Litterbox training/misc

[grneyebrat]

So I got the litterbox today, and slowly introduced it to them.  So far they want nothing to do with it, and go everywhere else…inside and outside the cage.  I have read your inputs on the training, but am wondering if there is a hidden secret to this.  Also, I was told that i have 2 female bunnies, but one seemd to like to humo the other.  I am hoping that they were right in sexing and this is just a dominance thing.  I am new to the bunny world, and have only had exotic animals and dogs.  So far the two 3-month old bunnies are bullying my 2 year old lab.  She loves it though and lets them climb all over her.  The pet store said that I couldn’t give then any fruits or veggies for 3 months, but I have seen many posts about introducing them to them at 3 months.  Is this alright?  And any left over pellets that are not eaten, should they be thrown out and refilled daily?  And how often should I change their bedding, since they choose to go wherever as of now?  What is the best bedding and/or layers to use?  What is the best food to feed them.  One is a dark brown Havana, and the other is a caramel Thrianta.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

[BinkyBunny]

Welcome grneybrat!

Well, training is going to be VERY difficult at this stage. They are going through one of the most drastic changes they will ever go through – sexual maturity. Their hormones are kicking in and telling them to become territorial. Part of that is mark their place. You can still take steps though to encourage good litterbox habits, though, spay/neutering will be the key. What litter are you using? Also, I would get a few bedding options and have one in the wash, one ready to put in, and one in the cage. And continue to put their poop and a tiny bit of urine soaked paper towel in their litterbox. They may have a difficult time following the “rules” right now as they are most likely marking due to territory, not due to litterbox issues, but if you keep their cage clean, but keep poos and urine in the box, they will be less likely to let bad habits set in long-term.

They were right to tell you to wait 3 months. At 12 weeks (around 3 months) is when you want to introduce veggies and fruit – one at a time, gradually http://rabbit.org/faq/sections/diet.html#babies

Throw out any pellets that are 24 hours old.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I would advise that you have a vet double check their sex. I do also hope it’s just a dominance thing, but I can’t tell you how often petstores have missexed bunnies.

[Beka27]

i am going to second what Binky Bunny said!  we just had another new member come on and her two females hjave turned out to be a male and a female.  the bunnies can reproduce at about 3-4 months… so i would set up an appt. to have them sexed at least (altho it’d be better to do a full exam while you’re there).  try and set this up as soon as possible!!!  and get info about spay/neuter surgery.  we’ve had a fair number of accidental litters on this board and even tho baby buns are very cute, litters are not fun, they are actually very difficult, EXPENSIVE, stressful, and time consuming. 

welcome aboard!  i am not trying to frighten you, just stress that it’s important to have the correct information.

[grneyebrat]

Thanks for the welcome!!! So them being 3 months now…according to the pet store…I can gradually introduce fruits and veggies? And I took the “dominant one” in this morning to my vet, and they said it was female, and that it was most likely a dominance thing…Whew…thank goodness!!! Really didn’t want to have babies running around!!!

And another Question…My mother said she was talking to her friend, who has owned rabbits, and she said that I should not clean up their poo because they eat it and keep getting nitrients out of it…Now, I have yet to see anything written about this, or better yet, my bunnies go anywhere near eating their own poo, so please tell me this is false…

Again thank you for the welcome!!!

[Beka27]

did you only take one to be sexed? both males and females can hump for dominance, so don’t assume that the other one is a female. buns do pass cecotropes that have nutrients in them, but they usually eat them very early morning so you’ll probably never even see them. they look like clusters of grapes. the regular round poos can be cleaned up… and should be.

[grneyebrat]

No, I had both with me. The Thrianta was easy, took em about 10 seconds, and said definately a girl. The Havana however, was/is a bit more feisty, and loves to kick. I asked her if she could have the other doc second check to make sure too. They both said they were girls.

It seems like I am cleaning their cage out about 3-4 times a day. They are poo machines. Is that bad? I let them out before I clean it though, and they run around the house leaving little poos everywhere.

Can I introduce them to a piece of fresh spinach today? Would that be safe?

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Welcome!!

Yup I’d say the spinach should be safe. Just give them a small amount and see how they do. Four times a day huh? I’ll be their cage sparkles!

[osprey]

A couple of easy things to try to get them used to using the box:

– when you clean up their stray poos, toss them in the litter box rather than disposing of them.  This will give them the idea of where the bathroom is.

– Bunnies are notorious corner pee makers.  Find the corner that they pee in the most, and place a litter box there.

– (this worked great for my boy DJ) put a handful of fresh hay at one end of the litter box.  Bunnies often munch and eliminate at the same time, this will give them some training in using the box.

 

[kralspace]

You know, guys, I just realized I’ve been adapting litter box training to my teenage son. I got tired of him throwing clothes in the corner, so I was putting baskets in each corner and didn’t even realize what I was doing…hahahah. He’s much harder to train than the rabbits.

[Gravehearted]

hi grneyebrat! you’ve gotten lots of great advice already 🙂

as Binky mentioned – young bunnies often have a hard time with litterbox training. once they’ve been spayed or neutered it generally is a bit easier. in the meantime, I’d suggest adding more litterboxes and limiting their roaming territory until they start to get in the swing of using the box. adding a lil hay can also encourage them to use it – as Osprey suggested.

as far as veggies – you’ll want to introduce them one at a time. spinach usually isn’t a great first veggie, since it can cause gas. i would recommend some italian (flat) parsley, romaine, dill as good choices.

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