Litter Box Training Your Rabbit
When bringing home a new pet, especially a rabbit, it is important to keep space limited. Limiting space in the beginning of your relationship will help your rabbit learn the boundaries of their space, where safe places are located and, most importantly, which spaces are best for placing a litter box. Rabbits, just like cats, happily take to strategically placed litter boxes to help keep their living spaces tidy, dry, and better for exercise. By nature, they choose limited places to urinate and collect droppings. Here are some ways in which you can train your rabbit to constantly use the litter box limit messes.
General Tips
Placement: Place the litter box in off to the side of the rabbits space, preferably the corner when the rabbit will be able to look out over their surroundings while using the litter box to feel safe.
Multiplicity: If your rabbit has free roam of several rooms, place a litter box in each room so that there is a quick, convenient space for them to utilize at any time.
Size: The litter box should be at least double to the size of the rabbit in order for the rabbit to feel comfortable enough to sit and utilize it.
Make it inviting: Litter boxes should be associated with positive emotions praising, petting or rewarding a rabbit with a healthy treat while they are in the litter box will entice them to return. Yelling, screaming, or thrusting a rabbit into a litter box after defecating outside the box will induce stress causing the rabbit to associate the litter box with fear and make them less likely to return.
Litter: Line the bottom of the litter box with natural litter pellets (like compressed pine, compressed wheatgrass, or compressed paper), then top with a small layer of hay. This will help keep the rabbit dry and away from the urine while also providing a healthy treat.
Cleaning: Change the litter box every other day to help reduce smell, keep the space tidy, and keep your rabbit clean and dry. Rabbits prefer tidier, dry spaces as it is more comfortable for laying down.
Special litter boxes: Hooded or high sided litter boxes are excellent for rabbits who tend to kick droppings out of the box. This will also discourage rabbits from urinating over the lip of the litter box, causing a mess directly next to it.
Compromise: Sometimes, the spot that your rabbit continues to urinate in is the spot where the box needs to be, even if it means that the space may need to be rearranged to accommodate the box. Place the litter box over the spot and monitor to be sure the rabbit continues to utilize the space.
Things to Consider
It is important to note that rabbits have a natural need to mark new territory inorder to feel that they belong in the environment. ‘Messes’ or ‘accidents’ will have a higher likelihood of occurring when a rabbit is introduced to a new space or with the addition of a new rabbit friend. This behavior will dissipate as the rabbit becomes accustomed to the space and new friends.
Rabbits who are not yet spayed or neutered have a higher likelihood of urinating and defecating outside the litter box as they are more driven to continuously mark territory. Rabbits who are spayed or neutered are far more likely to take litter box training.
Introducing a new rabbit to a new space
When bringing home a new rabbit, urination and defecation outside the litter box is a common and necessary part of the acclimation process. This tends to resolve once the rabbit feels comfortable in their new surroundings.
Below is a step by step guide to help keep your space tidy
Start with your rabbit in at least a 4’x4’ exercise pen living space.
Fill the litter box with pelletized cat or horse stall pellets and top with a layer or your rabbits favorite hay.
Place the litter box in the corner of the pen the rabbit has been favoring for urination.
Reward your rabbit with a high value treat the first time jumping into and sitting in the litter box. No urination needs to take place for the first time they are rewarded.
If you notice that your rabbit does either urinate or leave droppings in the box the first time they jump in, immediately reward them with another high value treat BEFORE they exit the litter box.
Limit your rabbit’s living space to just the pen for the first few days.
Top the litter box with fresh hay 1 to 2 times per day. This will help entice your rabbit to continue sitting, eating, and ultimately urinating in the litter box.
Dump the entire contents of the litter box every 2-3 days or as the litter pellets are fully used. *You will know if the litter has been fully used if you shake the litter box and you no longer hear the pellets rattle*
If the rabbit urinates in the litter box constantly for 1 week, increase your rabbits free roam access to 1/4th of the room. Reward your rabbit when they adventure out into the extended space and then retreat back to their litter box.
Continue this process of gradually increasing the rabbit’s access to the room as the good behavior continues. If you notice the rabbit starting to urinate outside the litter box as their access to space increases, you may have increased their access too quickly. Simply decrease the amount of space until the good litter box habit resumes.
As you expand your rabbit’s access to new rooms, be sure to limit them to 1/4 or 1/2 of the new rooms initially. If your rabbit has access to more than 2 rooms, add a second litter box to the newest, furthest room from their initial living space.
Once the rabbit feels comfortable with you and their new spaces, the rabbit will likely try to jump on your couch, sofa or bed where you tend to sit or lay. Your rabbit will then try “mark” those spots as a way of “marking” you as one of their own. Though this is an endearing gesture and shows a positive indicator of their growing bond with you, deter them from jumping up onto those spaces as to best save your furniture from staining. Washable sofa covers or chair mats can be used if blocking access to those spaces is difficult.
Looking for a print friendly litter box training handout to have for a quick reference? Download the handout here.