Putting free range bunny into cage for punisment

[Zero]

I know that most people recommend positive reinforcement for training. But my free roaming bunny has been peeing outside litter box. Would it be effective to put bunny in her cage when she has peed outside her litter box? She hates it because she is free roam in the house. Suggestions, advice, and opinions? Thank you in advance. ☺

[LBJ10]

I’ve used “time outs” for certain things, but litter training isn’t one of them. Bunny won’t understand why they are being punished and will likely not associate it with peeing outside the box at all. Is your bunny spayed/neutered?

[Wick & Fable]

It’d be more effective to bring to the litterbox.

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.

[Zero]

No, she is not spayed. I live in a remote area and unfortunately no vets in my area will perform the surgery.

[LBJ10]

Intact rabbits are virtually impossible to litter train all the way. Hormones mean bunny will instinctively mark. So the pee is probably her marking her territory.

[Mikey]

Because it is likely hormonal, caging her after she marks is likely to make the issue worse. Youll need to spay her if you want the marking to stop.

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[BinkyBunny]

I believe that positive reinforcement is the best and most effective method. You can even try clicker training. I do agree with the others, I think you will have challenges training an unspayed female. It’s not impossible. I have seen it done, but nature/hormones create a strong drive to mark. But a rewards method is more effective. Have you ever tried clicker training?

How old is she? If she’s under a year, she may be in some strong hormonal stages
Do you have other animals where she roams?
Was she litter trained for a while and then stopped, or has her litter box behavior just changed recently?

How far outside of her litter box does she pee? Sometimes peeing right outside of the litter box can mean health issues like a UTI. 

I know you said you are in a remote area — where is the nearest rabbit savvy vet? I know not everyone has decent access to a good rabbit-savvy vet. If you are not sure, check out this post that has several resources for finding vets in U.S. and world wide. https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/ta…fault.aspx

It is always good to find at least one somewhere because your bunny may need vet care one day. (even if you don’t spay). I don’t think any of us have ever had a rabbit that didn’t need to see a vet at least once. They are susceptible to serious, but treatable issues, by a good rabbit vet.

I’m glad you asked for advice before you used the cage as her time-out for litter training, because I also agree it could make it worse.

[Author]

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