How do i know when my rabbit is litter trained?

[Homework9293]

So I recently was suggested to get a litter box for my rabbits and not let them out until they're litter trained. Well I made a dumb mistake in letting them out before hand and they already dropped at least 30 poop pellets and peed on one of my blankets.

I just bought a litter pan recently and put it in the corner of the cage. So far the one female has used it but I just noticed some poop on a blanket so I picked the one I know who did it up and put her in the litter box and picked the poop pellets up as well to show her where they go.

My question is how do I know when I can for sure let them out?

 

[Blue eyes]

Could you post a photo of the setup? There should not be a blanket in the cage or they will just use it to potty. The detailed instructions on the weblink provided earlier explains the setup. Of course, yours are also becoming hormonal (one was humping the other, right?) so that will change everything.

Are you separating the two rabbits? What's going on with all that? Hormonal rabbits usually aren't receptive to training. Two hormonal rabbits are even more likely to have territory marking battles.

In short, while the two are struggling with hierarchy, are hormonal, and deciding whether or not to fight, it may not be possible to potty train with any real consistency. Once they are neutered and healed, they will train themselves (with the right setup).

When it does come time to train, the focus is always on the urine, not the poos. Once they get the urine down, they are considered trained. The poos will follow for the most part, but only rarely are the poos going to be 100% in the box.

 

[Homework9293]

Could you post a photo of the setup? There should not be a blanket in the cage or they will just use it to potty. The detailed instructions on the weblink provided earlier explains the setup. Of course, yours are also becoming hormonal (one was humping the other, right?) so that will change everything.

Are you separating the two rabbits? What's going on with all that? Hormonal rabbits usually aren't receptive to training. Two hormonal rabbits are even more likely to have territory marking battles.

In short, while the two are struggling with hierarchy, are hormonal, and deciding whether or not to fight, it may not be possible to potty train with any real consistency. Once they are neutered and healed, they will train themselves (with the right setup).

When it does come time to train, the focus is always on the urine, not the poos. Once they get the urine down, they are considered trained. The poos will follow for the most part, but only rarely are the poos going to be 100% in the box.

So you're saying they need to be spayed/neutered to litter train? Thats what you're saying? Because if that's what you're saying then you're giving false information. While it may be easier to train I've had many rabbits not spayed or neutered and litter trained perfectly. And if that's also the case then I'm going to not believe your info on the previous thing about seperating them.

Just because one animal is showing dominance or trying to doesn't meant they're going to fight. Dogs do it all the time. And while dogs are different animals it's the same concept. All animals are territorial until they find an alpha. Even rats. Cats and dogs too.

 

[Blue eyes]

No. It is not what I'm saying. You seem to be having a difficult time reading/understanding things fully. Intact rabbits can be litter trained (though they may not be as consistent). What I said is that trying to litter train a rabbit while it is going through it's hormonal period is often a fruitless endeavor.

You also have the added difficulty of them seeming to be in a stage where they are sorting out their hierarchy. That is a time when territory marking can increase (again, making litter training difficult).

As for whether or not to separate to prevent fighting, that was several people who suggested doing so for the safety of your rabbits. Perhaps you should go back and read again what they stated and why. Especially note all of the links provided by @JBun that showed members who were in your situation (sibling rabbits) that fought each other when hormones kicked in. And, no, it is a false argument to extrapolate from how other species behave to how rabbits behave.

And since @JBun stated it so well, I will quote her here directly:

"We're giving you suggestions and advice based on decades of rabbit experience between us. But it's your choice whether or not you want to take that advice. Just be aware that if your two rabbits end up not being compatible personalities, and the situation escalates into a fight, very serious injuries can occur, that could either result in a very expensive vet trip to stitch up an injury, injuries causing permanent damage like a torn ear, or injuries that can even be fatal to one of the rabbits. It does and can happen, even between sibling bunnies."

 

[Preitler]

There might be a little misconception about the "training" aspect. That's not what happens. We just take advantage of a natural behaviour of rabbits to chose potty spots, and by arranging things so that the spot we have in mind looks inviting to their instincts we fool ourselfs that we "trained" the rabbits . There always will be some stray poops, it helps to call those lucky charm bunny berrys.

It takes time, it can take more than a year to settle into a well established routine, and hormones can interfere since poop and pee is used for marking too, but some intact rabbits have excellent litter habits, like my two seniors (10 and 8). My other pair of intact does - not so much (but right now there are 11 rabbits of different ages in that hutch complex anyway). They pee where they eat, which kinda would work too but their hutch has a wood slat floor anyway.
That is when they ara in their hutches, of course they poop and pee in the garden too.
My house rabbits are free roam - and have good litter habits (hay rack at the litter tray). Except when my boy has spring fever and tries to spray Dotty (spayed) with no regard where he is. But since the house is rather big Dotty did chose alternate litter spots for convinience, like behind the washing mashine, which I had to block off permanently.

You'll always have to keep in mind that there are huge differences in behaviour and preferences, there is no "this always works that way", that you haven't experienced something doesn't make it wrong info. We can give hints because of course there are general trends - like, too much space at once is counterproductive, start small and increase gradually - but nothing replaces making your own observations and patiently adjusting things according to that. Like, for your rabbits blankets seem to be a comfy surface to pee on. They don't really need blankets.

 

[Homework9293]

No. It is not what I'm saying. You seem to be having a difficult time reading/understanding things fully. Intact rabbits can be litter trained (though they may not be as consistent). What I said is that trying to litter train a rabbit while it is going through it's hormonal period is often a fruitless endeavor.

You also have the added difficulty of them seeming to be in a stage where they are sorting out their hierarchy. That is a time when territory marking can increase (again, making litter training difficult).

As for whether or not to separate to prevent fighting, that was several people who suggested doing so for the safety of your rabbits. Perhaps you should go back and read again what they stated and why. Especially note all of the links provided by @JBun that showed members who were in your situation (sibling rabbits) that fought each other when hormones kicked in. And, no, it is a false argument to extrapolate from how other species behave to how rabbits behave.

And since @JBun stated it so well, I will quote her here directly:

"We're giving you suggestions and advice based on decades of rabbit experience between us. But it's your choice whether or not you want to take that advice. Just be aware that if your two rabbits end up not being compatible personalities, and the situation escalates into a fight, very serious injuries can occur, that could either result in a very expensive vet trip to stitch up an injury, injuries causing permanent damage like a torn ear, or injuries that can even be fatal to one of the rabbits. It does and can happen, even between sibling bunnies."

Okay but you didn't help me at all. I asked a question following up and no one responded.

I literally asked if I should separate them right away. If so I'm going to rehome one to someone else. Should I do that now or wait to see if it's actual aggression?

 

[Preitler]

We can't tell that. It depends on how they get along over all, how far along in puberty they are, how the rabbits respond to being humped etc. etc., lots of variables.

I, personally, do not seperate easily. Most likely that's permanent then. Once a trio didn't work out, after one year I sold the young doe since she got depressive living with a very, very dominat doe. Males are a different matter, they tend to escalate very, very quick.

If persistent chases, more than 2 seconds, and following even when one tries to get out of sight, and fur placking occures I would deem it high time to seperate, some humping, no, not necessarily.
It also depends in your plans and preferences, mixed pairs are easier on average, and neutered rabbits normally more consistant than intact ones, and it's a decision for the next 10-14 years.
As I said, impossible to give a single advice via internet - but I would say trust your gut feelings. If it looks malicious and vicious it quite likely is.

 

[Homework9293]

We can't tell that. It depends on how they get along over all, how far along in puberty they are, how the rabbits respond to being humped etc. etc., lots of variables.

I, personally, do not seperate easily. Most likely that's permanent then. Once a trio didn't work out, after one year I sold the young doe since she got depressive living with a very, very dominat doe. Males are a different matter, they tend to escalate very, very quick.

If persistent chases, more than 2 seconds, and following even when one tries to get out of sight, and fur placking occures I would deem it high time to seperate, some humping, no, not necessarily.
It also depends in your plans and preferences, mixed pairs are easier on average, and neutered rabbits normally more consistant than intact ones, and it's a decision for the next 10-14 years.
As I said, impossible to give a single advice via internet - but I would say trust your gut feelings. If it looks malicious and vicious it quite likely is.

Yes I agree, so I should monitor it and then separate them only if it gets worse?

Because like you said it could just be a short dominance outburst to sort out who the leader is right?

 

[Cef81]

There might be a little misconception about the "training" aspect. That's not what happens. We just take advantage of a natural behaviour of rabbits to chose potty spots, and by arranging things so that the spot we have in mind looks inviting to their instincts we fool ourselfs that we "trained" the rabbits . There always will be some stray poops, it helps to call those lucky charm bunny berrys.

It takes time, it can take more than a year to settle into a well established routine, and hormones can interfere since poop and pee is used for marking too, but some intact rabbits have excellent litter habits, like my two seniors (10 and 8). My other pair of intact does - not so much (but right now there are 11 rabbits of different ages in that hutch complex anyway). They pee where they eat, which kinda would work too but their hutch has a wood slat floor anyway.
That is when they ara in their hutches, of course they poop and pee in the garden too.
My house rabbits are free roam - and have good litter habits (hay rack at the litter tray). Except when my boy has spring fever and tries to spray Dotty (spayed) with no regard where he is. But since the house is rather big Dotty did chose alternate litter spots for convinience, like behind the washing mashine, which I had to block off permanently.

You'll always have to keep in mind that there are huge differences in behaviour and preferences, there is no "this always works that way", that you haven't experienced something doesn't make it wrong info. We can give hints because of course there are general trends - like, too much space at once is counterproductive, start small and increase gradually - but nothing replaces making your own observations and patiently adjusting things according to that. Like, for your rabbits blankets seem to be a comfy surface to pee on. They don't really need blankets.

lucky charm bunny berries I like that my little man pees in his box but leaves me berry trails lol which i rather have those than the pee ! I got me a little hand vacuum takes 2 seconds sucks them right up