Litter training problems?

[Homework9293]

Like I said about a week ago I've began litter training in a litter pan with a grate from petsmart.

I am teaching them to go poo and pee in there. So far they're doing okay (most best with their poop as I put their food bowl and hay in there. There's the odd poop pellets I find in the cage and put them in the litter box as well as show both the bunnies.

The main issue is they pee around their water bowl (assuming because they drink and then pee) so what I do is just pick up the soaked paper towel with urine and also put it in their litter box showing them.

Am I doing this correctly? Is it just repetition?

 

[Blue eyes]

As explained earlier, your rabbits have entered their hormonal stage. Your are swimming against the tide in trying to train them now. Plus you are dealing with them trying to determine their hierarchy. Pee wars are not uncommon with 2 rabbits going through this.

You don't need to "show" them the paper towel. Just put it in the box under the litter. It is the smell that encourages them to go there. Rabbits (not hormonal, and not territorially peeing) will potty in the same spot naturally. We are only taking advantage of this inclination. This is very different from training a dog, for instance, who trains in order to please their human. Rabbits don't care about pleasing any human. They do what they do. So when they potty in the soft, hay-filled box, it's because that is the spot they have chosen. They like to potty where they smell that they have gone before. So the urine soaked paper towel is supposed to fool them into thinking that is where they have peed before.

In the meantime, in your situation with your rabbits, don't expect much progress until the hormone and hierarchy issues are settled.