Rabbits are naturally clean and will choose a bathroom area. You can take advantage of this to litter train your house rabbit.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: variable
Here's How:
- Initially, keep rabbit confined to cage with a litter box.
- Observe to make sure your rabbit is using the box. If rabbit seems to prefer another area of cage, move litterbox there.
- Once your rabbit is using a box in the cage, let out of cage in a limited space, under close supervision. Place a second litter box outside of the cage in this space.
- Make the litter box enticing with a favorite toy or treat.
- If you notice the rabbit backing up with its tail up, gently herd him/her to litter box.
- Whenever your rabbit uses the litter box, make sure he/she gets lots of praise and possibly a favorite treat.
- Never punish a rabbit for mistakes. Gently steer to litter box if caught in the act, but this must be immediate to have any effect.
- Once your rabbit is using the box outside of the cage, gradually increase the space the rabbit can roam in.
- Add more litter boxes as necessary as the rabbit probably won't go too far in search of a box.
- Be flexible about placement of boxes - if rabbit seems to prefer a particular place as a toilet, put a box there.
- If your rabbit wants to use an inconvenient location, place a box there and gradually move it out of the way.
- If your rabbit begins having accidents, backtrack to the confinement and limited space with supervision stage and begin again.
Tips:
- Spaying and neutering will greatly reduce territorial urine spraying and defecation.
- Use a safe absorbent litter such as a recycled newspaper or citrus based litter. Clumping and clay litters are not desirable as the rabbit will likely lay in the litter and ingest some as well.
- Be patient and consistent, and expect a few accidents.