Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BEHAVIOR Litter Training and Neutering Older Rabbit

Viewing 1 reply thread
  • Author
    Messages

    • Beanbag
      Participant
      1 posts Send Private Message

        Hello, I have a Flemish Giant buck who I got from a friend. He has been an outside rabbit for nearly 2 years in a hutch.. He would go in the ‘box’ area of the cage where he was supposed to sleep. But now that I have him I want to make the transition to house rabbit.

        My question is, how should I go about litter training a rabbit who is 2 years old and tosses the litter pan like a ragdoll every time it is presented? He isn’t a lost cause in my eyes.. But I want to eventually let him have supervised free range. So how would I go about litter training this 22lb unneutered male rabbit?

        And is it worth it for me to get him neutered at his age? Will it make him less likely to spray? Less likely to mount things? And could I ever bond him with another rabbit? Should it be male or female if I can?

        Sorry for all the questions but I truly appreciate it!


      • jerseygirl
        Moderator
        22338 posts Send Private Message

          Welcome! We would love to see photos of your new rabbit.

          If you’re transitioning him to becoming a house rabbit, I start with him being in restricted areas so as not to overwhelm him. Are you planning to use a hutch/cage/pen or other for him?
          Did your friend line his hutch with bedding or hay? That might be a reason why he chose the “bedroom” area as the toilet…

          My question is, how should I go about litter training a rabbit who is 2 years old and tosses the litter pan like a ragdoll every time it is presented?

          Lol.

          Firstly, avoid using any other bedding material in his habitat. You’ll only want litter-like material in the litterbox. Go large for a flemmie! Something like an under bed storage box. He may take to sleeping in it too but some rabbits just do.
          A trick I saw from another member years ago was to anchor one box down, then place a second box inside it as the removable litter box. They had glued a regular cat box down in the rabbit condo. You might be able to secure one by putting a few holes in the side and fixing against habitat side with zipties. Or use a heavier wooden crate that you can place plastic try in. Using a safe wood as it’s more then likely going to get chewed!
          For litter training, place his hay in the box on top of the litter or in a rack above the box. Keep the space he is in small at first, then increase this over time. Im meaning the space he will be in the majority of the time. He could certainly have a run about the house or outside for daily exercise. He may have a tendency to mark with territorial poop in the beginning. This usually self resolves once they feel a place is sufficiently marked.

          And is it worth it for me to get him neutered at his age? Will it make him less likely to spray? Less likely to mount things?

          Is he currently doing this? How long have you had him now? Do you have other rabbits or pets? It might be due to his being in a new environment and resolve with time.
          He’s certainly not too old to get desexed and it could help with some of those behaviours. He may have some ingrained habits but neutered rabbits have less smelly urine which is a bonus. Plus, if you think you might get him a friend, his being neutered will work in your favour.

          And could I ever bond him with another rabbit? Should it be male or female if I can?

          Yes, I think you could. Bonding really comes down to the nature of the rabbits, their history and how much work you want to put into it. Sometimes it can take a bit of work to achieve a bond, sometimes it’s a breeze. Usually opposite sex pairings are the easiest, but that is not a firm rule. Again, it depends on the rabbits. A lot or rabbit rescues let you bring you desexed rabbit in to meet some others. It can give an idea which ones will likely get along best. 

          HTH.

      Viewing 1 reply thread
      • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

      Forum BEHAVIOR Litter Training and Neutering Older Rabbit