Tips for Succesful Litter Training.- House Breaking Your Indoor Bunny
Just like cats, most rabbits can be honestly easily trained to use a litter pan, a huge plus for those owners who choose to have their rabbits spend at least some of their time inside the house.
Most mature rabbits that have lived in a cage for their entire lives naturally mend a habit of using just one section of their enclosure as a “bathroom” This instinct is the reason that most bunnies can be so easily house broken.
To start training, hold a small litter pan and a suitable litter and place in that corner or area of the cage that your rabbit already uses. Place of few of its own droppings into the clean litter. Usually this small action lonely is a huge enough hint for most rabbits, and they will start to use the tray on a regular basis.
Once your rabbit is familiar with the thought of the litter pan you can start placing one in other areas everywhere your bunny roams. Even if they may not get the point instantly most rabbits catch on very quickly.
Picking the Right Litter
Nearly all rabbits will eat the litter in their pan. It is therefore very vital that you use a litter that is safe for them. The kind of “clumping” litter that is so well loved with cat owners can be deadly to rabbits; if they eat it, a clump may form in their stomachs causing intestinal blockage or worse.
Use a litter that is wood pulp or naturally based. It is safe for the rabbit, and pretty excellent at controlling odor. Some people just fill their litter pans with pellet rabbit food, even if this does not help with the smell, and may confuse your bunny absolutely
Possible Problems
Very young rabbits are hard to litter train. A buck or doe younger than three months will not have yet developed that natural instinct to keep their waste in one spot. A rabbit that is not spayed or neutered may also be hard to train, as they have a tendency to spray urine, to mark their territory primarily.
In some cases a bunny may influence that their litter pan is a excellent place to sleep or lounge around in. This is not a real problem, but may be messy. Try placing two litter pans in the rabbit’s chosen relaxation area, one for urination, one for hanging out.