a run that has no access to her cage. (a secondary is box is fine too, but is best if it is in addition to access to her original box)
Rabbits get a measure of security by having the ability to retreat to their cage at will. It is their personal space, their safety zone, the place where they feel most secure. This is why it is helpful to allow a rabbit to have the option to retreat to her safety zone whenever she desires. Exercise areas should ideally be in the same place as the cage.
This also prevents one from having to physically pick up a rabbit and move him to or from his cage and exercise area. Regularly moving him typically results in a loss of that bond as bunny learns to resent being moved from place to place. The better option is to be able to just open the cage door to allow for exercise time. That way, bun can come and go as she pleases.
The bigger the space they have the more littler boxes they need. Specially one in every corner.
Also they hay rack and preferable the water should be above the litter box as they pee and poo While they eating.
I have some big water bowls ( as my rabbits much prefer to drink from a bowl) in our big walk in enclosure but they always pee in their litter box.
Also they hay rack and preferable the water should be above the litter box as they pee and poo While they eating.
I have some big water bowls ( as my rabbits much prefer to drink from a bowl) in our big walk in enclosure but they always pee in their litter box.
Rabbits can be easily (amd almost fully) litter trained. They're naturally clean so 95% of the time they like to leave their stuff where it's usually going.
Don't worry for some stray poops, it happens even after the bun is fixed. Musti loved to leave some for us in the hay-playbox and on the floor near it if he could although he was fixed.
But if Snowball isn't fixed yet, you should definetly look up on savvy vets that do it. Ask around rabbit rescues too if you have them.
It will help leaps and bounds with litter training, behaviour territorialness and also her health in the long run.
I have not found that to be true at all... especially with indoor rabbits. For decades now, all of my rabbits have had litterboxes in their cage. Even when my rabbits have full roam of an entire house level, the only litter box was in the cage. Never have I had to put a litter box elsewhere.
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I actually found that it was more wasteful as my buns were used to urinating in one corner and putting several was not just wasteful but it confused our bun as well, I noticed that when I only have one litter box my bun is better trained than if she has multiple
I actually found that it was more wasteful as my buns were used to urinating in one corner and putting several was not just wasteful but it confused our bun as well, I noticed that when I only have one litter box my bun is better trained than if she has multiple
Uh ok I never thought Of that....
Cloverhouse
Well-Known Member
It has varied with my different rabbits. Basically, once they are fixed they have used their litter box for peeing and been very good about it. Most have been very good about pooping in it as well, but all will leave the occasional random poop here and there.
I've had some rabbits that will leave poops near, but outside the litter box and I had to do a quick sweep up in the morning.
I've had rabbits that had full run of the house and only had one litter box and they still never peed anyplace else, and I've had a few buns that wanted two litter boxes. Some of my buns, when they became aged, were less particular about leaving poops around, but still peed only in their litter box.
I've had some rabbits that will leave poops near, but outside the litter box and I had to do a quick sweep up in the morning.
I've had rabbits that had full run of the house and only had one litter box and they still never peed anyplace else, and I've had a few buns that wanted two litter boxes. Some of my buns, when they became aged, were less particular about leaving poops around, but still peed only in their litter box.
Lauraeli
Well-Known Member
Bunnies are easy to litterbox train. A big part of it imo is going along with their natural instincts. Put the box in a corner where she will feel safe and put her hay above it. If she has an accident, no big deal. Wipe it up with a paper towel and put it in the litterbox.
Also remember to increase her space gradually, if you give her run of the house right away she may forget to go back to her litterbox to potty.
Also remember to increase her space gradually, if you give her run of the house right away she may forget to go back to her litterbox to potty.
cuteus
Well-Known Member
There is a flyer in my vet's office bulletin board that warns people thinking about getting a rabbit that they can make up to 300 poops a day! So, if you find none in his running area, that is not normal. My litter trained buns always urinated in the box, until they got older. Now, I have wee pads for the oldest one and I have to keep washing a cat bed that the other one decided to use as a toilet. Maybe the litter box was too smelly? But, the cat bed is more smelly now, so, sometimes they do things that make no sense. My oldest will ignore the litter tray for weeks and one day decides to start using again. He is incontinent now, so I have to adapt. They are both intact males. Only one sprayed us when excited or mad. I got a hand vac to get the 300 poops but the crappy thing had bad battery and stop charging. Watching the animals toilet behaviors and placing the litter box in the spot they prefer, is the right way. I did that for the ferret and the rabbits.
Niomi
Well-Known Member
When litter box training, you could try her in a smaller space and not give her free range of the whole house. When she consistently uses the litter box, gradually increase the size of the free range area.
Litter training Storm was much easier than i had ever expected! Dad helped me build a low box for him, nail some floorboard in there, and the box itself was done! Then i put a wee pad underneath, pellets on one corner and hay on the other. Some pellets and a stray poop in there as well, Storm sitting in there, and voila! That was all it took. He diligently uses his box and has never done business anywhere else. Stray poops i do not consider business. They're strays. Tomorrow he's getting neutered so i hope it doesn't ruin his habits. (I was thinking of using the carrier as his loo for a couple of days so he wouldn't need to jump.)
