Hal Hawkins, Ph.D.,M.D. Fundamentals of Inflammation Course, BBSC 6210 June 25, 2012.
BBSC litter training - Bunny Brigade South CarolinaYou can use a LARGE corner litter tray or even a...
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Property of Bunny Brigade South Carolina Revised 20200304 Litter training your bun! Did you know that rabbits are naturally clean animals, and as such, are easily trained to use a litter box?? Rabbits always use one corner of their home, hutch, or cage as a toilet, so why not take advantage of that to help with odors, cleaning, and health monitoring? Older rabbits or those that are neutered or spayed are easier to train, but even a young rabbit can be taught to use a tray with some tricks. Unaltered rabbits are much more difficult because they mark their territory with urine - just another reason to get your baby fixed! 1. What kind of litter box is best? The box should be large enough so your rabbit can sit comfortably with room to share. You can use a LARGE corner litter tray or even a tupperware box. For larger rabbits, a cat litter box is perfect - ideally the tray should be at least twice the size of the rabbit. The more comfortable the rabbit is being INSIDE the box, the more likely they will take to it as a potty! 2. What litter should I use? You can use paper pulp bedding (e.g. Carefresh), but a cheaper, easier, and better smelling option is a bag of kiln-dried pine pellets (Tractor Supply). Just MAKE SURE the pine pellets are completely kiln or heat dried for the rabbit's safety. DO NOT use cat litter. An attractive litter box to your rabbit will have pellets, comfortable space, and a thin layer of timothy hay to munch on (yep, they like to eat while they potty - efficiency, I guess?!) 3. How often should I clean the box? That's up to you. Every couple of days is sufficient, but every day may be easier for you. If every day, you can simply dump the used litter, wipe with a paper towel or pet-safe wipe, and add new litter. Or, for the every few day cleanings, we prefer to dump the used litter, spray out the box with a hose, add white vinegar mixed with water (1:1 - a spray bottle works well for this) and let sit for a couple minutes, and scrub with a sponge or kitchen brush. The vinegar/water mixture cuts the ammonia in the urine and removes all traces of waste and odor, unlike other cleaners. You can even add a few drops of orange or lemon essential oil into the vinegar/water mixture for an extra citrus-y scent. Try it - trust us - it's like magic! 4. So... How do I actually train my rabbit? Contain your rabbit in a small area for a day or two with the litter tray (the cage or if free roam, a corner of the room where you want to place the litter tray). Place handfuls of hay in the box or some small pieces of fruit (strawberry, banana) for your rabbit to eat. As mentioned, rabbits LIKE sitting in their box if it is comfortable and there is food inside. Bonus if the hay feeder is also within reach of the box. They will naturally begin to potty. Keep your bun in the cage until you see he or she is using the box. If they potty outside the box, simply pick up with a paper towel and add to the tray. The greater you can make the difference in smell between the box (we want this to smell) and the rest of the cage (we DON’T want this to smell), the better. If they potty in another corner instead, move the box. Continue to monitor and rotate accordingly. Most rabbits tend to scatter a few droppings around to mark territory - these are easy to clean. It's the urine stains we want to avoid! If you see your rabbit about to pee outside of their box (the little tail raises and they freeze, sometimes staring at you uncomfortably) - see if you can pick them up and put them in the box with calm words of praise. Repeat, repeat, repeat until your bun is using their box. For free roam, use the same concept - clean any accidents THOROUGHLY with vinegar and water to eliminate odor. The key is not to let your rabbit associate any other location with the potty other than the ACTUAL litter box.
Transcript of BBSC litter training - Bunny Brigade South CarolinaYou can use a LARGE corner litter tray or even a...
Property of Bunny Brigade South Carolina Revised 20200304
Litter training your bun! Did you know that rabbits are naturally clean animals, and as such, are easily trained to use a litter box?? Rabbits always use one corner of their home, hutch, or cage as a toilet, so why not take advantage of that to help with odors, cleaning, and health monitoring? Older rabbits or those that are neutered or spayed are easier to train, but even a young rabbit can be taught to use a tray with some tricks. Unaltered rabbits are much more difficult because they mark their territory with urine - just another reason to get your baby fixed!
1. What kind of litter box is best? The box should be large enough so your rabbit can sit comfortably with room to share. You can use a LARGE corner litter tray or even a tupperware box. For larger rabbits, a cat litter box is perfect - ideally the tray should be at least twice the size of the rabbit. The more comfortable the rabbit is being INSIDE the box, the more likely they will take to it as a potty! 2. What litter should I use? You can use paper pulp bedding (e.g. Carefresh), but a cheaper, easier, and better smelling option is a bag of kiln-dried pine pellets (Tractor Supply). Just MAKE SURE the pine pellets are completely kiln or heat dried for the rabbit's safety. DO NOT use cat litter. An attractive litter box to your rabbit will have pellets, comfortable space, and a thin layer of timothy hay to munch on (yep, they like to eat while they potty - efficiency, I guess?!) 3. How often should I clean the box? That's up to you. Every couple of days is sufficient, but every day may be easier for you. If every day, you can simply dump the used litter, wipe with a paper towel or pet-safe wipe, and add new litter. Or, for the every few day cleanings, we prefer to dump the used litter, spray out the box with a hose, add white vinegar mixed with water (1:1 - a spray bottle works well for this) and let sit for a couple minutes, and scrub with a sponge or kitchen brush. The vinegar/water mixture cuts the ammonia in the urine and removes all traces of waste and odor, unlike other cleaners. You can even add a few drops of orange or lemon essential oil into the vinegar/water mixture for an extra citrus-y scent. Try it - trust us - it's like magic! 4. So... How do I actually train my rabbit? Contain your rabbit in a small area for a day or two with the litter tray (the cage or if free roam, a corner of the room where you want to place the litter tray). Place handfuls of hay in the box or some small pieces of fruit (strawberry, banana) for your rabbit to eat. As mentioned, rabbits LIKE sitting in their box if it is comfortable and there is food inside. Bonus if the hay feeder is also within reach of the box. They will naturally begin to potty. Keep your bun in the cage until you see he or she is using the box. If they potty outside the box, simply pick up with a paper towel and add to the tray. The greater you can make the difference in smell between the box (we want this to smell) and the rest of the cage (we DON’T want this to smell), the better. If they potty in another corner instead, move the box. Continue to monitor and rotate accordingly. Most rabbits tend to scatter a few droppings around to mark territory - these are easy to clean. It's the urine stains we want to avoid! If you see your rabbit about to pee outside of their box (the little tail raises and they freeze, sometimes staring at you uncomfortably) - see if you can pick them up and put them in the box with calm words of praise. Repeat, repeat, repeat until your bun is using their box. For free roam, use the same concept - clean any accidents THOROUGHLY with vinegar and water to eliminate odor. The key is not to let your rabbit associate any other location with the potty other than the ACTUAL litter box.
Property of Bunny Brigade South Carolina Revised 20200304
See your rabbit sleeping in the box? Seems strange, but it is actually normal. As long as you clean the box every couple of days, your bunny will enjoy hanging out there. 5. BE PATIENT. Rabbits will sometimes have accidents or "forget" their training if they are stressed or sick. If you are frustrated, reach out - we have LOTS of secret little tips & hacks for those extra tough cases. That is what we are here for! Some helpful images! Chewy.com, TSC, and Amazon -
Property of Bunny Brigade South Carolina Revised 20200304
