So today Mom stumbled across a Facebook post in one of her rabbit groups that made her sad (and almost got me a sister). Basically, this family was giving up their bunny (an adorable Holland lop) because they said she was making their house smell because she "couldn't" be litter box trained. They thought she would be better with someone who could let her be an "outdoor" bunny. The rabbit was only 12 weeks old, so she was just a baby! This is what really annoyed Mommy, because they could not have possibly had that bunny for more than four weeks at the most. You can hardly expect a baby bunny to become perfectly trained in four weeks when they are still a baby! So after I reminded Mommy that she really can't get me a sibling because she can't afford to feed two of us and she doesn't have the space to give us BOTH proper homes (that and I'm a bit territorial... I growl at new humans she brings home, even though I happily eat treats from them and will hop over to them, so I definitely would not like a new bunny in my space), I decided to write this post to hopefully help educate people on litter box training.
Now I'm 100% a litter box trained bunny. Ever since I came to Mom's house, I've only ever had a litter box. I don't have a traditional cage with bedding all over to let me poop and pee wherever, I've always had to use a box. So in the process we learned a LOT about litter box training. Here's our best advice, but do keep in mind every bunny is different.
Factors that impact litter box training (and advice on how to deal with the problem)
1. Age:
Baby bunnies are a lot like baby humans: They pretty much go whenever and wherever they want. Therefore, litter box training a baby is going to take a LOT of patience. Be prepared to deal with accidents, because I guarantee they will happen. If you are only using litter boxes like me, avoid using absorbent materials in our pen or space. They will absorb the smell and make us think we can continue peeing there. Mom love high chair mats because they are waterproof and easy to clean. She also put a tarp under my pen when I was a baby and prone to accidents, just in case I had one overnight and it happened to seep through the mat while sitting there for a long period of time. She never actually noticed any accidents seeping through, but you never know!
(Baby me being introduced to my box when I first came home)
When the baby has an accident, put the bunny in their box and wipe of the mess. Put some of the wet paper towel in the box to remind the bunny that's where we're supposed to go. We like to pee in areas that smell like us, so this acts as a good reminder. Then clean the area with a solution of vinegar and water. For carpet and upholstery Mom likes Woolite Pet Stain and Odor Remover + Oxy.
Mom also used her credit card reward points and bought a small steam cleaner because I went through a phase of peeing on the furniture every time she left the room. Again, training a baby takes LOTS of patience!
Baby bunnies will leave a trail of poop. There is no escaping that. You will just have to continuously pick it up and put it in the box. Eventually we will figure it out, but since we poop 200-300 droppings a day, babies will poop everywhere.
It's also a good idea to put our food in the litter box. We like to go while we eat (it's like how some humans read or look at their phones while on the toilet.... we don't have phones and we don't know how to read, so pooping is our entertainment!). Mom started out putting my hay in my box, but not my pellets and salad. Then she noticed most of my accidents in the pen were while I was eating, so she started putting my bowl in there too. This is why it's important to have a nice big litter box with high sides. We have to have plenty of space!
(Enjoying my evening meal in my litter box)
2. Hormones
Bunnies are extremely territorial. Especially boy bunnies. So our hormones make us mark things. Boy bunnies tend to spray more, while girl bunnies tend to get attitudes and can become cranky (we're a lot like teenagers really....). Mom could tell when I was hitting my teenage years because I started spraying when I was mad.
The absolute best thing you can do about this is get your bunny spayed or neutered. This procedure not only reduces hormones and improves our bathroom habits, but it's better for our overall health too. If you have a baby bunny, DEFINITELY get them spayed or neutered by a reputable rabbit vet.
However, keep in mind this is not a magic instant fix. It takes about eight weeks for all our hormones to calm down. Once they do though, you will absolutely notice a difference. Now I only have accidents on a rare occasion, and I don't even leave poops around the house anymore. Sometimes I may kick one or two out of my box when I'm leaping in and out, but I can't be blamed for that. I have big floppy feet. It happens. Even most of my accidents happen because I'm accidentally sticking my bottom out of the box and don't realize it, or I go where my box usually sits while Mommy is cleaning it. I almost never have accidents outside the pen anymore. They happen sometimes, but very very rarely. It's been over a month since my last accident outside my pen, actually. So neutering is definitely worth it!
3. Box location
We like to pick where we go. It's that plain and simple. Bunnies tend to gravitate towards corners so it's a good idea to start there. However, if your bunny is consistently going in another corner you might want to move the box, or get another smaller box to put there. For example, as I was getting better at using my box, Mom noticed that I also had accidents in the other corner of my pen, and so she put another box there for secondary use. She also put a box in a corner of the living room and a corner of the kitchen that I tended to frequent. When I was a baby and wasn't neutered yet, I used all four quite frequently (we went through a LOT of litter in those days). Now, I usually use my main box and will pee in one corner of my second box in my pen. Usually I'll use that one late at night or early in the morning when I decide my main box is getting too dirty. The other two I'll use on occasion if I'm out and don't feel like running back to my pen, but Mom rarely has to clean those anymore. Truthfully, she could probably get rid of them, but it's nice to have options. Meanwhile, I have four potties and Mom only has one..... I don't know how she does it!
4. Litter
So if your bunny is picky like me a change in litter may discourage them from using the box. When I was a baby I sneezed a lot, and in an effort to determine what I was allergic to, Mom experimented with a LOT of litters. She started with Carefresh shredded paper, and I liked that ok, but I kicked it up a lot and sneezed all the time. Then she decided to try the wood pellet litter the breeder had been using when I was really baby, and I wouldn't even SET FOOT in the litter box. I took one hop in and was like "NOPE!" I did not like the smell one bit! So then she switched to Yesterday's News unscented litter and I LOVED it. Mommy loves it too because it's super absorbent and doesn't smell at all. It's a bit expensive, but I'm worth it (and it's better for Mommy's allergies and asthma too!).
5. Cleanliness
When my box gets too dirty I will not use it. That's one of the advantages of having the second box in my pen. Mom cleans it every morning, no exceptions, and even then it can get pretty dirty by the next morning. I can't imagine these people who clean their litter boxes every other day, or even worse, once a week. I'm lucky because Mom has never let my litter box go a day without cleaning, but I wouldn't like it, and neither would she. That's when they start to smell and neither of us want that!
(Sleeping in my second litter box after breakfast... not only is it a good second potty, but it's a great spot for a nap!)
So there you have it. Our advice on litter box training your bunny. The most important thing is to be patient and stick with it. Like a human toddler, we will get it eventually! But please don't give up on us when we are still babies and learning. If you do, you will miss out on the best friend you may ever have!
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