New Bunnies--Have Questions! (litter training and carpet destruction)

[Amy D.]

We just recently adopted two female rabbits. They are a bonded pair and are a bit over one year old. Sprinkles is litter box trained. Twinkles (can't you tell my kids named them?) poops wherever she feels. I thought that perhaps she just isn't litter box trained. However, we only have one small corner litter box and wonder if rabbits normally share litter boxes? Lately I noticed that Sprinkles is sitting on the litter box a great deal,and sometimes sleeps next to it with her hind feet up on it. Is she being territorial over the litter box? Does that kind of stuff happen? Should I get a second litter box?

Second, Sprinkles is a carpet destroyer. I have put a good number of bricks down in her favorite areas to prevent her from tearing up the carpet, but was wondering what I can do to train her not to do that. The rabbits are free-range for at least four hours a day, and often up to nine hours a day, so they can do a lot of damage in that time. Is it possible to train a rabbit not to tear up a carpet, or do we resign ourselves to bricks forever. I would like to add that we adopted these two on 12/2, so they are fairly new to us and our house. I wouldn't want to deter her in a way that would damage our new relationship, you know? I kind of shoo her away, but she comes right back. I've never yelled or clapped my hands, in fear of making her scared of me (she's the more timid of the two anyway, so I am really working on my relationship with her).

Lastly, what can I put in their cage to entertain them? I'd rather not spend a lot of money on toys (would prefer to buy them quality food) especially since they usually end up destroyed in no time, but is there something homemade that rabbits enjoy? I feel bad when they're just laying around in here doing nothing.

Thanks for any suggestions! And sorry for the long first post!
Amy

 

[tonyshuman]

It does sound like Sprinkles has claimed the litterbox as her own. You could give her a hidey house to sit in so that she won't monopolize the litter box, or get a second one. Some bunnies prefer to hang out in a pile of hay, so a shoebox full of hay (they might not poop/pee in it, just nest in it) would be a good option too. My guys don't share the litterbox very well. My BF's bunny Benjamin also sleeps in a litterbox full of hay as a nest--well until his new bonded pal Frida started using his nest as a litterbox as well.

Hand clapping and saying No, no, no, Sprinkes may help. However, bunnies are not as trainable as cats or dogs, so you may have to deter her in other ways. You could spray some bitter-tasting stuff on the carpet, but it might wear off. Giving her a better digging option, like an old phone book or box of junk mail might be a better option. Put it in the place she likes to dig, and hope she diverts her digging desires to that. Also, grass mats are good for diggers.

A great homemade toy is a toilet paper tube stuffed with hay. Also, balls, wooden dangly things, things with bells, from the pet store are good. Empty boxes of any kind, paper towel tubes, some bunnies even like to play with empty pop cans!

 

[Maureen Las]

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12079&forum_id=17

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12433&forum_id=17

Hope these help!!!!

 

[kherrmann3]

Are your girls spayed? My foster-bun was a slob with her litter pan habits until after she was spayed. Just a thought

 

[jamieg25]

how i trained my kids not to destroy the carpet is to just keep clapping and telling them no and then paying more attention to them when they were not destroying anything

as for the litter box my kids will sometimes use it but for pooping they just go wherever they arebut will only pee in the litter box

i think they are still marking territory and this will not stop so the only thing you can do about that is to just vacuum each day

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Other than picking up their poops and wiping up pee and placing it the litter box, I can't think of anything. But we will and we'll all help you to stragegize here.

I want to just say that some simple toys are toilet paper rolls filled with hay (or empty will do), phone books, magazines and tiny stuffed animals are all good toys for bunners.