Litterbox Training A Bunny

Rabbit Week starts July 26th! We’re always ‘hoppy’ to celebrate Floppy. One of the best things about bunnies is the fact that they can be litterbox trained. A Middletown, KY offers some advice on this below.

Getting Started

If Floppy hasn’t been fixed yet, we recommend getting this done before you work on training. Otherwise, you may be working against your cute pet’s hormonal urges: Rabbits that are intact often spray to mark their territory. Ask your vet for more information.

Shopping List

You may find a bunny litterbox, but you can also get a large cat one. If you have more than one bunny, make sure they can both fit in the bathroom at the same time. You may want to consider getting a hayrack. Many rabbits like to eat in their litterboxes. Setting it up so that your bunny has to hop into her box to reach it may help with training. As far as litter, avoid clay or clumping litters, as well as anything made from pine or cedar. 

Location

Picking the right location is key here. Pay attention to Floppy’s habits. Does she tend to go in one corner of her cage? If so, put a litterbox there. You may also want to start out with several litterboxes. You can remove the extras once your furry friend is trained. 

Setup

You may need to experiment with a few things to find out what your bun likes best. For instance, some rabbits prefer layers of litter and newspaper. You may also find it helpful to put up a puppy pen and confine Floppy to that as she is in training. You may want to put some of her waste and soiled bedding into the box. This can help reinforce the idea of using it.

Training

Training will take a lot of time, but will be well worth it in the long run. Start by simply monitoring your furry pal. Watch Floppy closely whenever you let her out of her cage. When you see signs that she’s about to relieve herself, pick her up and put her in the litterbox. 

Tips

Sooner or later, Floppy will use her litterbox. Immediately shower her with praise, and give her a yummy treat. Keep doing this! Most bunnies get the hang of it pretty quickly. 

Contact us, your Middletown, KY pet clinic, anytime. We’re here to help!