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Forum BEHAVIOR Help. Need litter training advice.

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    • bunnylove110
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        Hi guys! I’ve been reading this forum for awhile now. You have helped me a lot …more than you know! Let me just introduce myself first. We recently bought our own house.. My children are 24, 12 and 9. They have pretty much lived in apartments where pets were not aloud. So I promised my youngest a pet when we move. She had originally wanted a kitten/cat but while at the pet store she saw the display of baby bunnies and fell in love with a little grey and white Dutch bunny sitting in the corner minding his own business. I asked the sales kid if I could hold the little bunny. He said sure and handed it to me. He was the sweetest little creature I ever did see. he happily snuggled against my chest as I pet him. Well, we took him/her (still unsure if it was a boy/girl) the kid said a girl…but we thought later he was a boy. Anyway, my kids named him Mimi Roru. After a pokemon bunny. Mimi was a joy…he taught us all how fascinating and intelligent bunny’s are. He was with us for almost one year, until one day my children left the door open and he hopped out. I saw him in the front yard and tried to catch him for two hours or more…tried everything from coaxing him into a cage with treats to trapping him with my laundry basket to trying to pick him up. Nothing worked and the sun came down and I lost sight of him. Last I saw he ran into the neighbors yard. I gave-up for the night thinking he’d burrow into a bush until morning then be out and about at dawn. So I woke early to look for him, but no Mimi. We combed the entire neighborhood, put up flyers, listed in our local website and on lost pets. No Mimi!:-( even got a local rabbit rescue group involved in helping me look. I could kick myself for not getting them involved earlier when I couldn’t catch him! Anyway our hearts are broken…and are in deep mourning for our precious Mimi.

        Ok, now on to what this post is all about. The rescue lady told us to look at all free or bunny for sale ads in our area. There was one in particular that caught my eye. It said bunny needs a home. No pic. So I called. The guy that was giving the bunny away, was a college student. He said he didn’t have time to take the bunny out of his cage and let him play for at least a few hours every day. He was never home so therefore bunny was stuck in his cage all day every day..down in his basement room….said he had him for a year…bought him as a baby. So I requested a pic. It wasn’t our Mimi but this little bunny being caged up all day tugged at my heart strings. He told me if I wanted it to come now because he needs to find him a new home ASAP. Well, on bunny rebound, I went and picked up the bunny. He (not sure male or female) was so friendly! Everything I read said keep him in his cage until used to us and his surroundings. So that first day and night I left him in his cage and did not try to engage him too much. But the next morning he was jumping and excited and chewing the sides of the cage to be let out to see us and play. Not a shy bunny at all! Very friendly! Unlike Mimi who was a little reserved and always on guard for predictors. This guy has no fear! Ok…so I let him out to run the house. See Mimi was never in a cage or pen. Mimi had his area…he chose it…under my bed and off to the side of it. Litter training was also easy with Mimi. He preferred a certain corner so that is where I put his box. He did leave pills every once on a while but mostly in his area. They were easy to sweep up. He had his own set schedule too. Resting most of the day but active and would come out to play at dawn and dusk. This Little guy…Dova, is active twenty-four seven! Doesn’t seem to have a set schedule…or one I’ve noticed yet. He is also, not litter trained like his previous owner told me he was. He is a sexually frustrated bunny no doubt…circling my feet and jumping on my legs. He is constantly under foot. I have to watch where I walk or I’ll step on the poor guy. So I will need to get him fixed…but am saving for it. (Not a lot of extra money after our mortgage and all the other bills are paid) I’m not working so that is another problem.

        Ok, so all that behavior really doesn’t bother me too much..I pet him and he loves that…settles down to be petted…..loves the attention….but what does is the amount of pills that are coming out of him….all over the house. I am spending a huge amount of time with broom in hand. So I want to litter train him a little better. I know it’s not going to be perfect….and I know it might be futile without spaying/neutering him first…..but I figured if I could get him in a routine or get him to feel like he has his own territory he won’t be marking our entire house. Because he pees outside his three boxes too. (Not always just sometimes) but the pills are the main problem. In a 10 min timeframe he can drop at least 50 pills on the floor in my kitchen. He’s like a little pill machine…everywhere he walks he leaves a trail or them.

        Sorry this is so long. Just wanted you to get the full story.

        Ok so last night I tried to follow litter training advice. So I put him in his cage, trying to do this over. He didn’t like it. But he walked in for a piece of apple. Closed it up…latched it…he figured out how to unlatch it up top. Opened it and jumped out. So we did that all over again. I put a bread tie and locked it. Well he was furious! He took one look at me and thumped…then grabbed his litter box and tossed it around the cage…jumping back and forth in a huge display of anger..thumping all the while. So different from that friendly little guy at my feet. So I decided to give him more space. I took a pen and put it all around my room and his cage. Then let him out to play in that. Set his box in the corner he already went to the bathroom in. He was still angry and chewing and digging and thumping around in that pen. So I spoke sweetly offered him a banana…his favorite. He calmed down and eat it. But was trying to escape all night long. No sleep for either of us last night! Ha!
        This morning he found his way out of the pen. So I closed my door while I got the kids ready for school. Then I tried to coax him into the pen but failed. He has never let us pick him up…and he refused to go back into the pen so I gave up…opened the door and he is running around the house as I write this. Please help me train my bunny…at least a little before I can get him fixed. I love him…and I’m not giving up on him. I’m here all day alone…so I have plenty of time to spend with him. Just don’t know how to do it.

        Thanks again for reading and please say a little player for my lost Mimi that he will come home or be found and returned to us…..I have not given up hope that he’ll be found. I know that will be another hurdle…but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. But still wish Mimi would come home. 🙁


      • Sarita
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          Oh, so sorry about your sweet Mimi. I hope he is safe and that you can eventually be reunited.

          Okay for your new little one who sounds quite the character…sometimes these litter training problems do happen with a change in environment so it’s maybe possible he was in his former home….did you change his set up all in your home from his prior home or did you even know the setup in his prior home?


        • Flopsie
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            i’m sorry you lost your bunny. I can’t imagine trying to catch a bunny outdoors, I have a hard enough time when my bunny is inside, I can see that without walls or boundaries, the task can be insurmountable.

            Regarding litter training, unfortunately my advice is something that you already know, you need to get him/her neutered or spayed first. My bunny did exactly what you are describing. She could be running and her poops are dropping at the same time. It was both silly and annoying at the same time. But once I got her spayed, it has not happened once. That is the key to your answer and you seem to know that already.


          • A Flying Brick
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              First off I’d get a different cage or a condo, there’s plenty of tutorials online if you want to build your own (I’m sure the younger kids will enjoy that), since the current cage makes him uneasy hense why he probably doesn’t want to use the tray in it and just throw it around.
              Since he’s an escape artist, like my Riley, consider using a lugage lock to secure the cage, they’re easy to get and not hard to break if you lose the key and no amount of bunny attacks will open it. I also put my key on a wire so it would be harder to lose.
              Also I’d see a vet about having him de-sexed that’ll really calm him down and most likely he’ll settle down and use the tray. Ling, my mum’s rabbit, really calmed down after his “operation”.
              I hope Mimi is happy where ever he is.


            • bunnylove110
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                Thank you for your responses. Sarita I don’t know his former setup. The young man just told me Dova stayed in his room located in the basement. He said he is in graduate school…premed and had no time to play with Dova. He wanted to make sure that we would be letting him out of his cage for at least 3 hours per day. So I assume he loved him….was crying when we picked him up. I think the boy wanted Dova to have a better life with a family that had more time to spend with him. I don’t doubt that Dova was somewhat trained…but maybe more so in his small litter box in his cage. Maybe he just didn’t have time to spend training him plus if his room was in the basement, Dova is probably not on a set schedule as far as playtime and bedtime go…the way Mimi was. Because I knew exactly that when the sun would start to set Mimi would be running out of his area….to binky and come see us. Then every morning he woke me with lots of licks of affection. Mimi was a huge licker. Dova licks too but my feet and ankles whereas Mimi wanted to groom our face and noses. I know I haven’t gotten to know Dova yet too…so in time we will get to know one another better. Dova is a brownish holland lop with floppy ears and seems to need lots of attention. Idk if I can put a picture up of them. There is one member here that has a bunny that looks just like my Mimi.

                Yes I know I need to get him altered Flopsie, I will ask the rescue lady who has been helping me find Mimi. I haven’t told her that I have Dova….feel embarrassed that I brought him home on the rebound. But my heart has room for more than one….and I know Dova is his own rabbit….with his own personality. I guess what I’m trying to say here is I’m not looking to replace Mimi….with Dova. So I’ll have to muster the courage to let her know and see if she can help me find a low cost rabbit clinic. Because I do not have much to spend right now.

                A flying brick, I hadn’t thought of his cage making him feel uneasy! That makes lots of sense as it was what he was in when we brought him home in the car! I can only imagine what being in his cage represents to him! I will see about making a new, more welcoming and comfortable environment!

                Now as far as training him goes do I have to keep him in his pen until he’s used to using the boxes? Or can I watch him while he’s out and about….if he urinates can I coax hi. To the box with a treat? Will he get it that that is the place he needs to go?

                Also, I read that we should not intrude into his areas does that mean we shouldn’t go into his pen to feed him and clean him? What about my daughter walking into that area to pet and play with him? Like I said he’s usually friendly…just angry last night. See Mimi didn’t mind my walking in his areas…course under the bed is where he’d sleep…we don’t go there. He didn’t care for my house cleaning and would pull at the broom. Mess up his hay and put his bowls where he wanted them….upside down. So I read to do that while he was out of his area and in the common room.

                Thank you again.


              • A Flying Brick
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                  It’s the same reason Riley hates his carrier, it’s a place where he feels uneasy. Cages/condos aren’t expensive. Most of the tutorials I’ve seen just say “you can buy all this at walmart cheap” but any hardware/misc shop will have most of what you need.

                  I’d give him a treat when you see him using the box and if you see him looking like he’s going to pee else where, pick him up and put him on the tray. Someone might say that’s wrong but that’s how we trained Ling years ago.

                  Some tricks for stopping rabbits turning over the food/water dishes is simple, get ones they can’t flick over. Riley has a metal one with a rubber bottom for water, as well as a drip bottle and two ceramic ones for food. The ceramic ones are too heavy for him to pick up so he’s learning to not move them. My mum has a sectioned plastic one she puts both food and water in and that works well too. I’ve seen people have holes drilled in plastic or metal bowls so they can be tied to cage bars I can imagine how well that works for food ones.

                  Once you get a cage/condo for him it should be alright to walk into his pen, since the cage/condo is his and his only (unless you’re cleaning it). Also he should be a bit less terriorial after settling in more. Also Riley tries to eat my broom too, it’s just a thing rabbits do.


                • Flopsie
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                    I dont think you should feel bad about having another bunny. If you have the ability to love and care for a rabbit and the rabbit needs a home, I don’t see this as a bad thing


                  • bunnylove110
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                      Thank you! A flying brick, yes I will get the ceramic ones! How silly of me to not think about all this stuff! Lol since you suggested building a condo, I’ve been sitting here scanning those sites and getting some ideas. That will make a fun project…for me and my kids! Like I mentioned my budget is pretty tight at the moment but my daughter is very creative and could help us come up with something that isn’t to costly. I love the two story ones…I’ll bet Dova would love climbing up into a little cosy spot to sleep in.

                      Well, speaking about housing, I’ve moved her area into our sunroom. It was Mimi’s home for the majority of the time he was with us. The reason I moved him into my bedroom is because he preferred that room….he was much more docile than Dova and did not require lots of open space during his inactive time. But Dova seems to be active all the time….even at 3 am. Ha! . That will probably change once he gets settled in…but I think for us both….the sunroom is larger and has more open space…plus I will not be kept awake at night. I am a much better “Mama Bunny” when well-rested. Ha! But this is the last time I rearrange Dova’s territory. I just want it to work for the both of us. So I put the pen, his toys, food dishes and his opened cage along with another litter box in there. He did lots of sniffing and checking for any and all escape routes. But did not display the anger that he did last night. But he has been roaming free since this morning. So he should be tired. He finally went over to a bare corner under a little table I had in there and is lying on his side.

                      Thank you Flopsie! Hugs! My kids except my youngest gave me a hard time about “replacing” Mimi. They were not ready to love another one just yet. True we are all still grieving Mimi….probably I am the most….because I was the one who took care of him….he was super close to me. They are still waiting for I’m I to come back home. It is my hope too. But he has been gone for nearly a month now…so the odds aren’t too good. The weird thing is that every neighbor I’ve spoken to…around a two block radius hasn’t seen him? I hope that someone isn’t being truthful and kept him….couldn’t part with him…vs. the other scenario that I’m trying not to think about. 🙁 at any rate I told my kids that when Mimi comes home he will have a new Bunny friend. So they are slowly accepting Dova. I just don’t want the rescue lady to think I didn’t care about Mimi and just replaced him with another one….because that isn’t the case. Like you said Dova needed a home and I was lonely. I just feel bad that I don’t have a lot of money to spend on Dova….I want to get him altered so that he’s happy and content….because I can not give Dova what he really wants. So it must be frustrating to Dova to have needs that can’t be fulfilled….if you get what I mean. Now Mimi wasn’t fixed either…..although he was mature…but he did not look uncomfortable or hormonal. If he did then I would have done the same for him. Honestly, Mimi being my first rabbit, I didn’t even know how important it is. The pet store I bought Mimi from just sold me Mimi without much information. Set me up with a tiny cage, water bottle and enough wood chips and pellets and hay for a month or two. Not that I’m bashing pet stores but no info was given at all….didn’t even know Mimi needed fresh veggies after a certain age. I read just those things I needed to know if I had a question. Like what to feed him and how to litter train him. Just stumbled upon this site recently.

                      Thank you so much for this site….it has a wealth of information! I know way more about rabbits than I did before Mimi went missing!


                    • A Flying Brick
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                        Personally I prefer to use a metal water dish, since the non-slip ones won’t spill on my lino and there’s no way for Riley to tip it over. Also make sure to check the ceramic ones every day for cracks/chips. Ceramic chips can be razer sharp and it would be horrible if Dova swallows it. Also I always have the drip bottle there so no mater what Riley will have access to clean water that he can’t tip over. Drip bottles are really easy to put on the sides of cages and it’s not hard to teach rabbits how to use them.
                        Also I’d put a lid on the condo to prevent escape attempts, since most of the designs I see are open at the top. A sheet of perspex or something flat and solid with a heavy book on top should fix that and make it easy enough to clean out. I said lugage locks before, since it’s what I use, but any kind of small “child proof” closure will do the job, even a cheap combination lock just so Dova can’t shake the door open.


                      • bunnylove110
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                          this is Mimi

                          This is Dova


                        • bunnylove110
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                            Sorry I don’t know how to put up a picture apparently


                          • A Flying Brick
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                              Aww they’re both so cute. Head to the Technical support forums, I’m sure they’ll be something there that can tell you how to put pictures up.


                            • Little Lion Head
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                                Hey Dova–so sorry hear about your sweet Mimi. I can’t even begin to imagine what you are going through. I am very happy to hear you found Dova!

                                We also just got a new bunny (Pumpkin) and had some issues with litter training at first. Our last bunny litter box trained immediately, so we weren’t ready for Pumpkin’s issues. We learned right away that we were giving Pumpkin way too much free reign (ie: the whole house…) so we confined her to just one room (she has her own) and her cage in that room. Within a few days, she was pottying in her litterboxes. We have one box in her cage and one in the room itself.

                                Also, in regards to neutering…I would ask the vet if they are willing to work with you on a payment plan. I think most rabbit-savvy vets understand the importance of getting bunnies and might just be willing to help you out!

                                Congrats on your new bunny! We know you aren’t trying to replace Mimi–you never could (Our Boston passed three years ago, but we keep her picture on our mantel)! But Dova is very lucky to have you!


                              • Little Lion Head
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                                  PS–praying that Mimi finds his way home or has at least found a warm safe home!

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                              Forum BEHAVIOR Help. Need litter training advice.