Litter training 4 yr old

[emily0862]

I got my second bun today, named her waffles. She's 4 yrs old and was always in a cage with a wire bottom. The people didn't have the patience to litter train her (their words). I want her to be able to roam the house with Lola. I have been reading up on how to litter train because Lola came to me litter trained. I have a box with litter, if she pees in the cage I wipe it up with paper towels and put them in the litter box and when she poops I throw it in too. Do I need to do anything else or anything different? Has anyone had any experience litter training an older rabbit? Easier or harder? Thanks for any advice!

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

It may take a bit longer to litter train her and she is used to the wire cage and being able to go where she wants and not have to sit in the pee. But, some in wire cages do tend to pee in the corner as well, so that can make it a bit easier. It really depends on the rabbit.
The process would be the same as a younger rabbit. Keep the rest of the cage clean and put the pee and poops in the litter box.

Some rabbits are easier to litter train than others and it isn't necessarily related to age or where they came from. I have had one that was almost 7 months when I got her and she had lived on a wire cage and took to the litter box in a couple days. I have also had one that was almost a year when I got him and took several months to litter train, but he is good about it now.

Just keep working at it and hopefully she will start to use it. You may need to move it to a different spot if she chooses a different spot to use than the one you pick.

 

[emily0862]

She did go in the same corner in her wire cage so I'm hoping that will make it easier. And I'm thinking I may need to move the litter box, she keeps pooping in the front of the cage. She loves sitting and laying in her litter box though, so at least she's making friends with it lol.

 

[MiniLopHop]

I adopted a 4 year old bun two weeks ago and bonded her to my existing free-roam rabbit. She had been in a cage without a litter box, but tended to go in the same spot. Houdini showed Sophie where to go I think because she never had any pee issues out of the box. She likes to leave a trail of rasins all over the house, but she's getting spayed tomorrow which should stop that.

 

[LakeCondo]

My guess is that the front-of-the-cage poops are marking her territory, so it's not a place to put the litter box, I'd say.

 

[gmas rabbit]

Try putting some fresh hay everyday in her litter box. Some bunnies like to munch and poo at the same time, kinda like taking a book to the bathroom. lol

 

[emily0862]

Minilophop, so you bonded before trying to litter train? I've been Leary about letting her out for much more than 10 mins at a time because I don't want her to learn to go on our floor (but thankfully it's all linoleum so easy to clean). Lake condo, it wasn't just marking her territory, she was continuously pooping in the front, moved the box there and she hasn't pooped on the cage floor since, also haven't seen any pee on the cage floor. Is it possible she's getting the hint? More than likely it's luck lol.

 

[LakeCondo]

Time will tell. Usually they prefer going in the back, not front, but I guess no one told her that. lol