Litter training taking forever????

[Alyssa]

I’ve been working on liter training my bunny since I got him, so it’s been about six months now and it’s not going so hot. I had put the litter box where he likes to pee, which sort of worked because he’d pee in it, but he pees more right next to it. Sometimes I’d see him kind of stick his butt into the pan and pee into it while sitting outside of the box. Super weird. We were using a little corner litter box, so I figured he just needed a bigger box. I got a larger rectangular box, I put hay in one side of it, and hung a hay feeder over it since he likes to pee/poop while eating hay. He still pees next to it. He’s pooping in it mostly since he sits in it while he eats his hay. I don’t even know if he’s peeing in it. I try to scoop the bedding that he pees on and either remove it from the cage entirely or put some of it in the litter box so he smells the pee in the litter box. Idk if it’s an issue with the litter itself, I use carefresh paper bedding for litter and then I have paper crumbles as his actual bedding. I feel like it shouldn’t be taking this long. Is there something else I should be doing? How long does litter training normally take? 

[Sarah]

Hi there!
Is your bun fixed? An unneutered rabbit is much harder to litter train than a neutered one.

If he is neutered, he may be confused at where to go. If you litter in the litter box is similar in smell/feeling or texture to the litter out of the litter box your rabbit might be thinking that his whole cage is his litter box because the litters feel and smell the same. It may solve your problem to buy a differnt type of litter for the litter box like wood stove pellets or something that he can not mistake for the other litter.

My rabbit actually does the same thing, but its not because of her being confused, she actually will refuse to pee in the litter box if it is dirty. So, I clean her litter box very often! That could be another reason your bun won’t go in it too!
Hope some of these work for you!

[Alyssa]

Yes, he was neutered about four months ago. It could be that the litter feels too similar to the bedding, they’re both paper but his litter is a a paper pulp type and the bedding is crumbles. I do also notice that he’ll use it less when it’s dirty. Thanks!

[Asriel and Bombur]

Keeping paper in the cage does encourage them to go in the cage, even if the litter is a different type/consistency. It feels soft, so they want to go there. There’s no necessary reason for bedding anyways. I’d just get rid of it.

[DanaNM]

Agree with others that there shouldn’t be any bedding in the cage, only in the litter box. I’m guessing that will help heaps!

. . . 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.  

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