Litter training Belle!

[AnnaW]

I got Belle on Monday morning, and she has had access to a litter tray ever since … but has not been using it! Yesterday i cut a ‘doorway’ out of the box as due to only having 3 legs she cant hop into the box … i put some of her wee soaked hay into it and hoped for the best but woke up this morning and she has wee’d on her towels  Barney was literally trained within 2 hours when I first rescued him, and I haven’t had a baby bun since I got Biscuit when I was 10, so I’m struggling!

Any tips would be appreciated  I have tried moving the tray to the corners she favours – but she does it in a different place everytime! Because she isn’t very mobile I think that she’s finding it easier to just go where she sits? Also, there seems to be a HUGE volume of it when she does go … maybe she’s holding it in? Here are a few more snaps of her, the only way she can comfortably lie down is by propping herself in the corner or onto her towels, bless her! Her back feet are huge, and seem to turn in when she hops!? Sorry for the essay!

x

 

[Sarita]

Well just give her time really – she’s in sensory overload at this point and has a new disability that she is dealing with.

Also I cannot tell from your photos but it looks like you have hay all over the place and towels – could be the set up is not going to make litter training very successful.

[RabbitPam]

Hi, and first, let me say how wonderful of you to adopt Belle. She’s very sweet looking.

Hay is more of an important food than a litter, so I would first suggest you switch it out a bit. Try a very soft litter, like plain Carefresh, so she can feel comfortable when she is in her litter pan. Also, Aspen shavings may appeal to her if you prefer an absorbant wood shaving. (Never pine shavings.) I imagine pelleted litter is a bit harsh for her to use.

If you put hay just in the corner for her to munch on, she may find that appealing as well. Try to mop up her pee with a small paper towel and set it in the litter pan, along with all of her poos. She needs to learn that the litter pan is the exclusive spot for that purpose. I’m assuming you have one end open so she can get into it without having to jump. (When Spockie lost the use of one back leg as a senior bunny, he was clearly unhappy but unable to drag himself into his litter pan.) Bunnies would prefer to have a clean habitat, so working with her should make some better arrangement possible.

The other point I want to make is that it takes about 2 weeks for a new bunny to become acclimated to a new home. Today’s only Thursday, and all things, including you and the smells and noises of your home, are very new to her. She may not be able to use a litter pan if she is scared by a sudden noise, for example. It will take her longer to maneuver into it, and she just may not have that much time when she goes. Be patient as she learns her surroundings and what is done where. That’s where the soaked paper towels will help her. They are also territorial, so she may be partly marking all her new home areas as “hers”. (And she’s happy about that, I’m sure!)

Give both of you time to start new routines and get established. Bunnies love routine, and adapt to them quickly. Once you have her digestion on a regular schedule, you both may be able to work out the litter pan use more easily. After or during her meals, watch her tail and if it comes up, you can help her by scooping her up gently and placing her in her litter pan, which will also add to her training.

[Beka27]

I haven’t had a bun with a recent (or any) amputation, but here is my thought. What if you took out the blanket and litterbox and did the whole cage bottom with carefresh? Carefresh isn’t the best litter IMO, but like Pam said, it’s going to be the softest. At one end (the “potty side”), have a pile of her hay. When she soils in another area, try scooping it up and moving the soiled part to the potty side. Keep this up for a week (or two or three) and see if it starts encouraging her to move to one end of the cage to do her business. If she starts to catch on, you could start minimizing the carefresh so maybe only half of the cage is litter and on the other half she could have her blanket.

I don’t know if I’d mess around with a litterbox just yet. I think getting her using one area is the first step. When it comes time to introduce the litterbox again, putting carefresh in there should trigger her to realize that is the potty area.

[AnnaW]

Thanks for all the replies! I woke up this morning and my good little girl has done a wee in her litter box!! what a proud bunny mamma I am x

[Author]

Messages