Best age to litter box train?

[momof2buns]

We're getting an 8 mo. old doe and a 2 yr old buck soon, they have never been litter box trained and kept in cages at a breeder's place. Are they too old to train? They will be our house rabbits.This is all so new to me so I have a lot of research to do. Any tips?

Thanks!

 

[JimD]

Welcome to RO!!



I've got buns of all different ages and origins that have been litter trained.

Some took to it...some took a while.
Some of them have great litter habits now.....and some, well...not totally complete but acceptable.

I just had to observe where they preferred to go...and then stuck a litter pan there.
I use wood pellet litter (Woody Pet).

At first they may go all over the place to mark out their new place.
You just have to kinda let them get over that at first and then they'll settle on one or two places.

I've had as many as 3 pans at one time...for one bun....mini-rex....crazy buns.
He eventually settled on 2. One to go in...and one to sleep in.....again I say crazy buns.

Restricting their initial living area can make litter training easier ...sometimes.

What kind of setup are you going to have?

Are they spayed/neutered?

 

[JimD]

Here's the link to the RO Library reference on Litter Traning.

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12213&forum_id=17

..it's got a link to the reference on Litter Pans and Litter, too.

Enjoy!

 

[momof2buns]

Thanks Jim for the info! Yes, they both will be spayed/neutered when I get them. I think that may help a lot. Right now, I have a 2 hole cage (18x24 each hole) that I think I will put in the laudry room with the compressed wood pellets in the pull out pan and squeeze a litter box in there to train them first. Now they would only be caged when I'm at work and at nightand then let them out during the day when we're home. Eventually it would be nice to leave them out all the time but we need to get good and litterbox trained first and bunny proof the house too.

Oh...these two are Mini Rex...would you say they are a little more of a challenge? I've never had a mini rex before but I've heard they are smart, curious buns.

 

[JimD]

Hi Lindsey!!

I didn't realize that it was you!

I just read your re-introduction and now have a better understanding.

Mini-rexes are great.:hearts:
I wish I had one in my herd...almost did when I fostered one.

They definitely have a LOT of personality and character.
Ask Bo B Bunny or any of the others owned by them

I'd start them out in a x-pen during out-of-cage time until they've established some routine habits.
And then gradually give them more and more space.

Actually, my fosters new owners took him home and immediately let him have free run.
He settled right in, and would go back to his cage to poop or pee...most of the time anyway.
They keep his cage on the floor and leave it open when they're home.
He's locked in at night, and when they're not home.

Last I heard he had claimed HIS lounging spot on the couch, and loves to watch Sports Center on TV.

~Jim

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

Any aged bunny can be litter trained!

In fact, I try to start litter box training my babies when they're about 6 week old (or as soon as they come out of the nestbox all the time, etc.) So far, with all the times I've tried, no luck...but they're little babies....I don't really with them on it a whole lot, either, so that's probably why it's never worked, but I'm determined to start litter training all my upcoming litters, in case they go off to be house bunnies.

Emily

 

[maherwoman]

In all honestly, ANY age is good to litterbox train!

When we rescued Flower, she was just approximately six weeks old, and she took right to it!

So, go for it!!

My suggestion, and something that with over ten buns we've done this with has never failed to work...

Put a good layer of hay on top of the bedding, and they'll go straight to it!

 

[momof2buns]

Wonderful advice!! Thanks guys! I can't wait until we get them both in March. We went and bought two corner litter boxes today-yay!

 

[naturestee]

When I was fostering a mom and babies for the local shelter, she taught her babies to pee in the litter box. They started pretty much as soon as they opened their eyes and would go pee exactly where she had. Too bad it didn't work for poops!

Most rabbits will littertrain fairly easily no matter their age provided that they are spayed/neutered. If they're not, their hormones often encourage them to use poop to mark territory much more often, spray urine, etc. I adopted a pair of girls that were 1.5 years old, unspayed, and had only ever been in a bare wire cage. They figured out the litter box very quickly and were nearly perfect even before their spays.

Quick tips: If a rabbit likes to poop/pee in a particular area (especially corners), put a litterbox there. Sometimes it helps to put multiple litterboxes in, especially at first. Put poops or urine-soaked paper towels in the litterbox to give them the idea and clean urine accidents with white vinegar to remove all smells. Put hay in the litterbox or in a rack hanging into it. Rabbits love to eat and poop at the same time. Even with rabbits that aren't really littertrained, this will get a fair bit of their poops landing in the box.

High-sided litter boxes are your friends, especially for medium-larger size breeds. Check out the cat section for more options. Otherwise some rabbits will accidentally pee over the edge.

 

[tonyshuman]

The very best time to littertrain? Right after spaying/neutering!!