You want to give your pet rabbit some freedom and allow it to explore your home. However, you have these anticipations that it might be making a mess inside your home with their small pellets. Do not worry because these doings can be controlled. Rabbits are clean animals in nature. A very familiar conception about rabbits is that they are dirty. Well, this belief has been so misleading. These lovely creatures make a pleasant company indoors because they can be taught on how to litter box just as the cats!
Tips on Training the Rabbit
By instinct, rabbits opt to go one or more places to drop their urine. Urine-training, your rabbits, comprises something more than placing a litter box to places where rabbits opt to go. Pill training only demands that you provide your pet with a venue; they know that they will not be disturbed by others.
Here are some tips on how you can litter train your pet rabbit.
- Secure a small-sized cat litter box with no top and just low sides. If you have a shallow tub, you may also opt to use it. Cut one side to create a doorway if you find it too tall for your pet rabbit to enter. You may see various corner litter boxes sold for rabbits. However, they are very small.
- For the litter, you may utilize recycled paper litter. There are bigger bags available that are designed for cats; nevertheless, choose the version that is not scented. This litter control any displeasing odors of the urine. There are clumping or clay-based litter available in the market; however, it will not be smart to use them since they can be dangerous to the respiratory systems of the rabbits. Get away from wood shavings too!
- Place a litter in a thin layer underneath the litter box enough to sponge up wetness. There is no need to occupy it too high because, like cats, rabbits do not bury their droppings. Moreover, when you do the task of cleaning the litter box, you will have to dispose of the whole contents each time. Thus, you will needlessly go through plenty of litter if you choose to fully occupy the litter box every time.
- You may have noticed that rabbits eat poop and hay simultaneously. Hence, to encourage a good habit on the litter box put hay either in a hay box located beside the litter box or directly in the box above the litter. If you are using a hay box, place it in a way that it will provide access to the rabbit so it can hop right into the litter box so that it can reach the hay.
- The simplest method of improving the habits of your rabbits on litter box is to confine first their space. You may choose to use a pen for puppies to limit your pet rabbit in one spot, regardless if you are planning to provide him the freedom to explore your home one day. This will let your rabbit be familiar with the area at the start. The moment your pet rabbit learns to use the litter box consistently, you can eventually consider expanding its area. However, if your rabbit begins to forget the usage of a litter box, you should do the previous practice which is confining its area until it learns to resume the good habit.
- Do not hesitate to use many litter boxes until you notice your pet rabbit demonstrates the right litter box habits. Make sure and clean any traces of “accidents”.
Things to Do with Stubborn Rabbits
There are stubborn rabbits. These creatures are indeed smart to learn new things. However, some pets are simply not that easy to entice and taught. Dealing with a stubborn rabbit can be more challenging – but once you can deliver them into your objective of effectively training them, you will feel that ultimate sense of fulfillment. So, how do you manage a stubborn rabbit? Here are some recommended things that you can try:
- When an accident happens, use a paper towel to mop up the urine and get the stray poop and put them in the litter box. This actual will somehow relay a message to your rabbit that a litter box is a good place where it should be doing its business. Remember that although pet rabbits can be trained, they are mostly not 100 percent accurate with the usage of their litter boxes. There are times that they will leave some droppings beside the box.
They may also urinate on the edge of the box. If you see them doing these imperfections, do not get disappointed thinking that you were a bad trainer. Some little imperfections in terms of using the litter box are just normal. Hence, putting a plastic mat underneath the litter box or placing the litter box in a tile floor would make less hassle to clear away these small imperfections.
- You should be patient and never give up. Training your pet rabbit with litter is not an easy thing to do. Generally, rabbits will not be able to adapt this habit easily – it will take time, particularly if your pet has been familiar with bad habits. It will take some time to abstain from them.
If you see that your rabbit is about to leave their litter box, try to bring them back to the litter box or maybe corralling them in. It is not necessary to scold your pet rabbit. Instead, praise him or her once he or she manages to go inside the litter box. Still, this task is easier said than delivered. Hard-work is an important component to effectively deliver this task.
- If your pet rabbit is pushy on coming in a particular corner of a room, there are times that it will be more effective if you give in to their inflexibility, and simply put a litter box in that particular corner. At times when the rabbit regularly prefers another spot to go, they are attempting to convey you a message that that is where they prefer to go.
- If your pet is spraying pee or pooping just everywhere, this is maybe because your rabbit is making a mark on his territory. It would be ideal if you have your rabbit neutered or spayed to control that territorial feeling. Once you can get rid of the hormones, the longing to spray territory with their urine shall also be eliminated.
- There are also times that your rabbit will purposely pee on your bed or couch simply to show that they are dominating. You must act on it immediately and correct this kind of behavior.
- You may create a schedule during the time that your rabbit is having a good time. Following a 10-minute interval, put your pet in its litter box and applaud it. Prepare available treat and give it to your pet once it uses the litter box. Gradually, you may space out the quantity of time between these reminders to approach their litter box. Consistent work, patience, and investment on time will assist your rabbit in reshaping their behavior.
Will Age Matter When Litter Training?
You will notice that older pet rabbits are quite easier to litter train compared to those that are younger, particularly the babies. The ability to learn and the attention span of rabbits continue to improve as they grow. If you own a baby rabbit, keep it, and nurture it. You can expose these little ones with the right habit of littering, but just do not be too hard on them by expecting them to do as you instruct.
Remember, there is quite a delay in learning for young rabbits. If you are planning to get an older rabbit, then simply follow the basic guidelines and tips on how to effectively litter train. Older rabbits are smart enough to determine what you are teaching. You need to strategize on how to encourage your pet to do the things that you instruct it to do.
Conclusion
Litter training your rabbit is not an easy thing to do. If you do not have the persistence and enough patience, then it will be impossible for you to accomplish this task. Yes, it is possible to litter train your pet rabbit. However, neutering or spaying has to be done first. It is nearly not possible to train a rabbit on how to use a litter box if it is unneutered or unsprayed. You will have a great feeling of accomplishment once you can successfully train your rabbit on how to litter!
Training a rabbit on how to use a litter is not very difficult to do. Just make sure that you collect all the necessary supplies needed, set up your litter box, and then proceed in training your rabbit to litter. Rabbits will eventually learn to use it; just make sure you do not lose your patience in teaching your pet.
