Just like cats, rabbits can be litter trained. This is one of the reasons they make such good house pets! Litter training your bun helps to keep a lot of mess they make contained, keep their area and your house tidier. Keep reading on to find out how to house train your bunnies.
What Age Should I Litter Train My Rabbit?
You can house train your rabbit at any age. Believe it or not, litter training an older bun is actually easier, because they are more developed and will find learning easier. So, if you’re adopting an older rabbit and are worrying about house training them, don’t!
However, you can still litter train a baby rabbit, too. This might just take longer, so stick with it!
It’s also more difficult to train rabbits that are not neutered. This is because they have a stronger inclination to mark in the house. We recommend having your rabbit spayed or neutered when you can, which is from four months old.
What You Need To Litter Train Your Rabbit
To house train your rabbit, you will need a few supplies. These include:
- A litter box. This can be a cat litter box, although you should buy one with low sides and no top. You could also use a shallow storage tub.
- Litter. We recommend you use organic litter, such as paper litter. This will neutralize any unpleasant urine odors. You should not use clumping litter as rabbits have been known to eat their litter, and this can cause blockages in their digestive tract.
- Fresh hay. Hay such as timothy hay is a good choice.
Setting Up Your Rabbit’s Litter Box
You should fill the bottom of your litter box with a layer of litter. This should be about an inch deep — don’t put too much in because rabbits do not bury their poop like cats do, and you’ll just end up throwing it out when you clean out their litter tray.
Then add a thick layer of hay on top of the litter, or place a hay box next to the litter box. Hay will make the litter box more attractive to your rabbit and hopefully make them want to use it. If you put a hay box next to the litter tray, make sure your rabbit has to get into the litter box to reach the hay.
How To House Train Your Rabbit
Now let’s look at the steps you need to know how to litter train your rabbit.
First of all, place the litter box in a corner of your rabbit’s hutch or area of the house that they use. If your rabbit already has an area in which they go to the bathroom, place the litter box there.
You should start training them by limiting the area in which your rabbit can roam. Confine them to one area with their litter box, so they get used to that space before they have a larger area.
If your rabbit shows no interest in their little box, pick up their poop and place it in the litter box. This will help them to understand that this is the area for that business!
When they use the box, reward them with a tasty treat so they understand that what they did was a good job!
Litter Training Tips
- Cleaning your rabbit’s litter tray is very important. However, they will also associate the smell of their droppings with their toilet area. To find the right balance, we recommend you add fresh hay to their litter box every day, and use bunny-safe cleaning products to clean their litter box every other day.
- Rabbits do sometimes urinate over the side of their litter box, and this is okay! They are not always perfect. Mop this up and, most importantly, don’t get angry with them. If they are constantly making a mess, place a rubber mat under the litter tray or place the box on a tiled surface. This will make it easier to clean up.
- Depending on the size of your rabbit’s area, you may need multiple litter boxes. This will help to reduce the mess around the home! To get your bun used to these boxes, limit their space again like you did with the first box so they get used to using them.
- Be patient when litter training your rabbit. It may take some time but it will be worth it.
- An important point to note is that some rabbits use their poop to mark their territory, so you may find them pooping outside their box. You can pick the poop up and place it in their litter box, but this behavior may never go away completely.
- If you are having lots of problems with litter training your bunny, there could be an underlying reason. Perhaps the box is too small or big, or in the wrong place. Your rabbit could also be suffering with arthritis (which makes it difficult for them to get into the litter box), or a bladder infection (they may be peeing on the floor). Contact your vet if you are concerned.
