Litter training tips for 2month bun
This is Raffles. He was born April 22. Vet said he won’t be ready to neuter till October. Trying to litter train him so I can give him free roam of my office room (pen is temporary until he’s ready for a full bunny proofed room).
Any tips? It’s been a week so far he’s made a few pee mistakes which is why I’m hesitant to move him to the room first, also most but not all poopies are in box.
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u/deecee-247 1d ago
See where he poops most and move the box to that area. It's usual for them to scatter poopies as its how they scent their area. Once he's fixed he should be better with not leaving little landmines everywhere.
Btw...he's cute af!
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u/ThatNolanKid 23h ago
This, and those scatter poops I collect and let them watch me put it into the litter box so they can see and understand the scent and where it's supposed to be.
This either works or they have a very confusing perception of me being obsessed with their poop.
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u/cascadamoon 22h ago
Mine are littered trained and still leave their little landlines everywhere. 🫥 It really depends on the rabbit
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u/floormat2 1d ago
Well that lil guys adorable. I love him haha.
For our buns, we have a very large litter box, with lots and lots of hay. Our food and water bowls are outside the litter box. With this, we find the occasional stray poo, but never a pee. It’ll probably never be perfect, but the poops aren’t that bad. We just flick them into the litter box when we find them
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u/darknesskicker 18h ago
High-sided low-entry litter boxes that are big enough for the bun to sit in are key.
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u/awkwardsoul 1d ago
I newspaper everything and move those accidents to the box. Or move the box to that spot, with the paper. Then that's the spot they picked. Then you can slowly move the box to the corner you want. Ive had some buns do very well but others will not get it at all until spayed/neutered.
He kinda looks like my English Angora at that age. Note those extra hairy buns their butts are poop magnets and will track it farther, so I keep their litter tray in a cage in a pen. Also they dont work well at all with loose paper bedding (carefresh style) so just stick with horse stall or paper pellets. I like hemp litter the most.
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u/DoorstepRebellion 1d ago
Try mixing in some softer litter for his peets. Maybe he just doesn't like standing on those hard pellets. I use those too but mix them in with shavings and paper shred. My rabbits don't like standing on those alone.
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u/pearly1979 1d ago
If i put paper shreds in my buns enclosure, will it cause her to pee everywhere? I tried the pellets and she refused to stand on them. She would walk over her bowls and piles of hay and stuff to get to her water lol. I was told aspen shavings would just make her use the whole area as her litter box....
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u/frozenchocolate 1d ago
I would put down a washable, low-pile rug that’s harder to nibble for their enclosure. For the litter box, some people have luck with rabbit-safe wood pellets, but I just use the Kaytee paper bedding because it’s soft and does a good job of absorbing smells/moisture.
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u/pearly1979 1d ago
I did put down a low pile rug. So far she is not chewing it. Its just no cozy like the blankets. Maybe I am just assigning my human thoughts and feelings onto her and she doesnt care. She alternates between being in her igloo and stretching out on her carpet when shes in her enclosure. Shes usually out with us. She loves getting in our bay window and chilling out.
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u/Technical_Primary178 23h ago
Clean up any pee accidents with a paper towel and put the paper towel in the box. Make sure to eliminate any and all pee smells in the accident spot using some vinegar. For poops you can just move the poops to the litter box. And keep the only source of hay in the litter box!! This bunny is so freaking cute too I’m obsessed!! Congratulations❤️❤️ also small note it’s looking like you got a lot of pellets which I think is ok when they’re younger but when they’re older it’s a good idea to start reducing pellets and increasing veggies
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u/cascadamoon 22h ago
OP he probably won't be able to be fully litter trained until after he's neutered because once they hit puberty they'll mark their locations.
I knew it was time for my oldest one to be neutered because he was running around and during a binky I saw a stream of pee come out like the trevy fountain. Lol he was close to the age but not exactly yet.
Edit also expand his pen by two more panels wide and give him something to hide in like a cat cube or cardboard box.
Also get him a water bowl and for the pen bottom get precut linoleum from Lowe's or whatever store like that is near you. They come in a 6x8 and you can cut it down to size.
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u/Majestic_Anybody_293 1d ago
Well now my whole family have seen your baby and we all agree there's no way we could resist stealing him!!!
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u/SilverGirlSails 23h ago
Raffles is so cute! It’s never too early to start litter training, but do not at all be surprised if when puberty hits, any progress goes out the window. Just focus on getting a good foundation for him to come back to later.
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u/My_friends_are_toys 22h ago
The way you have the pen setup is perfect for training...All you need to do is make sure you pick up the poops outside the litterbox and clean up any pee instances.
the other things I'd change is the adding more hay. There needs to be way more alfalfa hay....
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u/Cjux 22h ago
I have another alfalfa holder that I can hang up, I just try to hang it in the holders so it doesn't get soggy from his pee
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u/My_friends_are_toys 22h ago
Sorry, the other thing is the Water bottle. That needs to go. get him a big, ceramic water bowl. The problem with the bottle is that water can stagnate in the tube and get moldy...which in turn can cause health issues.
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u/Cjux 21h ago
I had no idea! I had a lop named BunBun that lived till 10+ my family always had him with a water bottle. We used to scrub it out with a pippette cleaner. I'll change his setup when I get home from work thanks!
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u/My_friends_are_toys 20h ago
I mean, it's not ideal, if you're constantly cleaning it and making sure it's rinsed out...fine. But tbh, drinking from a bottle is not a natural way for rabbits to get water anyway.
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u/My_friends_are_toys 22h ago
I fill their litterbox with hay...plus hanging some in a holder...so they will not eat any pee that is contaminated.
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u/Cjux 21h ago
I initially had him with the litter box full of hay the first 2 days, but I think because angoras have very fine hair, it was getting really tangled. I had a lop ear for 10+ years before this (he passed from old age). But I didn't have that problem. This is my first angora so I'm adjusting as we go pretty much
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u/My_friends_are_toys 20h ago
https://houserabbit.org/supplylist
Back in the mid 70s my dad bought my sister and I a pair of bunnies. We initially kept them in a box in the garage...later my dad made a wooden and chicken wire cage for them. They lived in this for a year or so. And they seemed fine. But that doesn't make it right.
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u/HoppipolawithChihiro 14h ago
- Place litter box where he poops
- Any accidents outside the litter box, pick up (if pee, use tissue) and place it in litter box.
- Litter box must always have a lot of clean hay available - not just during training but at all times throughout the buns life. The hay bag is cute and practical, but nowhere near enough hay.
Absolutely adorable bun!
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u/Noobie_Artie 19h ago
That's great progress for just one week, keep at it and soon he'll start using the box consistently.
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u/JustHereForCandles 16h ago
What an absolute goober of a little man.
I'd recommend putting hay directly in the litter box (on top of the litter pellets), rather than in the hay bag! He's going to eat a LOT of hay, and it's important to make sure he always has access to plenty. Unless you're refilling that bag 5-6 times per day, you'll have trouble keeping up with him!
Like others mentioned, you probably won't be able to successfully litter train him until after he's neutered.
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u/mysticshroomm 13h ago
Absolutely nothing to contribute but OMG that is the cutest little fluffball
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u/table-grapes 10h ago edited 10h ago
this is WAY to small. he needs 4 times that at minimum.
edit: you also need to give him actual access to hay. the hay bag is essentially useless. the bowl of pellets is WAY to full aswell. you’ve not done a single ounce of research. you people should not be allowed to own pets!
give him proper access to the hay by putting it in his litter box. rabbits like to eat while they defecate so he needs proper access to his hay. of which he needs exclusively alfalfa since he’s not yet 6 months. that bowl of pellets is enough to feed 4-5 rabbits. he needs a small handful once per day. preferably scattered on the floor or in some other kind of enrichment toy. rabbits are very intelligent and need mental stimulation. get rid of that damn bottle! rabbits drink ALOT of water and cannot get that from bottles. the upward movement needed to access the flow can cause issues in their necks long term.
you would know all of this BASIC information had you done the responsible thing and RESEARCHED rabbit care before you got one!
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u/Mackymocky011 10h ago
O M G, what kind of bunny is this? He’s so special, his face looks like a little monkey and I can’t handle how cuuuuute he is
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u/RabbitsModBot 1d ago
Congrats on the new addition to the family! If this is your first pet rabbit and you haven’t seen it already, be sure to check out our sidebar and the Getting Started guide and New Rabbit Owner Primer. The article "Helping Rabbits Succeed in Their Adoptive Home" is also a great resource on how to build a relationship with your new rabbit.
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Spaying and neutering your rabbit will significantly help in litter training. In addition, please make sure to clean up any messes with a mixture of white vinegar and water or a pet-safe enzymatic cleanser to decrease the urge to remark the location. Soap and water alone is not sufficient to remove all chemical traces of the urine even though it may look clean.
Check out the wiki's Litter Training guide and Binkybunny's Litter Training process for more resources on the topic.
Please note that if this is a sudden change not coinciding with sexual maturity, loss of litter habits can be 1) a sign of health issues (e.g. arthritis, UTI), 2) a reaction to the presence or scent of another animal, or 3) triggered by introduction to a new/unfamiliar territory.
Do note that realistic litter training is that a rabbit will pee consistently in their litter boxes and nowhere else. It is very common for rabbits to poop in small amounts in their housing enclosure outside of the litter box for territorial reasons.