litter training please help I’m going crazy

[lola_bear]

Hi guys,

I’m sure there have been millions of posts on litter training, but wondering if anyone is able to provide some advice for me. I feel like I’ve read everything there is to read and nothing is working

My boyfriend recently gave me a female minilop as a surprise… she is now about 14 weeks and i’ve had her since she was 8 weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore this bunny and we have bonded really well, but litter training is destroying my soul. I’m a very neat tidy person and I really really need her to be litter trained so I can allow her more out of cage time. At the moment I’m having to limit it and I feel awful but she’s just weeing on everything otherwise  

Basically, every time Lola picks a corner to do her business, I move the litter tray to that corner and then she switches to a different spot to wee. She loves to sit in the litter tray, but doesn’t seem to want to use it as a toilet. I have noticed very small improvements to a point where she is now weeing in the litter tray maybe 50% of the time, but often in a separate spot as well. When she goes outside of the litter tray I always put some of the wee-soaked bedding in the tray or, if its on the lounge, then I soak it up with a paper towel and put that in her litter tray.

In terms of number twos, she just goes everywhere and it doesn’t even seem like she has any control over it. I’ve been picking up her poos and putting them in the tray but she often just digs them out again and spreads them everywhere. She sometimes does number twos in the tray but I think it’s just luck of the draw because she does them everywhere.

I don’t know what to do. I have her water bottle and hay feeder hanging over her litter tray, and I always put her food bowl in front of the litter tray but she often pushes it further away. I also have a wooden chew toy hanging over the litter tray. I often see her sitting in the tray eating her hay, but then she seems to go elsewhere to go to the toilet. I am using wood shavings as bedding – from the pet store specifically for rabbits (i know some aren’t safe) and then newspaper litter in her tray. She digs A LOT and often mixes this all together within a few hours of me completely cleaning out her cage and replacing it all. Should I not be using the bedding at all? I’ve heard some people say it’s unnecessary and can be confusingly similar to litter? I think I may need to get a bigger litter tray as well – I’m currently using a decent-sized corner one but I do think I need a bigger rectangular one from what I’ve read, although I don’t really know if this will change much because as I’ve said she is just pooping everywhere as if she doesn’t even notice she’s doing it. 

Please help. I would appreciate any advice or suggestions so so much as I’m at my wit’s end at the moment. I do plan to get Lola spayed in a month or two – I don’t know if this will help or make things worse. I’m so confused about what to do next and would love any help so much. Sorry for the long post!!

[jerseygirl]

Welcome : )

Yikes! A bunny as a surprise gift… I hope your bf is willing to help with cost of her upkeep. 

This is a common problem and you’ve already identified some key issues.

Should I not be using the bedding at all? I’ve heard some people say it’s unnecessary and can be confusingly similar to litter? I think I may need to get a bigger litter tray as well – I’m currently using a decent-sized corner one but I do think I need a bigger rectangular one from what I’ve read, although I don’t really know if this will change much because as I’ve said she is just pooping everywhere as if she doesn’t even notice she’s doing it.

Absolutely. No bedding. Leave the cage base bare for now. Later, after she has better habits, you might be able to introduce a blanket or mat, but a lot of rabbits prefer the bare floor. A bigger, rectangular box would certainly help also.

The small triangular litter box and bedding are often sold with cages and they both are detrimental to litter training, in my opinion.

Make these 2 changes and let us know if it’s helping.

[Luna]

I would keep the litter tray in one spot instead of moving it around. I think you’re right about getting a larger tray as the corner ones are small, even for young buns. Just make sure the sides of the larger tray are low enough for Lola to get in easily.

[Mikey]

You mentioned that she is about 3 months old. It could very well be hormone related, marking territory. Usually the litter issues get better if not fully fix after a buns hormones have drained after being spayed/neutered

Rabbits can also be picky about their litter boxes. Once i upgraded to an XL cat litter box, almost all litter problems fixed themselves. There are still accidental poops but they are fair and few in between. The only time there are outside of the litter box pees, are when my hormonal bun decides to mark

[Azerane]

Yep, all the main issue have been identified here. Bigger rectangular tray, no bedding in the cage as it can be confusing. Also her hormones, she is young and not spayed. Rabbits that aren’t desexed sometimes don’t litter train as well as those that are, especially if they start to spray urine. She may still get there since she’s young, but keep in mind that spaying will help a lot with litter habits.

[lola_bear]

Thank you so much for all your replies and suggestions! I have just gone and bought a bigger rectangular tray and removed all the bedding from the rest of her hutch. Just litter and hay in the bigger litter tray now, with her food and water positioned above it. I’ll see how it goes! I will definitely get her spayed once she’s old enough, but would really like to have some good litter habits established before then if possible.

Don’t worry jerseygirl, she was a very much wanted surprise bun! And the boyfriend knew that, I just probably would have educated myself a little better before getting her if I had the chance! It’s been a steep learning curve!

Thank you again for your help

[Author]

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