Litter training

[Digger]

I am new here so please forgive me if I put this in the wrong spot or if the answer is somewhere else and I just didn't find it.

We have acquired our daughter's two bunnies. The older one is litter trained but the two year old one isn't . I was wondering if there are some tips to try and train her now or is she too old. We have her in a Prevue small animal cage. Her litter box is in one corner and her bed is at the opposite end of the cage. 95% of her waste ends up on the tray under the floor grate. Any suggestions. They only get out of their cage when we are at home.



Ann

 

[Orchid]

I am sure someone with tons more knowledge will come along, but there is also the library sections that tend to have great info on many topics.

Random few things I know about litter training..they will go where they want to go, not where you want the litter pan...so if your bun is always peeing in the right side corner, put the pan there...

Peeing is about teritory as well...maybe has something to do with your other bun? Are the buns fixed? That can help the peeing problem...

Not all buns will litter train and not all will totally train,....

Simon only used his pans when he wanted to...if you closed a door and he wanted into that room, he would turn around and pee right infront of it and hop away kicking his back feet....you would at some point then come out of said room and walk right into his pee....funny if it isn't you walking into the pee....

Also perhaps putting a pee soaked paper towel in the pan you would like her to use might give her the hint to go that way?

I hope it works out for you...I know just how annoying the peeing can be...



Best Wishes..

 

[aurora369]

I have never done litter training on a wire floor, all of my cages have solid bottoms to them.

When litter training, I keep all soft things like blankets and beds out of the cage. I find that a lot un-litter trained (and some trained) bunnies like to pee on soft things.

I start with one or two litter boxes, and once when dealing with a really difficult pair, one in every corner. My cages are very large, 6 feet by 2.5 feet, so I have lots of room to play with.

I keep a spray bottle of half vinegar and half water handy. I use it to clean the cages and to get rid of any urine smells from the floor. The vinegar actually reacts with the urine, and removes any trace of urine smell. I usually leave the litter boxes smelling like litter boxes, and the floors clean as possible. Any stray poops go into the box.

The biggest trick I found with litter training, is clean, clean, clean and clean some more. Any accidents outside of the box need to be soaked up with tissue/paper-towel and put in the litter box, then the floor sprayed with vinegar mix and wiped clean. When litter training, I am wiping down the floors of my cages upwards of 4 times a day. When ever I go by the cage I check for an accident.

Patience is the next most important thing. It may take more than a month for the bunnies to get it. The last pair I did was an older pair of female bunnies, one was about 9 years old and the other about 6. The 6 year old was spayed but the older one I wasn't comfortable putting her under at 9 years old. And they took forever to litter train, but one day after about a month and a half it was like a light bulb went on, and they got it. After that, they have had the best litter box manners out of any rabbits that I have had.

Being spayed/neutered also makes a huge difference. It reduces their urge to mark their territory which is done with poo and pee.

Having a handful of hay in the litter box also helps. It helps to entice them into the box and to keep them their long enough to go. Its like having a magazine or newspaper in the bathroom. Often times, bunnies will defecate while eating (in one end and out the other...).

If you have any questions, please ask!

--Dawn