litter training

[leanne]

Hi all!! Please help. I have two house rabbits. One uses one corner of the cage to do her business, the male does it everywhere, he has done even before we got her to bond with him. When they come out of the cage he does not pick one area to poo in he does it everywhere and he dont stop and sit down to do it he just does it as he runs so there is no time to show him to his tray!! I really dont know what to do and if we don’t solve this soon they will have to live outside and I really don’t want to do that. Hope someone can help!! thanks

[Sarita]

Is your male neutered?

[Beka27]

Also, are they already bonded and living together permanently, or are you still in the process of bonding and they are caged separately?

[leanne]

Hi, they are both neutered and are now fully bonded and in the same cage. He has been the same since we got him, we had him on his own for about 4 months and he does not even use a corner of his cage let alone a corner of livingroom!!

[Deleted User]

It can take time with some rabbits. Age, sociial order in a bond as well as habitat set-up all play a role. You will need to experiment a little. What type of cage do they live in? Is there a litterbox?If yes, how many litterboxes are there? What litter material do you use? How often do you clean up after them? Your male rabbit has no concept of what he is supposed to do. You can gradually coax him. Please post more details about their space.

[Beka27]

Have you check out the tips at the top of the page under Bunny Info –> Litterbox Training? There are good suggestions there. What is their cage like, no bedding on the floor right? Is it a solid surface or is it soft? Do you have hay in the litterbox? How is he with pee?

[leanne]

A nomal indoor cage with saw dust and a litter tray. I have tried a number of litter trays but there was not much point. Everywhere I read it says that bunnies keep there toilet to one or two places so put the trays there but he does not do that and never has he just poos and wees everywhere in his cage. I put hay in the litter box and he does go in there but just as much as everywhere else. I use wood pellet litter. My carpet has some lovely yellowstains on it so he is no better with wee but at least he stops to do that, the poo he just does as he runs so no time to show where the tray is but I know that getting him to go one place in his cage would be a good start!!

[Deleted User]

Is there saw dust in the bottom of the cage all over?

[Andi]

The running and pooping can be a territorial thing. How long have these bunnies been together? Are there other animals in the house? Him leaving poops ‘everywhere’ could be his way of telling everyone “hey this is my place!”.

It can be important when litter training to take away much of the bunnies space, and to clean up rigth after them, placing the droppings into the litter pan. Giving him free rage right away will make the process a lot longer and harder. The small space may seem mean at first, but as he get’s the point where to go to the bathrrom, the more space you can allow him to have, graully till he has free run.

Also useing a cleaning product that removes the smell and stain is important, the more the area still smells like urine (and we may not be able to smell it but they can) then the bunny will continue to use that area.

Petzy also asked a good question, is there shaving covering the bottom of the cage, if there is he may not be able to distinguish the difference bettween the litter pan and the cage.

Keep trying, it’s a slow go for some bunnies.

[leanne]

I use wood pellets in the actual tray and sawdust on the rest of the cage. Does it matter if they toilet in the whole cage as I cant see a way of training them to go one place in the cage as they are only in there when I am not at home. Also do I use the litter tray from the cage and put it in the livingroom or a seperate one? Another thing, during the process of training can they go out in the garden or will this just take away any progress I have made? When I sectioned off part of the livingroom before they went even more!! I dont think it could have anything to do with getting a new rabbit as he has been like it since we got him and before she came, however now she has decided to join in with the poo everywhere!! Appreciate your help, thanks

[Deleted User]

I would eliminate the use of any sawdust anywhere near the rabbit. The dust from it irritates a rabbit’s respiratory system. Leave the bottom of the cage bare except of course the litter tray. Is it a large litter tray? It should be rectangular and comfortable with some hay lining its top. Be diligent in putting all droppings you find scattered in the littertray. Keep cage bottom clean by wiping with diluted vinegar.

You might also be dealing with post-bonding poowars. Rabbits carry on a habit of marking against new, or relatively new, rabbits by means of leaving their droppings. It will ease up over time. It is pretty standard behavior.

[leanne]

It is a reasonably large tray but he has never used it. When I get home from work their whole cage is full of poo am I supposed to pick it all up and put it in the tray?? When they come out do I use a different tray or the one from the cage and do I have to keep thm in the same area while I train so not let them go in the garden? i dont really care that they use the whole cage as a litter tray my problem is when they come out but I am concerned that if they go eveywhere in their cage is there any hope of getting them to do it in a litter tray outside of their cage

[Deleted User]

You want to care about that cage littering very much. It is your starting point for any litter training in the future. Is there hay inside the littertray? Some rabbits find wood pellets uncomfy so it helps to make it soft with hay. Plus, rabbits want to munch while on the loo.
Yes, pick up all the poop and dump it in that tray with hay. Wipe the bare cage bottom with vinegar. It will take a few days but at least the peeing should happen only in the tray. Once the poowars wear off the pooping will go in that tray too. Watch if the two will share the tray.
When I had my rabbits in my yard for exercise, I used to just make a pile of hay, or throw some hay in a cardboard box and they would litter in there. It keeps up the concept of litter box in their little heads.
For indoor exercise you can use the same tray from the cage for their toilet spot.

[leanne]

Sorry! I thought maybe I could treat the cage as the litter tray!! Right ok, so when they are in the cage in the day and overnight i obviously will not watch them so if I do all the things you say they will just naturally use the tray eventually?? Will the bare hard bottom of the cage not be uncomfortable for them? Once they come out when I am home from work will they get confused? Should I keep them confined to cage until they use the tray?

[leanne]

And also there is a loyt of poo overnight and at work, I am to pick up every last bit and put it in the tray? or clean the cage out every evening??

[Beka27]

Yes, you have to pick up every last bit of poop. I would try to do this as often as you see it, or AT LEAST 3 times a day to start, 1st thing in the morning, as soon as you get home from work, and right before bed. Their cage has to be kept impeccable. As long as the cage bottom is solid and not wire, it won’t be uncomfortable for them and it will be so much easier for you to clean.

Bedding in the cage confuses rabbits. It makes the whole space a litterbox, and it seems like for your buns, this has extended and now they think anywhere they are is a good place to do their business. If they don’t improve, is it possible to do a complete bunny overhaul and maybe relocate them to a new area they are not familiar with, preferably a place with linoleum or tile flooring? Or get an xpen and put it on a scrap of linoleum for their exercise time, at least at first?

[leanne]

Ok! I will give this a good go, thank you. can I let them into the livingroom or keep them in their cage until improvement? this could take a while tho so I assume this would be unfair and I also assume i can not let them in the garden as this will undo any progress (if I make any!) And pick poo up and put in litter tray 3 times a day and clean the cage every night? Whats best to clean it with? Will it confuse them if I remove the litter tray from the cage while they are out of it or is it best to just use a seperate one? also they scatter their hay everywhere do I pick this up and put in tray too? Sorry for all the questions!!

[Deleted User]

yes, keep the hay confined. Some rabbits feel that it’s acceptable to potty anywhere where there is hay (mine!)
I would let them out of the cage even during this training phase. A commercial cage is just way too small for a rabbit to spend all his time in it.
Use vinegar to clean. I wouldn’t worry about which tray to use while they’re out of the cage, as long as there is litter material (wood pellets, hay and poop) in it, they will learn to recognize it as a litter tray.
good luck.

[leanne]

thank you very much for your help! For some reason my girl has jst started doing piles of poo everywhere, i have had her 2 months!

[Beka27]

Leave their litterbox in the cage with the cage door open when they are out. Some buns will happily hop in and out to do their business while playing. But also get a second (or even a third) box, depending on the size of the room. They’re very cheap and it’s good to have extras on hand. Another option would be to get one of the short, long, under-the-bed storage containers. That gives plenty of room for litter and hay.

How small is your cage? Each rabbit needs a MINIMUM of 2×4 feet. So for two buns sharing the same space, they need to be in a cage/condo/xpen giving them at least 4×4 feet of space. Fortunately, you can build up, but you want the horizontal space to still be 2×4 feet if you do additional levels.

[leanne]

thanks for your help, i have about 5 trays so no prob there! They are only in a 4×2 at the moment because i was not sure they would bond or if i would have to buy a cage and move them outside. I am on the hunt for a bigger cage, i would no way leave them in the one they are in at the moment. I am gonna remove all the saw dust tonight and keep a good eye on them this weekend, hopefully i will make some progress. Thank u!

[Beka27]

Honestly, you’re not going to find a larger commercial cage (or if you do… it’ll be WAY expensive, for example, the Leith Petwerks cages). This is why the majority of people either build a condo, or get a dog exercise pen once they have two bunnies. The habitat page has some great photos of different things you can do. But for now, one thing at a time. ;o)

[jerseygirl]

Hi Leanne. It all may seem like a lot of housekeeping for a while but if you can get him learning better litter habits, it’ll cut down on the cleaning in the long run. With the cage floor bare, you may find it even easier to clean up. Good luck!

[leanne]

Thanks everyone! I am gonna look into the puppy crates. I have cleared the cage floor and already there seems to be less scattering in the cage, even more when they come outside of th cage tho. My biggest problem is that I can’t pick them up, it requires a major chase to catch them so getting them to learn is hard as by the time they have done it and ran away from me they aint gonna have a clue what I’m on about when I eventually show them to their tray!!

[leanne]

I have sectioned off a corner of the room and they have their cage in there, some toys and two litter trays, I have put litter and hay in the litter tray, they go in there eat some, hop out, run across the room and poo as they go!! I just do not know where to start with these two. they have not even picked a particular place they just scatter a bit around the whole area that they have been given. So far no wee tho, just poo but a lot of it!!

[Deleted User]

Give it some time and keep picking up the stray droppings and put them into their litterboxes.

[leanne]

Right, I have been doing this for a couple of days now andthey actually poo more!! They come out of the cage and poo in the whole area that I have sectioned off, more than they ever did when there was no sectioning off!! I just do not know what to do, it is a complete mess and at the moment I see no way out! I know you have helped so much already but do you have any ideas on this???

[BinkyBunny]

Leanne – this is no surprise as their territory has been messed with — so don’t get discouraged. It can take weeks of persistence on your part (especially since their habits have set in) Unfortunately, with this, it most likely is not going to be a quick fix so just because it’s not working in a few days, doesn’t mean it won’t work.

I know it’s real pain, but you definitely are in a poo battle. Just stick with it.

Even Jack and Vivian can still get into poo battles between themselves. They also can do it if the cat gets into their territory or if I pet the cat and then pet one of them. (Jack doesn’t like our cat) Do you have any other animals?

Another reason that I will find piles or pee outside of the box is because Jack will sometimes bully Vivian out the boxes. (I created a straw screen thing though so he can’t see her go into it very easily, and that helped). Do you notice that one of your bunnies is bossy towards the other? Can they both be in a box at the same time?

I also add some healthy treats to the hay now and that not only encourages them to get in, but it helps distract Jack and he sticks in his box sniffing dried flowers, rosemary, etc out of the hay, while Vivian is busy doing the same in her box.

Are you able to also hang out with them during your free time and catch them in the act — then escort them to their box?

[leanne]

Hi, I have no other pets. I constantly watch them but as they just poo and run and I can not pick them up there is no time to escort them to their box as they would have forgotten what they had done by the time I get to them. They can both fit into the box but tend to eat with their bottoms hanging out of the tray or both back legs on the floor. As they are impossible to handle and do not stop to poo just run and drop it it is too hard for me to show them they are doing it wrong. I walk around picking up the poo after them and putting it in their tray but it is actually constant!! they do not even poo near the box, just where ever they feel like, if I left them they would cover the whole carpet. I do think that they poo far less when they are giving the whole run of the room rather than a section. Can you train rabbits that run away from you when you go near them??!!

One more thing, i like to put them out in the garden at the weekend will this just take away any progress? Are they supposed to use the litter tray in the garden or does this not happen coz they are constantly eating??

[jerseygirl]

How big an area is it that you sectioned of that they are in? I tend to do what you do, follow and sweep up poop in their area but I must remind myself not too. They just want to mark it more if I’m in there. Try just do a general clean up when they are occupied eating or something. I think you might fair better with a larger litterbox too, with higher sides. One they have to get into to get to the hay or food.

Personally, I don’t think giving them time outside would jeopardize anything. It’s a different space and less their territory. I’m not sure they’d even litter outside….Mine come in and use the box when they have time outdoors. Provide them a box out there all the same I guess.

[leanne]

I put a box out in the garden with them this weekend and they covered everypart of the run but not one in the litter tray!!

the area is probably around 3 metres long and 1 and half wide. they are driving me insane!!

I was advised to pick the poo up everytime they do it so they see where it goes, they have never ever gone to their litter tray to go to the toilet!! I have yellow wee patches everywhere!!

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