How to Train a Rabbit to Use the Litter Box

Training a rabbit to use the litter box is not very hard. Rabbits are pretty smart so you can train them to do lots of things besides litter training. Litter training will give your rabbit the freedom to be adventurous around the house while not having to pick up after him/her. Chewy our rabbit was relatively easy to train when we first got him. It took about a week or so for him to get use to the litter box and it is basically his home base now. Here are a few tips to help you started in training the rabbit to use the litter box.

Rabbit in Its Litter Box by Amanda Warren

A reason that it was so easy to train Chewy was that he was neutered. A rabbit being neutered or spayed (depending on if it's a male or female) makes a big difference in training. Rabbits like other animals like to mark their territory. During the earlier stages of their life hormones are increased. So having a neutered or spayed rabbit will make training easier and they will be much happier and healthier. Age is also a difference maker in litter training rabbits. Rabbits are easier to train the older they become. So keep that in mind when you're training a baby rabbit to use the litter box. You will have to have more patience with them.

Buy a litter box that is at least a bit bigger than the rabbit. If you buy one that is too small for the rabbit they will either not use the box or try to use the box and spill all their bathroom stuff onto the floor. Once you have found a litter box you need to buy the right litter for your rabbit. Some litters advertised are actually toxic for your rabbit. So you need to be careful on what type of litter you buy. There are some things you need to remember while shopping for litter. Rabbits spend a good amount of time inside the litter box. So make sure that the litter is comfortable for the rabbit. Also rabbits like to eat some of their litter. Make sure that the litter is okay for the rabbit to eat. Last thing is look for how well the litter can absorb liquids. The rabbit's urine has a really strong smell so you want litter that can absorb liquids well. I found a great website that has a list of all the different types of litter. Rabbit.org (link in resource box) shows a chart with all sorts of litter they tried out. I personally put newspapers on the bottom of the box (making sure it is soy-based ink). Then I put paper pulp on top of the newspaper. Non-toxic, easy clean up, and Chewy enjoys it.

Whether you want the rabbit to have full range of the house or a couple of rooms you have to start small. Start with a small room in the house. Put the litter box in the room and observe the rabbit for awhile. If the rabbit does not go into the box just gently pick him/her up and put them in the box or move the box to where they do go to the bathroom. While the rabbit is in the box if he/she did their business inside the box feed him/her a treat showing them they did a good job. This will encourage them to go to the bathroom in the litter box.

The rabbit should be able to go to the bathroom in the box without any help after a couple of weeks. After the rabbit is comfortable you can ease them into other rooms and you can either add more litter boxes or continue training them to use one litter box. Make sure the rabbit has access to the litter box at all times or they will be forced to use another place. Make sure you clean the litter box occasionally. Twice a week is preferable.

Hope these tips help out in training your rabbit to go in the litter box. The rabbit will be much happier with the freedom to roam the house. And you don't have to worry about the rabbit going to the bathroom in random places.

Author Resource: Written by Russell Nguyen
How to train rabbits