Litter Training
Litter Training Your Rabbit
By Chandra Moira Beal
When I tell people that I live with a free-roaming house rabbit, they are intrigued. When I tell them rabbits can be litter trained, they are even more surprised. A rabbit that uses their litter box regularly makes a great indoor companion. Litter training is relatively simple, but every rabbit's situation is unique. The methods you use for training, the types and locations of boxes you choose, and the type of litter used will all depend on your particular needs.
Rabbits can be litter trained at any age, but adults are easier to work with than babies because their attention span increases as they grow older. When they reach the age of 4-6 months, their hormones become active and they begin marking their territory with urine and feces. Spaying or neutering will increase the likelihood of using the box. Training takes time and patience, but is well worth the investment.
The great thing about rabbits is that they are instinctually tidy housekeepers. Rabbits tend to prefer corners, and will use the same spot over and over again. They are very habitual and routine-oriented animals. When training a rabbit, it is important to listen to their needs, too. If they insist on using one spot, you will need to accommodate them.
Start with a box in the corner of the cage, and one or more boxes in the running space. Litter pans made for cats, plastic dishwashing tubs, and glass baking pans can all be used. Boxes now come in every shape, size and pattern you can imagine. Start simple until you determine your rabbit's needs.
If bunny urinates in a corner of the cage outside the box, move the box to that corner until she gets it right. A handful of hay in the box makes it inviting. Don't be concerned if your bunny sleeps or lounges in the litter box; this is normal. After she first uses the box, praise her and give her a treat. Once she's mastered the box in the cage, open the door and allow her into the running space. Watch her closely. If she heads to a corner where there's no box and lifts up her tail, shout "no" or clap your hands. Gently steer her back to her cage or into one of the boxes in the room. Be gentle; you don't want to make the cage or the litter box seem like punishment. Once she uses the box in her room a few times, you're well on your way. You can gradually increase her space, but if the area becomes very big, be sure to include more litter boxes. As bunny masters the litter box, you can begin removing the early training boxes.
There are many pros and cons with the bewildering array of litter products that are available for rabbits (see my article on Litter Types Compare). For now, avoid softwood shavings such as pine or cedar chips as they emit gasses that cause liver damage in rabbits. Also avoid clumping or dusty cat litters as these can be fatal if ingested or inhaled. Choose an organic litter made from alfalfa, oat, citrus or paper (some brands to look for: Care Fresh, Citrafresh, Yesterday's News, Critter Country). Some people use only hay or newspaper as litter, and some litters can be flushed or composted. Experiment to see what you and your rabbit prefer.
Litter boxes should be cleaned often, at least once a week. White vinegar is excellent to rinse boxes out because it controls odor, kills bacteria, and is completely safe. Never use bleach on a rabbit's accessories; it's too toxic.
All rabbits will drop a few pills around their cages and boxes to mark them as their own. It is very important to remember that this is not failure to be litter-trained. There is a method to their madness! Rabbits leave droppings to identify their cage as their property and to help them distinguish the family's area from their own. Rabbit pills can be easily swept up or vacuumed and can be directly applied to plants as fertilizer. The trick to getting the rabbit to minimize the number of pills left around is to respect their cage or boxes as theirs. Don't move their belongings or rearrange their stuff. When they are in their cage, leave them alone. Be tolerant. Remember that they are leaving their droppings to help find their way to the proper place to go.
Some rabbits love to dig in and kick the litter out of the box. To avoid this, you can get a covered box or experiment with different textured litters. Also, some rabbits back up so far in the box that the urine goes over the edge. A hooded box would work for this, too, or a tub with much higher sides. Still another solution would be to get a "urine guard" to place around the back and sides of the cage.
What if you've followed all the instructions, had your rabbit fixed, exercised patience, and they're still not using the box? A number of issues could be at work. The rabbit may have a health problem such as a urinary tract infection. This should be evaluated and treated by a qualified doctor.
Sometimes stress or a break in the rabbit's routine, such as less or more running time than usual, visitors, travel, or an emotional event whether good or bad. The important thing is to nip the problem in the bud. It only takes a few days for a habit to become firmly entrenched. Bunny urinates beside the box today because she did it yesterday, regardless of the initial cause. Confinement, praise, rewards, and vigilant observation during free-run time are the keys to getting bunny back on track.
The litter box is the rabbit's passport to a new life. It get rabbits out of the lonely backyard hutch and into the house, where they belong.
© Copyright by Chandra Moira Beal. All rights reserved.
Available to buy now
