Hello, I am a brand new bunny owner to a Holland Lop bunny named Lacy. I currently have her in a pen cage that is pretty big. I heard that you can litter box train bunnies to make it easier to free roam them in the future and it is something that i wanted to try. However, now she just sits in the litter box all day. She doesn't leave the box. I can pick her up and move her outside the box and she looks around but then hops right back in. What should I do? Should I be concerned?
Won't leave the litter box.
- Thread starter Lacy3/18
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How long have you own her and how old? in the beginning it will take time for the rabbit to explore.
I find kits take longer time than adults to start explore their surroundings.
She might find the litter box a safe place and dosen’t want to move out from it.
When she becomes more secure with her surroundings she will explore more. It’s better than I had one of my rabbits when he was a kit. Hid in the hide house for a week until he started to even explore his cage when people was around. I had to use treats to lure him out, to even see him.
You have nothing to be cornered about, if you can pick her up and she’s calm. Make sure to reward her, so she will find experience it’s positive being up in your arms. Most rabbits don’t like being picked up, but making it something good for her.
I find kits take longer time than adults to start explore their surroundings.
She might find the litter box a safe place and dosen’t want to move out from it.
When she becomes more secure with her surroundings she will explore more. It’s better than I had one of my rabbits when he was a kit. Hid in the hide house for a week until he started to even explore his cage when people was around. I had to use treats to lure him out, to even see him.
You have nothing to be cornered about, if you can pick her up and she’s calm. Make sure to reward her, so she will find experience it’s positive being up in your arms. Most rabbits don’t like being picked up, but making it something good for her.
WildThumper2010
Active Member
My rabbit liked to sit in his litter box in the beginning too, I think it is a comfort thing. Try taking her out in a bunny proof area while her cage is closed so she can get used to wandering. And definitely have yummy rabbit food around so she enjoys it! I wouldn’t say there’s reason to be concerned. Does she have a little hutch area? A place to hide with a little roof? She might like that as well.
I think it'd be easier for her if you'd give her a smaller place, cage, and give her a shelter, a little hide, so she could hide and have her own private space, then after a week or two you can open her door and leave her just doing whatever you are doing and completely ignore her, she might go out in a couple hours to explore hew territory, or maybe next time, don't push her, she needs to adapt to the new place. Good luck
This question was mentioned in your other post about eating, so I'll re-post my answer here since this thread is specifically about her not leaving the litter box.
If she isn't yet comfortable to come out of her litter box and explore the rest of her cage, then it isn't advised to take her out of her cage (or her litter box). That's rushing her (and stressing her). Leave her be for awhile.
Give her time to get adjusted to her new home/cage. This can take from a few days to a couple weeks.
Once she's comfortable in her whole cage and is consistently pottying in her box, then her cage door can be opened so she can hop out if and when she feels ready. The area around the cage should have an ex-pen so that her space is limited. This way she can return to her cage and litter box at will.
Here's a link about potty training:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/litter-training.html
I'd suggest reading that link first. One of the titles there is...
"The next step – letting bunny out of the cage: "
When you progress to that step, that can be combined with bonding with your bunny. The section on how to bond with your bunny (you'll be sitting in that area where bunny is let out of the cage) is here:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-with-your-bunny.html
If she isn't yet comfortable to come out of her litter box and explore the rest of her cage, then it isn't advised to take her out of her cage (or her litter box). That's rushing her (and stressing her). Leave her be for awhile.
Give her time to get adjusted to her new home/cage. This can take from a few days to a couple weeks.
Once she's comfortable in her whole cage and is consistently pottying in her box, then her cage door can be opened so she can hop out if and when she feels ready. The area around the cage should have an ex-pen so that her space is limited. This way she can return to her cage and litter box at will.
Here's a link about potty training:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/litter-training.html
I'd suggest reading that link first. One of the titles there is...
"The next step – letting bunny out of the cage: "
When you progress to that step, that can be combined with bonding with your bunny. The section on how to bond with your bunny (you'll be sitting in that area where bunny is let out of the cage) is here:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-with-your-bunny.html
