Litter Training

[BonBon]

I just adopted a bunny yesterday from the rescue shelter, and he was supposed to of been litter trained. and while at the shelter, he never pooed or peed on me, and I’d been holding him for about two hours (trying to get all the paper work filled) I’d also asked one of the people there who had fostered him for a month, and she said that he wasn’t a problem, also in his cage there the poo was more or less all in the litter.

 he wouldn’t go anywhere but the litter while in the cage, and just sat there and eats there, and poops there. but when he left the cage he would poop in pretty much a general area of the my room. Also once I fell asleep, he started to explore other areas of the cage, and I’ve woken up this morning to see that the other half of the cage is FILLED with poop.

 Is this all him just ‘marking’ his territory, since he’s in a new home, and a new cage? (he’d been living at the shelter for 10 months, and was abandoned before that). should I buy 2 more litters, and place them in those areas? I really require him to be litter trained, that was my one requirement when adopting a rabbit. If I have to train him that’s fine, but what would some tricks be you think?

He’s also in a cage right now, but I will be changing it to a pen, so he has more space to play later this week. If I start to re litter train him, will I have to start again once I change his space?

Ideas would be greatly appreciated, because I adore him, and want to make sure no resentment ever happens.

[Sarita]

That is pretty typical for a rabbit in a new place. The best thing to do is to keep him confined initially until he gets used to his cage and then allow him to slowly start exploring once he’s mastered the litter box in the cage and then only a small space at first.

A pen is an excellent idea and you may have to “retrain” him then as well as this is a new space.

I think too as long as you use the same litter and have pretty much the same set up as the cage at the rescue he may adapt much more easily.

But he is definitely marking and this is typical of any rabbit even litter trained when they are in a new environment. Basically he is in sensory overload right now as he is in a strange place and using the litter box is the last thing on his mind for now.

[Deleted User]

I second everything Sarita said. I would suggest though if you’re putting his pen on carpet. Get a plastic mat to put underneath just in case if he does pee it won’t seep and it’ll be easier to clean up. To make sure that the bun does not chew on the mat sticking a blanket on top of it is good. I stick a fitted sheet around it because it helps with easy clean up and Ian is a digger. He would pull the blanket and muss with it if he got the chance.

So I know I really suck at descriptions so here’s a shot of what Ian’s pen looks like.

And here’s the plastic that I put underneath. The first couple of days after we brought Ian home he had messy litter habits and missed the box a few times. Thankfully the mat was there.

[Author]

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