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Pets > Rabbits > Advice on May 20, 2012

House Training a Rabbit

House Training a RabbitHaving a rabbit as a indoor pet can be messy, but they like to be clean. This guide is about house training a rabbit.
     

Solutions: House Training a Rabbit

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House Training a Rabbit

When house training your rabbit goes bad, you probably move your rabbit out of the house, right? Here's a way to successfully house train your bunny. First only let your rabbit romp in one small room. Place a litter box in that room with some of the rabbit's poop in it. Block off electrical wires and small areas that your rabbit can squeeze through. Pick up books and toys and leave a completely clear path for your rabbit.

After a while, give your rabbit more romping room, but leave the floors clear and have no wires around. Place a litter box with your rabbit's poop in it in every room your rabbit will go. If your rabbit pees or poops out of the litter box put white vinegar on the spot where he did. Rabbits hate the smell of vinegar. Give your rabbit treats every time he uses the litter box, and soon you will have a nice house trained bunny!

By Kailey from Elizabeth City, NC
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Teaching Your Rabbit To Use the Litterbox

Litter Training a Rabbit Believe it or not, rabbits can be trained to use a litterbox, just like a cat! Training will be easier than you might think, rabbits by nature will pick one place for their bathroom and stick to it.

Pick an enclosed litterbox for a bit of privacy and add a handful of hay for the comfort factor. Bunnies love to chew and what's more luxurious than a little snack while you piddle?

As for what type of litter you should use, try to avoid clay based litters and litters with deodorant crystals. Both can cause health problems for your rabbit. Oat or alfalfa based litters are a safe choice, as are shredded newspaper and compressed sawdust pellets.

Training your rabbit to use the litterbox is as easy as finding his normal bathroom spot. A rabbit may poop in more than one location to mark his territory, but he will usually only piddle in one location. Place the box there at the piddle-spot, and see if he chooses to use it. If he picks a new bathroom spot, move the box there until your bunny gets the idea, or place a second litterbox in the new bathroom. Sooner or later, he'll get the idea. Adult bunnies are actually easier to train than young ones! Just remember to be patient. Rome wasn't built in a day, and your rabbit won't learn to use a litterbox in one day, either.

If you catch your rabbit urinating in an inappropriate spot, you can herd him towards the litterbox. Please don't force him, you don't want to teach him that using the litterbox is a punishment!

A word of warning: rabbit urine is QUITE odiferous. You should change the litter at least once a week (more often if your rabbit lives indoors, as the scent will seem much stronger!). However, it doesn't hurt to save a bit of last week's litter to mix in with the fresh litter. The familiar scent will put your rabbit at ease.

By Catherine Forman

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