Litter training

[thisisfliss]

Hi Guys,

Couldn't find another post on this so thought I'd start one up for some advice. I've had my bun for about 4 weeks, he's 14 weeks old now and I'm trying to litter train him. I've read that it's easier once they've been neutered. He eats his food from his litter tray mostly but wees around it. Today I had him out around my room and he peed in 3 separate places when I wasn't looking. Any advice on how to train him? I don't feel like he's learnt anything yet!

Fliss

 

[Imbrium]

Man, is he cute! Unfortunately, making them eat from inside their litter box is great for catching poop but hit-and-miss with pee. A few things I can think of that might cause peeing right out side the box and would be easy to fix (wouldn't really help with the peeing in your room, though)...

~ Are you using bedding in his cage? That can make them think their whole cage is a toilet.
~ Are you sure he doesn't sometimes pee while in the box but have his butt over the side, causing him to pee over the side? I fixed that with a taller box.
~ Is it possible that he doesn't want to pee in the box because he doesn't like the feel of peed-on litter? If so, changing the type of litter or adding a grid could help.
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=53690&forum_id=93 - great litter box system; I highly recommend the grid even if you don't want to build the whole thing (check 1/3 of the way down the first page)

Also, changing the substrate in your litter box might make it more enticing for him to pee in - some bunnies are pickier than others.

One thought with your room is that it could be a territorial thing, especially if you gave him access to the entire room at once - gaining too much new territory too fast can cause a bunny to go nuts with the pee/poop marking.

 

[pani]

Whenever Felix goes outside of his box, I soak up some of it with a paper towel and put the towel at the bottom of his litter box, hoping the scent will encourage him to pee in there from now on. I also move any poops into his box so he knows the appropriate place to go. So far, it's hit and miss - sometimes he'll be great and do all his business in the box, other times not so much. He's only young, so I'm giving it time.

 

[thisisfliss]

Whenever Felix goes outside of his box, I soak up some of it with a paper towel and put the towel at the bottom of his litter box, hoping the scent will encourage him to pee in there from now on. I also move any poops into his box so he knows the appropriate place to go. So far, it's hit and miss - sometimes he'll be great and do all his business in the box, other times not so much. He's only young, so I'm giving it time.

Thanks guys. I think he's getting the bits round his litter train when his bums stick over the edge! I'm being more careful where I put his food for a bit and he seems to be getting it in his tray. He hasn't weed on my floor yet today so maybe he learnt the other day when he did and I clapped. He knows now that a clap means he shouldn't do it!

I know he's still young so I'll give him time, and I have time over Christmas to concentrate on litter training too!

 

[njbunny]

Whenever my bun has accidents it is either because

1. I left him alone in a room (for some reason when he free roams unsupervised he will pee on the floor but if we are there he goes and uses the box).

2. He has too much space too quickly. For example every time I put him in a new area I have to only give him a few feet of space and slowly expand it over 2 weeks and then he does not have any accidents.

3. He has an empty corner or a "dead end" space. I found that I have to fill corners with things to keep him from going to the bathroom in them. For example in his XL dog crate I put chew toys or pieces of cardboard in all the corners so that I am kind of rounding them off. If keeps him from going potty in them. Eventually one he gets accustomed to the space I can leave the corners empty.

 

[pani]

Thanks guys. I think he's getting the bits round his litter train when his bums stick over the edge! I'm being more careful where I put his food for a bit and he seems to be getting it in his tray. He hasn't weed on my floor yet today so maybe he learnt the other day when he did and I clapped. He knows now that a clap means he shouldn't do it!

Haha, I should try clapping at Felix! I just admonish him with little "tut tut" noises and "did you do a wee, Felix?" question that he doesn't even understand.

*derp*

Felix's current hutch is raised above the floor, and he pretty much pees in his litter box 100% of the time while in his cage, but a bit of the floor underneath it has copped some of it! I think he too hangs his bum over a bit sometimes. Oh well, he tries his best.

 

[Imbrium]

You'd be surprised just how much they seem to understand sometimes, lol

 

[thisisfliss]

He weed on my bedroom floor again this evening. Maybe I should restrict his freedom so that I watch him closely while he's out? It looks like he's weeing where he's eating so when he's not stood in his litter tray he's just seeking on the floor of his cage.

Someone suggested removing the sawdust until he only peed in his tray?

 

[PaGal]

Use a litter box and place litter only in the box, not in the cage. Place hay in one corner of the litter box for him to munch on or hang a hay rack above the litter box. The goal is to have him completely in the litter box while he munches hay as most buns will potty while eating. You can use anything that will work for a litter ox such as a cat litter box, a plastic storage tub, a metal baking dish. You want one big enough so your bun can fit all the way in it.

When your bun poops outside the litter box pick up the poop and place it in the litter box. If your bun pees outside the litter box soak a piece of paper towel in the urine and place this in the litter box. Clean all surfaces that have been peed/pooped on with a mix of water/vinegar to completely remove the smell so the bun will not potty there again at least not based on smell.

Limit your buns space until he starts getting the hang of it. When introducing the bun to a new space, introduce him to it a little at a time. Too much space too soon can make them forget their good litter habits. You may also have to have litter boxes in the room for him as well as in the cage. If he uses only the litter boxes then you can try taking litter boxes away until he only has the one in the cage.

Most consider buns litter trained when they pee only in the box. It is rare to find a bun that doesn't drop at least some poos out of the litter box. If your bun is young and drops poo a lot outside of the litter box this may improve as it 1.) gets older and hormones settle down 2.) after being spayed/neutered 3.) as time passes and the bun feels more at home and less need to mark territory.

It may start back up when introducing a bun to a new room.