Litter training a young rabbit – should I start from day one?

[j_frenetic]

Bringing in my first rabbit tomorrow. He’ll have his own room with a playpen. He’s about 3 months old. Almost all litter training articles I’ve read so far say to pick the spot that rabbit uses to do their business in to put the litter box. So, should I give him a few days to figure out which corner he likes, and clean up all the accidents manually before starting the training?  Or should I set up a litter box prior to his arrival? Is he not too young for litter training?

Another question I have is about newspapers. Some articles mention to use “old” newspapers to cover the floor in his playpen and put them in the litter box whenever there is an accident, so that the smell will give him a hint. I didn’t have any old newspapers, so I bought some new ones, but they have this fresh newspaper smell. Would it still work, or it may confuse them and make them avoid that smell.

[HipHopBunny]

Hi!

I think that you can put a litter box in when he arrives, that way he’ll probably at least get some in it (less work for you! 😉 ), and it will give you a good idea of where his preferred spot is. 🙂

I haven’t heard of that technique before ~ it sounds interesting! 🙂 I don’t think that it will make much of a difference if the newspaper is old or fresh, for just a few months ago, I temporarily traded out my buns’ bedding for paper, and I could definitely still tell it was there. 😆 But yes, I agree with scooping up the accidents and putting them in the box. Another technique, is also putting hay in the litter box as well. This way, they have something to entertain themselves with. 😉

About covering the floor with newspaper ~ I’m not sure. You could try it and see how it works, I just don’t know if they’d end up making a mess from it. 😕

Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful!

Wishing you a litter-trained bun!

[j_frenetic]

Thanks for your reply! Got my bunny today. Looks like the trick with the newspaper isn’t quite working as expected, he just started devouring it. I put a rug under the newspaper and he’s chewing on it too in some places, even though I gave him hay, chewing stick, toys. Not sure what to do. I guess it might not be safe, if he ingests it, especially the rug. And if he pees on the rug, and I’m not there to clean up after him, I can probably forget about teaching him to use the litter box, right? Here’s a video of him munching on the newspaper:

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[DanaNM]

I recommend getting something solid and easily cleanable for under the pen, like a sheet of vinyl flooring. A plastic sheet under a blanket would work temporarily. Usually a completely bare floor works best for litter training.

Definitely remove rugs and blankets if he’s chewing them. Once he’s more litter trained you can give grass or paper mats as safe alternatives. 🙂

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[j_frenetic]

Thanks @DanaNM! Could you please, clarify what kind of plastic sheet you meant? I’m a bit worried about leaving the bare floor, since I live in a rented apartment, and if he scratches it, or urinates on it, that might be a problem. Currently it seems he shifted his attention from chewing the rug to the newspaper. I want to remove all the remaining pieces, but don’t want to bother him at the moment, and would rather find a semi-permanent solution. I think I’ll try the vinyl option, not sure if it’s readily available in hardware stores.

I’m giving him plenty of hay in the litter box, and in the hay feeder. He munches on it in the litter box, but seems to ignore the feeder, and prefers the newspaper anyway. I think it may be due to the previous owner not feeding him any hay at all (only the pellets).

Thanks again for your help!

[DanaNM]

I would go with the vinyl for something permanent, I was just thinking of laying down a tarp or something like that if you had one on hand in the meantime.

I was able to order vinyl flooring online from Home Depot recently, and then did curbside pick up for free. I think most major hardware chains are doing similar things. It was pretty cheap, I think around 50 cents per sq foot.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[j_frenetic]

Thanks again. One question I had about vinyl. Would it not be too slippery for him? I already have parquet flooring, and whenever I let him out of the pen, he seems to not feel very confident on it. As in, his hind legs would slip back when he tries to hop on it.

[DanaNM]

The vinyl I have is slightly textured and the bunnies don’t seem to have trouble on it at all. I know some buns are very picky about their flooring, but they do get used to it. It being slippery for now isn’t the worst thing, as it will encourage the bun to spend more time in his box. Then once his training is better you can add some mats or blankets for traction.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[j_frenetic]

I see. I put a few pieces today on the floor, without actually installing them, and let him try it out. It seemed like he didn’t have many issues with the traction, so will probably go ahead with the installation tomorrow. Thanks for your advice!

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