How to toilet train

[toyabrooke]

Hello everyone,

Poe has been doing VERY well after his operation that cost him his manhood. I think he thinks he is still king of the world (well... at least of our apartment anyway), and forgets he has tiny little stitches that need taking care of rather than to be battered around by jumping anywhere! Sigh! I even started his first day of training today - tapping at the ground ot get him to come for his favourite treat a Sakata cracker. He even hopped on my lap for one which he has NEVER done! (He loves being nursed but doesn't seem to like being petted on the ground yet).

ANYWAY I have been using Puppy Training Pads with him ever since we got him 3 weeks ago because that is what we used with Dudley our English Angora. We didn't even need to train Dudley, we just lined a little box with a pad and he loved to hop in it and do his business. Poe however, doesn't seem to take to it as much. We started off with lining little trays like with Dudley, but he seemed to think they were for him to play with rather than to go in. He went anywhere he pleased until I just layed a few fat pads down on the ground. He went on a few, and sometimes goes on his flat pad in his cage, but 50% of the time he doesn't and just goes on the towel that lines his cage, or anywhere in the room when he is out. He doesn't even have much of a pattern which I thought was natural for bunnies. He did go in the corner the other day though, so I put a tray lined with a pad there and he used it again, but that has been the most he has been 'trained' to do.

Are there any other suggestions for getting him to learn that the pads are for business, not the carpet? If he had special places he liked to go I would put trays there, but there doesn't yet seem to be any he favours, rather anywhere he pleases. He seems to be getting it a bit more with time though, and I have tried to keep his pads down for longer so he understands that that is where to go rather than change them all the time and confuse him. He also likes to dig up the pad in his cage a bit, which kind of defeats the purpose... sigh.

Toya
:mrsthumper:

 

[LakeCondo]

How long ago was the surgery? If he's still healing, it's hard to concentrate on where to "go." I have no experience with using pads, but [like with a litter box] if you put some of his poop & urine onto a new pad for awhile, that should increase the chances of his getting the point.

 

[funnybunnymummy]

Give his hormones a chance to calm down first. He's still going to have the urge to mark everything for at least another 3-6 weeks.

Once the hormones are calmed down, pay attention to where he usually pees in his cage (usually one corner), then put his litter box there. I don't know if pee pads will work with every rabbit, I've honestly never tried them and don't know anyone who has. Most here litter train using wood pellets, Yesterday's News, Carefresh, or aspen shavings in the litter box. Then add a good handful of hay at one end. Rabbits like to eat while they're doing their business.

When your rabbit goes outside the litter box (which you know he will), pick up the poops and soak up any pee with a tissue and toss them into the box. Once his litter box starts smelling like a litter box, he should start to use it. Also vital, is to clean any pee spots with vinegar and water to remove the pee smell from everywhere EXCEPT his litter box.

Once he's pretty consistently using his litter box in his cage (this could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks), then you can move it outside his cage and he should still use it. Or you can introduce a second litter box outside his cage, just put some of his poop and pee into it so he knows what it's for.

Hope that helps!

Rue

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We use litter boxes instead of pads and all of ours took to them without any troubles.

 

[toyabrooke]

Thanks everyone Yeah the pee pads are a bit unusual, but very easy to clean up and maintain and they are very conventional for a tiny unit where we aren't allowed any pets I will definitely give the litter a go if the pads don't end up working.

I make sure I clean every spot the little devil makes on the carpet with vinegar, which is maybe why he doesn't have one spot he likes to go to because suddenly where he went smells really bad!

I will wait a few weeks until I drastically try other things than what I have already been doing. I'm sure he just likes to mark his territory still at the moment

Thanks again everyone!

Oh and I have been training him with Sakatas as I mentioned and every time he gets some he does all these 'binkies' or hyper little jumps in the air. Last night he did about 20 in a row and ran into a lot of things but didn't seem to care Is this a good thing or is he maybe high on the sugar in the biscuits? They aren't sugary at all they are very savoury, but I wondered maybe if he was either excited about getting these treats or his blood sugar was higher than normal after eating them

Toya
:mrsthumper:

 

[ZRabbits]

I get the same type of response when I interact with food with my bunnies. Even hay. They love it when they take it from my hand and then that enjoyment comes out in binkies. I think you have some normal bunnies. Who enjoy your friendship. Wow that must have been one happy bunny. 20 binkies in a row. Good for you and your bunny.

K

 

[toyabrooke]

He was so hyper! He hasn't done as many since then but really loves to run around the apartment and does a few then He seems happy, but still doesn't like to be petted on the ground yet! Is that just normal for a bunny that is still trying to feel secure or will that just be his personality? He grinds his teeth a little bit when I do pick him up and nurse him, but still gets a fright and turns around and grunts when we try on the floor

(Oh and his stitches seem to be doing well with no pulling tonight! yay!)

Toya :mrsthumper:

 

[ZRabbits]

Glad to hear that the stitches are doing OK.

In my experience with my boys, it took a long time for them to feel secure to be petted on the ground. I just gave them their space. They came to me.

With everything bunnies, it just takes time.

K

PS: Also I'm finding as my boys get to that 1 year mark and being neutered, they really have calmed down and work with you to get things done. They have more patience with me. Well, it just seems that way. But it's really nice to get to this point.

 

[toyabrooke]

He keeps coming at me in a grumpy when when I go to pick him up when he is on his favourite things like on top of his cage or on my desk. He doesn't bite, but he charges and grunts. He also does then when I pet him really lightly and he turns around and grunts. Are these 'I'm scared that giant hand is going to eat me' signs or 'This is my place go away' signs? When he acts like that, I have been experimenting with holding him down firmly from above to make him 'submit' then giving him a rub while I slowly let him come up from the ground and then giving him a nurse until he grinds his teeth a little at me so I know he is calm and happy.

Am I doing the right thing do you think? He is so bossy but I'm just not sure if it's because he is still getting settled (it has almost been a month), or because he still has hormones racing around that are saying to defend his spots.

Most of the time he is a good boy though I suppose...

Toya :mrsthumper:

 

[ZRabbits]

Sounds like you have it under control. He's letting you know he's upset, but he is controlling the nip which is excellent. There is some respect there. That's like my Dobby. Though he grunts at me, he will never bite.

Keep going. It does take more time for some rabbits to settle down, plus he still has those hormones running through his system.

K