Toilet training a second bunny

[Kristian]

Hi everyone,

We are thinking about getting our existing bunny a friend. Our bunny is 100% litter trained. Has never had an accident, always goes in his tray.

Will getting a second bunny change this? What is some advice for training a second bunny to use the litter every time?

Thanks!

 

[Velveteen Lop]

I actually find that litter training the second one is often easier than the first. When my does that were litter trained had babies, they would teach the babies to use the litter box. I barely had to do a thing! Now, you would still need to help your new bun to understand thats the litter tray and thats where they go, but I don't think that adding another bun should have too much affect on the litter training of your existing one. You might have a few little poops when bringing home the new one, and maybe an accident or two the first few weeks, but in the long run, it shouldn't be a problem. Just make sure that the two rabbits get along, and are not territorial, or they could start doing territorial droppings and spraying.
Good luck!

 

[Blue eyes]

If you plan on getting an already fixed rabbit (really, the only way to find a compatible rabbit for your rabbit) then litter training shouldn't be an issue. Most fixed rabbits only go in one place anyway.

The bonding process may take some time and during that time, stray poos will likely abound. Until they are settled as a bonded couple, don't expect too much as far as that goes. Once they are settled, they should both do just fine. Often the new one will mimic the habits of the original.

 

[Kristian]

If you plan on getting an already fixed rabbit (really, the only way to find a compatible rabbit for your rabbit) then litter training shouldn't be an issue. Most fixed rabbits only go in one place anyway.

The bonding process may take some time and during that time, stray poos will likely abound. Until they are settled as a bonded couple, don't expect too much as far as that goes. Once they are settled, they should both do just fine. Often the new one will mimic the habits of the original.

Yep, Marshall is fixed. The two he is going to meet on neutral territory are being fixed today and he will meet them in 2 weeks. One is a 4 year old male and the other is a 5month old female. We are trialling dates with both, but I have preference for the female. She’s gorgeous. If all goes well, they will bond them over a week or two before returning home to me. I’m hoping the female, being young and fixed, will copy Marshallms excellent toilet habits.

 

[Bailey ❤️]

Do you by chance have a separate cage for them just in case they don’t get along ~ mainly at night when you’re asleep and can’t referee?

 

[Kristian]

Do you by chance have a separate cage for them just in case they don’t get along ~ mainly at night when you’re asleep and can’t referee?

No, not at this stage. I will be under the guidance of the rescue about what to do when we get home. We don’t have room for a second cage, the one Marshall is in currently is very large. I’m hoping the bond will be at a stage where we will not need to separate them. I’ll worry about that once we get to that stage

 

[JBun]

It might also help to check about the litter habits of the rabbits you are interested in, closer to the time your bunny dates are planned, as their litter habits should gradually improve once the spay/neuter is done. But do keep in mind that though they can come to you with having great litter habits, once you put two rabbits together territorial marking usually escalates. Most often it will die back down after a few weeks, but in some instances it doesn't. There are even times where one rabbit will have great litter habits and the new rabbit that is brought in will essentially be a bad example and they both can end up with bad litter habits. So you really have to consider all possibilities.

Something else to be aware of, with your bunny dates being in two weeks, that may not be enough time for the hormones to die down enough to get a proper idea of whether or not either bun would be a good match for your rabbit. Particularly the male. The female may be fine to try a date at that time, but usually for males it takes at least 3-4 weeks(sometimes longer) minimum for the hormones to have subsided enough not to interfere with meeting another rabbit. Otherwise it will still be all about the hormones and wanting to either mate or fight the other rabbit.

 

[Kristian]

It might also help to check about the litter habits of the rabbits you are interested in, closer to the time your bunny dates are planned, as their litter habits should gradually improve once the spay/neuter is done. But do keep in mind that though they can come to you with having great litter habits, once you put two rabbits together territorial marking usually escalates. Most often it will die back down after a few weeks, but in some instances it doesn't. There are even times where one rabbit will have great litter habits and the new rabbit that is brought in will essentially be a bad example and they both can end up with bad litter habits. So you really have to consider all possibilities.

Something else to be aware of, with your bunny dates being in two weeks, that may not be enough time for the hormones to die down enough to get a proper idea of whether or not either bun would be a good match for your rabbit. Particularly the male. The female may be fine to try a date at that time, but usually for males it takes at least 3-4 weeks(sometimes longer) minimum for the hormones to have subsided enough not to interfere with meeting another rabbit. Otherwise it will still be all about the hormones and wanting to either mate or fight the other rabbit.

Hey JBun,

Thanks for your advice. Yep, I've already asked the rescue to watch toilet habits for me and see how they align with our requests. And yes, I thought the same RE: hormones and settling time. So the rescue is happy to try and bond the two males, if they initially are okay, later down the track. They aren't pressuring me for time at all. Though, we would prefer the female. But yes, I have also heard about bunnies heading backwards with their habits and losing them altogether. This is what worries me the most. My bun, Marshall, is a rescue from a kill farm where he has been mistreated, he is so gentle and tentative. They've previously tried to bond him before, but the females beat him up. So I'll see how the process goes. I'm hoping a more outgoing bun will help his personality flourish and give him some beautiful company. The female we are looking at is adorable. She's playing with the kittens currently at the rescue and loves human attention/cuddles. That is exactly what we are after! I've attached a pic of her below!

 

[JBun]

She's cute! And you never know, she could be the perfect match. Finding a friend that your bun gets along with well and loves is essentially the most important thing anyways. Her litter habits could be perfect, or it may be something you have to work with.