Id start all over.
1) Remove everything from the cage, clean it down really well with a vinegar/water mixture. Wash down with water and let dry.
2) Dont add anything back except for his food and water dishes. (no toys, no towels, no litterbox)
3) Let him choose which corner of the cage he wants his litterbox to be… this usually takes just 1 day. (You will have to do a deep clean again after this) It will be a mess but just see if he is consistantly peeping in one area. Thats the spot where the litterbox should be.
4) Add the litterbox. In mine I use a few sheets of folded newspaper on the bottom and then a layer of hay on top. If you want to use the shredded paper/carefresh mix just add hay to one corner for him to munch on while he is using the toilet. Wipe up some of his mess from the previous day on papertowels and add that and some poos to the litterbox.
5) Watch closely and clean up any peep messes that he makes with a papertowel. Place that papertowel in his litterbox. Then clean the area with water/vinegar and dry. Add any stray poos to his litterbox as well.

It may take a few weeks to get him “trained”…. in truth he is training you his silly human-slave as to where he wants his box and how he likes his potty to be set up. He might like a larger box or one with a higher back (similar to a kitty litter box).

Just keep trying….hope this helps!!! He will eventually figure it out!

His cage will look really bare but it will help him figure out where to peep and poo (and make it easier to clean for you).  Give him time out of his cage to explore and play with toys.  Just watch closely that he doesnt have accidents outside his cage.After he is trained you can add toys, tunnels, boxes, and towels.  My buns prefer to lay on cold tiles or lineolium.  They have some area rugs in their area but they use them as a toy to chew/dig on.

Pam-
1) Id take everything out. Just leave the food and water dish in the center of the cage. This way he can choose any corner that he likes for his litter box
2) Keep the cage bare for a bit to give him time to adjust to using his box for a potty and the rest of the cage as his home. This also makes it easier for you to see accidents and to clean it up.
3) Consider using a different litterbox. I know lots of people on here (myself included) started with those cute corner litterboxes but have since switched to larger rectangle kitty litter boxes. A good rule is that it should be about 2X the size of your bunny. That way he can sit in there and use the back as a potty and still have fresh smelling and looking hay in the front to eat.
4) After a few weeks of no accidents you can try adding something soft back to his cage (fleece, old tshirts, towels, carpet, etc). Some bunny’s prefer to lay on soft things, others like my two just enjoy ripping them up, arranging them, and laying on the hard floor. You will have to see what your bun prefers!

Hope that helps!!
Rachel

Edit…. when you add his litterbox in there the first time you might want to put fresh newspaper down on the bottom followed by some dirty pee covered papertowels and stray poos. That way he knows that that box is where he should use. Add some hay spread across the top or just to one corner.

My boys have a huge litterbox (the biggest one I could find at Petco). I use folded up newspaper onthe bottom covered with a layer of hay. I get coastal hay for their litterbox by the bale so I dont feel bad “wasting” it (timothy goes in their rack- this way they have two hay choices). Its cheap and it can all be composted for my garden- the only negative is that I have to change their box every day (after two days its pretty stinky) bc there is no odor control with just newspaper… but i dont mind because this way i can monitor their poop/peeps everyday! If you want to use the carefresh/newspaper mixture you can spread that on the bottom and then put hay ontop or just in one corner.

Sorry for the rambling.

Pam-
Id take out the house at least for that 1st night. Id actually leave it out for the first few days as well. Maybe put it in his play run area so that when he is out running about he can play with it.
**Anyone else on here have a suggestion if this is a bad thing to do?**

This way you can get a good feel for where he wants to peep. His poos will probably be scattered around (from him hopping about) but if there is an area that he is usually peeing in, then thats the area I would start the litterbox in. If his pee is all over the place my suggestion would be to clean it up with papertowels and put it in a litterbox (make sure to really clean down his cage as well) then put the litterbox where most of the pee was and then hopefully he will associate the box with where he should pee.

Bunnies are very smart!!! I often bring my two boys to work (along with toys, food and their litterbox) and they have never had an accident in my office, another collegues office or while visiting friends. They know that the box is where they should peep/poop and they are pretty spot on with using it. I do still find 5-10 stray poos laying about (might be from them pooing there, an escaped one during a binky, or kicked out of the litterbox). But Id consider potty trained to be once 100% of their pee is in the box.

Keep asking questions if you are unsure. Im sure either I or one of the other members can help you with ideas.

I just thought of something.

So he has somewhere to ”hide”…. (not sure if it will work bc I dont know his cage layout.)

Can you drape a towel over a section of his cage that would cover the top and sides. This way he would feel more secure in that corner?

Hi, Pam,

Rachel’s advice is good, ie. to start over. But I think if you don’t mind I would ammend it slightly. I understand you’re reluctance to take out everything. Definitely do so for the vinegar and water cleaning. And definitely leave the floor bare – no towel, no shredded paper or litter.

If you notice where he seems to be pooping a lot, I think it would be fine to put a fresh litter pan in that spot too after you’ve cleaned to give it a try right away. And I would add back his little hidey house right away also, if he is used to it and doesn’t pee or poo in it.

As for the litter, may I suggest trying an entirely different kind in the litter pan and see if he will use it without kicking stuff out or rejecting it? I say this because I started Sammy on very soft Carefresh, that was Spockie’s favorite. Well, she scattered it. And she was VERY good about using her pan right away. But she was clear that it wasn’t her favorite litter. So I switched to pellets, and she liked that better immediately. She was very good about using her box after that – unless I didn’t clean it soon enough. Then out it came. So, I use Aspen pellets for litter, scoop out her used corner daily, put in a bit of fresh in that spot, and behave like a good slave. No litter anywhere else, and she trots back into her cage to go. Most bunnies need a second pan out in your space to go in when they are playing so they don’t have to make the trip back to their cages. Sammy is an exception that way.

He’s going to be worse until he’s spayed, but he will be able to communicate his likes and dislikes with you pretty clearly right away. It just may cost you a few tries of different litters, so get small quantities until you find his favorite.

Pam- This site has amazingly knowledgable people on it! I’ve had bunnies all my life but just got my 1st two full time house rabbits about 6 months ago. So I know exactly how you feel not knowing what is the right thing is to do. Keep asking questions… we are all here to help you and your bun get settled in! After you get the litter training issue all worked out the real fun begins!!!

Oh, don’t worry about the mushy, smelly kind – those are cecals, and (ewe) they eat them. They’re supposed to. You may see them, and then they’ve disappeared. It’s natures way of pulling all the nutrients in a bunny’s diet and saving it in one tasty poop. When they have little food in the wild, cecals help them get through the lean months. Gross, but good for him.

LOL Awe, Rachel, you scared Pam!

I read it to mean the good stuff.

These suggestions seem good. It can be tricky when they’re so young. Some will basically pee on anything that is absorbant. I wouldn’t worry too much about bedding (Commercial or a towel) at this point even though previously suggested it – lol. They do like lying on plastic base of cage and manage well without anything – especially if the weather is currently mild.

I meant all the good stuff. Once they are litter trained you can trust more and give him space to run, play, and just be a silly bunny!! You can even start teaching him tricks!!

Good luck!!