Update on litter training

[Pam2]

Well thanks to all the wonderful suggestions I received on this site, I can happily say that my Holland Lop baby seems to be getting the idea of litter training. Since I took everything off his cage floor and left it bare, he has been using it consistently to pee, although not to poop. During the day, it’s not too bad, but in the morning his cage is filled, pretty much in every corner and all over with his poop. It’s not terrible, it’s the dry pellet type most of the time, but I was wondering if anyone has any more suggestions.

He does use his litter box sometimes to poop, but not most of the time. I am going to have him neutered at 6 months, he’s only about 3 months now.

Also, do you think it’s okay to leave his cage floor bare? He seems okay with it, I just feel like it’s not cozy enough for him, but that’s my perspective, not his. He’s been good with the peeing in the litter box now for about a week. How long should I wait to put something on his cage floor, or should I just leave everything as is and not take chances?

Thanks again for everyone’s help. You really know your stuff people!

Regards,

Pam

[Sarita]

You can get him neutered when his testicles drop which is usually between 3 1/2 to 4 months – the sooner the better.

I think if he’s still urinating on the cage floor then I would keep it bare. Is he urinating in his litter box at all?

[Pam2]

He doesn’t uriniate on the floor at all, just poops on it. He is totally consistent with urinating in the litter box.

[Sarita]

Well, that is a good start! I guess the best thing to try to do until you get him neutered is to try to catch him in the act and place him in the litter box and see if the get’s it then. Young rabbits don’t always have the best attention span though when it comes to litter box training.

[RachelB]

Give him a few weeks… the pooping all over should die down as his litter habbits get better. Just sweep up the poops every morning, or whenever you see them and that should help. Also vinegar the cage down each week so it doesnt smell like poo or pee.
Glad to hear that the litter habbits are much much better. Hopefully the peeing in the box stays consistant until you can get him neutered. After that his pooing all over should stop (he wont have as much of a desire to claim and mark “his space”) Any time I change my buns area marking poos pickup for a day or two (so be aware that it still might happen from time to time).

From what I read back when I was training my two it seems like most bunny owners consider “potty trained” to be 100% pee and 75%+ poo in the box.

Hope you have continued luck! Oh and my boys are most active and like your little guy poop tons and tons at night (so when I was teaching Samson to use his box it was hard because most of his pooing was when I was asleep…. he did eventually catch on). Just give it time!!!

[Pam2]

I’m bringing him to the vet on Monday for his first “wellness” visit. I believe his testicles have dropped, but when I called the vet’s office and asked when they neuter them, she said at 6 months. Do you think the vet might do it sooner if she feels he’s ready or are they pretty strict about the 6 month age?

Thanks again to all who responded to my questions. Your help has been invaluable to me.

~Pam

[Pam2]

Should I be putting the poops on his floor cage into the litter box? Or does that make it too dirty and he won’t use the litter box to poop if there is too much in there already?

[Sarita]

I would put the poops in the litter box – maybe he will get the idea.

I would talk to the vet about doing it sooner – some vets are fine to do it as long as the rabbit is healthy and some prefer to wait – so you pretty much will have to do what the vet feels most comfortable doing.

[Author]

Messages