How do i potty train my bunny?

Question

i have a bunny that's about 1 year old. hes pretty big, almost the size of a cat, and hes a lop eared bunny. i want to potty train him so that everyday what i do is clean out the litter box that goes in his cage, so that i only have to clean the entire cage about twice a week. my mom told me to put him in an area that it doesn't matter if he poops and bring the litter box in there too, and then when he poops u pick him up and set him in the cage, even if he jumps out, and then put the p**p in the litter box, and then repeat it so that when u put him in the litter box he will smell the p**p and associate pooping with the litter box, and ive tried it a bunch of times and all he does is attack the box. he bites the edge of it and picks it up and throws it around. will that method of potty training him work? and how do i keep him from attacking the box, because i cant put it in there because he tips it over and it spills over

PLEASE AND THANK YOU!!! XD

Answer 1

i dont think you can potty train a bunny. sorry.

Answer 2

First of all, is he neutered? If he is about a year old, then he is fully matured and will mark territory by peeing and pooping, and there is almost no way you can litter train him out of that. Luckily, a neutered rabbit of ANY age can be litter trained with the proper help from you. Actually, young bunnies who are "litter trained" before they reach maturity often have to be retrained all over again once those hormones hit.

If you get him neutered there are many benefits you can take advantage of (http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/spay-... such as getting him a friend, helping him live a longer life, and enabling you to litter train him.

When you are ready to litter train him be sure and remember that he is not a dog. Rubbing his nose in his mess (or moving him around when he poops) will do nothing except annoy him. He will not associate his mess with him being punished, he will only know that you are doing something to him he does not like and will begin to associate you with bad things. That is probably why he attacks the litter box; he is angry about being moved about and takes it out on the box.

When starting out you should confine him to his cage so he learns where to go in there, and once he has mastered that you can teach him out-of-the-cage potty manners (you can bring him out for brief periods, but he will mess outside). Watch for where he likes to go in his cage (rabbits generally pick one area in their cage). Then move the litter box that is in his cage to that spot. If he changes spots and pees somewhere else in the cage, move the litter box there, and so on. If he dumps the box, you may need to attach it to the cage somehow.

Fill the litter box with the appropriate liter of your choice and also hay, as rabbits do often "use the bathroom" while they eat, and this will encourage him to use the box. You can also put poos or urine-saturated bedding or paper in the litter box as well so that the scent encourages him to go there. Also don't be surprised if your bunny lays down or sleeps in the litter box. That's normal, if gross.

Your bunny can then be taught to use a litter box outside his cage once he uses it inside it. Make sure you limit his space and always have a box out where he can easily find it, again with hay inside. As you give him more space, you should add more litter boxes so that he is more likely to use one and not have an accident. When he is very good at using the litter boxes when outside his cage, you can decrease the number of boxes outside his cage, but always make sure there is at least one.

Sometimes a rabbit will become pee-trained to use his box, but he will poo around his cage. This is to mark the cage as his. If you let him choose when to go in the cage and when to leave and NEVER force him either way, he will feel secure that his cage is safe and all his and will not feel the need to mark it so much. His cage should be his home, not a prison that he is forced into.

If your bunny is in training outside his cage and lifts his tail (to make a mess) screech "no" to distract him and herd him towards a litter box, but do not pick him up and put him in it or chase him. You have to be vigilant when training outside the cage too. Every time you miss a mess, that makes training that much harder and longer.

I hope this helps! Definitely check out the sites for more info!

Answer 3

when ur bunny goes outside of the litter box put the droppings in there so he gets the idea eventually he will but dont forget to clean the litter box every other day that's what i did with my bunny but since that isn't working then i don't know!?!?

Answer 4

my bunny would do the same thing, she would move the litter box as if to say, why is this in my pooping space!? start the litter box training somewhere outside the cage, but in a confined area. to start, use hay or rabbit food as litter box litter because rabbits often p**p while they eat. you can gradually switch out the hay with aspen shavings. have a litter box session everyday for about 30 mins. and whenever you see your rabbit pee or p**p in the litter box, congratulate her. place some p**p in the litter box, so she knows thats where it belongs. if she doesnt p**p in the litter box, do not punish her, but dont reward her. place the litter box near the cage during the potty training so she gets used to it.

how long the potty training takes really depends on the rabbit. some rabbits learn quicker than others, and some dont learn at all. be pateint because this can take a while. if you yell or hit your bunny, all of your work will be down the drain. know that litter box training is not always 100 percent effective  

Answer 5

sorry, but they only learn when they're babies!!