This is hands down the best rabbit litter training video I've ever watched! I've been wanting a bunny for a while, and so for the past two weeks I've been doing lots of research to make sure I'll be able to care for them. So out of all the litter training videos I've seen, this one is the best! So so informative!
Thank you so much, Tiffany!! I’m so glad it’s been helpful! Wonderful to hear you’re doing lots of research, sounds like a bunny (or 2?…) will soon find a very caring home 🥰. Keep us posted!
@BunniesBrigade I couldn't figure out how to comment on my own but how often do you clean their temporary litter boxes for when they are roaming for play time?
The best in depth rabbit litter training video. After watching all the other videos, nothing is as in depth and answers all questions than this video. Thank you for answering every question I’ve had 🙌😊
Saved this to watch as soon as I can. I need to share this because it's so funny. I bought a potty trained bunny. She came with the litter she was used to. The seller told me to get a corner litter box because that's what she's used to. So she has a corner one and a kitty sized one. I also bought her a very small, plain wood tiny box from the craft isle at the dollar store for her to chew on. Instead of her litter boxes, she sits straight up in this tiny wood box that she can't even fit in and uses that. LOL! Makes clean up so easy. I need to go stock up on these tiny craft boxes. I wonder if anyone else has experienced this. It's cute, so funny, and the first time I've ever seen anything like it. 🤣😂🐰🐇♥
I know this is from a year ago, but our bunny was litter trained very fast in her own box, but she found the cat box and now no matter what we put in her litter box. So we had to change the cat box to wood pellets so they could share. Lol
Btw, to anyone reading the comments - If you like YA fiction go get yourself a copy of ⬆*_Hidden City_*⬆ : amzn.to/34jwRaI. Just came out in paperback! Really great read, I promise you'll love it!! 🧛🏼♂️🖤
Thank you so much for this video just brought my first bunny today and have so much Learning to do. First problem is i brought a bunny little box and second have to piles of hay around the cage rather than above the little box. I no what am doing tomorrow.
So glad this has helped. We all start somewhere. Believe me, I started with one of those tiny corner boxes too! The main thing is you're doing your research 👍🏼🙂
Thank you so much! The hay feeder in this video is actually a toilet roll holder 😆. I think we got this one from Ross. If you're in the US you can easily find them there or Home Goods. I've also linked to one on Amazon in the description.
Very helpful video thank you! I have an 8 week bunny that ive had for a week. It has a room it free foams in (no x pen). Its very good at doing wee’s in the litterbox, not one accident, it also does plenty of poos in there; however, am finding it still drops poo’s around the room. They are never in clusters, just single droppings and it happens every few minutes. As soon as i see them i pick them up and pop them in its litter box but its a constant chore. Should i keep doing this until it learns? Will it ever learn to do all of its poops in the box or is this the reality of free roaming a rabbit? Your advice would be greatly appreciated!
How is it going with your baby bun since you commented? Sorry I didn't get back to you earlier. I'm going to guess that the random poops have been lessening as they've become more accustomed to their new home. You are always going to get the odd poop here and there but it won't be as frequent as you've described once he/she has settled in. Also, keep in mind they are still very very young, he/she is doing SO well to be weeing in the right place already 🙂
Maybe you could give me your thoughts? My rabbit is using the liter box...for the most part... Though he goes in front of the box at least once everyday. I pick it up and put it in the box..sanitize the area...and then the same thing the next day.
I'd need to see the space and litter box to offer my best advise. Is it just him you have? Is he neutered? How old is he? How large is the litter box? What's your flooring like?
Thanks for the information! I have two male lionheads that got neutered May 10, 2023. They both are really good about using their litter boxes, I have one for each of them in opposite corners of their X-pen. They are bonded, as in they will hang out together, groom each other, eat together, but one (Toasty) is obviously more dominant and will sometimes chase off Marshmallow and nip at him. And when they nap during the day they usually find separate favorite hiding spots in different rooms. One time after combining their X-pens into one big one I decided to close them in while I cleaned their room (spare bedroom) Toasty got a little cra-cra and kept chasing Marshmallow and nipping so I immediately opened the gate and then all was fine. Back to my original question, 😂 they keep pooping and peeing along the back wall of the X-pen where the litter boxes are on opposite corners. They only do this at night, not during the day. They usually come sleep under our bed when we go to bed and then after awhile go back to their room. We don’t close them in their room or X-pen ever. Could this just be that they still have residual hormones in their bodies still and it’s a territorial thing that will get better over time, or something else? They don’t poop or pee anywhere else around the house except for upstairs in my art studio which I keep gated off except when I’m up there. And it’s mostly poop except for Toasty who has been peeing on my husband’s paintings that are leaning up on the wall. Not peeing on, but next to. Thanks for your time! I would appreciate any feedback!
Yes, this could well be a hormone spike after the neuter. That is probably why they were chasing each other as well. How are you doing now? If it has got any worse you will need to go through the bonding process with them from scratch. On another note, if I'm visualising this right and they have access to many rooms, you will need more litter boxes. One in each room is best, or they will create their own corners that are more convenient for them to go in.
@@TheBunniesBrigade I just saw your reply! Thank you for taking the time. They are doing great now! They are getting along fantastically and use their litter box mostly very well. I switched to one really big under bed storage tote for a litter box because they eventually quit using one of the smaller ones and just shared the other one. The only problem they have with it is every morning I wake up to little piles of poop right around the litter box inside the X-pen. Once in awhile I find a little pee spot, but very rarely. I clean it with vinegar. They know exactly where they are supposed to pee/poop, so I don’t know why they continue to do this. And it’s not just when the litter box has gotten to full, it’s the day I clean the litter box and every day after. It’s pretty big and I use horse pine pellets covered with a plastic grid and then some hay. I refresh it every couple days and scoop out the soiled hay and pellets and add new and completely empty it out once a week. I originally thought that they were sitting next to the litter box while eating hay and therefore pooping next to it, but some of the poop piles are too far away for them to reach the hay. I was thinking about getting some kind of enclosed bench/storage box like I see all over instagram and UA-cam, but I haven’t found anything that looks nice and doesn’t cost so much. Any new thoughts or ideas? It’s not a huge deal, I just sweep up the poops and put them in the litter box, but I’m still a little curious as to why they make this a habit. Thanks again!
How small of an area, I just got my bunny spayed and she's currently in a xpen that's 4x4. I have a litter box with carefresh at one end and hay at the other along with her pellets. The person I got her from suggest using a grid to stand on, that if i use a mix of hay then thats the only place i can have hay. Which leads me to ask what abaout toys that are hay based or the hay mats. I've watched a few litter box training videos, some use pine pellets amd carefresh with the hay hanging outside. Others use carefresh on one end and hay om the other. What's the proper way to really set up there litter box. My rabbit won't be a adult till September. I'd really like to get her litter box training habits down correctly
How's the training going so far? 4x4 is great. If she's really struggling you could go a little smaller, but you shouldn't need to. They don't really need a grid to stand on unless they have a tendency to dig in the box, or you just find it easier to clean that way. I wouldn't worry about hay-based toys messing up litter training, you'll notice if they are because you'll see a pile of poop next to them. They certainly won't make a difference in where she pees. In regards to litter and hay, and how to configure it, my recommendation is exactly as shown in my video. Some people may do it a little differently; so long as you have the litter lining the box and the hay on top or dispensed above it in some way then you're all set 👍🏼
I have the medium sized version of the Navy Blue litter box but my rabbits are 2.68 pound one is around 5 pounds she's they're bonded aunt to my original girls sadly they're runt sister passed away so they're doing so much better with having they're aunt with them I'm getting them soon just getting my room all ready for them thank you so much also what paper litter do you recommend I currently have Oxbow Eco straw litter as a pine Pellets alternative but I might switch them to paper baced depends on how dusty the eco straw litter is since I have asthma and allergies so bedding/ litter that's is to dusty is not a good combination for me or the buns or other small animals
I was putting hay in the litter as well as the rabbit house for its bedding . Was that wrong? My rabbit was pooping everywhere! I don’t have her anymore but for future ref please? Also, should I keep the rabbit in the rabbit pen until it gets used to me? I found my last rabbit wouldn’t want to come into the pen and would go under the house but one I had years ago , I would let go during the day in the garden and she would come to me night time when she knew it was time to go into the safety of the rabbit hutch. But that one I had a lot longer and I think she was more used to me.
Hay should be kept exclusively in or over the litter box when litter training. I'm not sure I'm visualising your past set ups very well. Have they all been outside? If so, when housing outside you are always going to have barriers with trust building because they're not co-existing with you, and being exposed to outside elements will make them more apprehensive of everything. If you are keeping outdoors it *must* be more than one rabbit, as they are extremely social animals, and it *must* be in a highly secure shed-type enclosure, free from draft. To bond with your rabbit you should be spending time lying on the floor near them every day, allowing them to approach you in their own time. This doesn't necessarily have to be inside a pen. I hope I'm understanding your questions fully... Apologies if there's some miscommunication.
Is it ever too late? Mine is about 12 weeks now.....she seemed to be working ok track but once I changed litters (went from horse pine pellets given to me from the breeder to feline pine) and once I did that it's like she stopped using it. Please tell me it's not too late to get back on track
At that age, she’s more than likely just coming of age and getting hormonal. Litter habits can go south once they reach maturity. I recommend booking her in for her spay and things should correct after that. It’s unlikely anything to do with your litter. Although, I would stop using Feline Pine. I know it features as a recommended product in this video, but I have since discovered it contains baking soda which can be detrimental to their respiratory system and not safe for them to ingest. I apologise for the misinformation 😔, I did my best to provide a warning about it in the description.
I’m just reading through the comments on this video looking for tips and I saw your comment about switching the litter. When I first got my bunnies they were using the carefresh paper pellets and they kept getting stuck on the bunnies fur so I switched to a different litter and they immediately stopped using the litter box. They’re hormones also kicked in around this time so it wasn’t until they both got neutered and I set up a box with the kiln dried pine wood pellets(I think the same kind you originally used) with a grid over the top to avoid them digging (cuz they love to dig) that they started using the litter boxes almost perfectly right away except for some territorial issues still because they still have some hormones left because it’s only been a month since neutered. But yeah, from the time they were about 4 months old until 6 months when the vet would do the neuter, things got pretty messy. It was super frustrating, but it definitely gets way better once they are neutered/spayed. Best of luck to you!
Thank ypu so much ! I have a 6 week old bun and hes making so much mess. Tho lately hes been peeing only in his litter box, and pooping outside. Hes in an ex pen and hes so small and can easily get out, Im thinking of covering it temporarily, what do you think ?
So young! May I ask why he's only 6 weeks? Did something happen to his mother? You may run into troubles with litter training as he has not been with his mother for the full 8 weeks. Has he been checked out by a vet, and is he receiving dewormer? This is really more important than anything else right now. Regards your enclosure - NIC grids work well for babies. There are also pens made of clear plastic panels, like this one: amzn.to/3hGE9Py
@@TheBunniesBrigade I bought him off this breeder, I didn't know better at the time. He is being treated by a vet, yes, do you think he's gonna have problems later because of the separation ?
@@MarinSofin Ugh! WHY do breeders do this? They're supposed to know better! 😒 I'm sorry this has happened. Their immune system can be compromised without their mother's milk, which leaves them susceptible to parasites. That's why it's advisable to put them on a course of dewormer. There's also a chance of underdevelopment, which can lead to health issues. I don't want to worry you though, it's good you've had a vet examine him. There are plenty of rabbits with a similar start in life who do just fine with the right care 🙂
@@TheBunniesBrigade The boy is learning quickly and has got the hang of it. The girl still has more accidents outside of her box. I’ll keep working with them. Thank you!
I like to stick a paper towel layer underneath a layer of litter/bedding - makes cleaning out the box that much easier as it gives a layer that you can easily shovel off into the garbage bag. The only trick is to make sure there are no edges for them to tear out and apart as a toy.
Great video! But I noticed at 1:55 that you showed some wood pellet litter with baking soda and it smells salty and rabbits might eat it and it can cause digestive problems if ingested, so I just wanted to let you and others know about that, but other than that this video had really good information!
Hey! Yes, you are right. They do add baking soda to a lot of these cat litter pellets. I was trying to provide an image of a familiar brand, but totally missed that on the Feline Pine 🤦🏻♀ Horse stall pellets are much safer, and probably more cost-effective. I'll make a note in the video description. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, albeit a bit late in the day seeing this.
My bunny is spayed, but still he likes to pee on my bed:( I tried to put the litter box in place of my bed. However he goes on with that... Do you have any suggestions?
I am a new mom for my fur baby at age of 7 weeks... I am so not confident in getting it toilet trained LOL. Thanks for the experience shared and fingers crossed. 😅
I just brought my bun home a week ago and am trying to potty train. She is only 2 months old so I’ve read she needs unlimited pellets and I’m finding she’s using the litter box great except when she’s eating her pellets she poops right by her food bowl constantly. Is there any way of correcting this or am I doing something wrong? TIA
No, you're not doing anything wrong lol. This can happen sometimes, I find that sometimes it's the type of food that I guess just gets their bowels moving more and they can't help it...😅 She may grow out of it once she's learnt a little more control. Some people like to have a setup where the bowls are next to the litter box, so that their rabbit has to be in the litter box in order to eat.
I’m just wondering, IS it possible to litter train your bunny even though they aren’t baby’s? Because i’ve tried when he was a baby and back then i was young so i made a lot of mistakes and i think that’s why he didn’t pick up on that. I really want to try again now that I’ve understood how you do it. So is it possible to learn them even if it has been a while?
It's definitely possible! It may be more difficult because you're trying to change already established habits. As I say though, toileting in a corner is instinctual, so as long as you provide the right conditions to promote this instinct and keep persevering! 🙂
Thanks for all the tips :) one thing I am wondering is if 2 bunnies can use the same litter box? I understand a lot of their bathroom habits are territorial. I have a fixed male and an unfixed female and I am trying to train them with a single litter box (sized for one rabbit) in an x-pen. My hope would be that eventually they both can share the litter box, but I'm wondering if they will be discouraged by the other marking the territory. Would it help to get 2 boxes or one that they both fit in? Or should it be possible for them to share?
They can absolutely share a litter box, but it has to be big enough for them to both use at the same time. Like the one Pepper and Wally are using in this video. I do highly recommend getting your girl spayed though, as you might run into issues because of that. Unfixed females can get very territorial as well. They are also extremely prone to developing uterine cancer.
I am thinking about taking in this two-year-old male rabbit but I want to litter train him if I take him in does anyone have any advice or think it’s possible because he’s already two years old?
He may already have good litter habits. If not, old habits can die hard, but that doesn't mean he can't learn. Follow the video and have plenty of patience.
Yes. There’s no difference between a dwarf breed’s capacity to learn and that of anything other breed. And, when it comes to litter training, it is instinctual in all healthy rabbits to keep the majority of their toileting in one place.
My bunny is turning 1 next week. He is neutered and was perfectly potty trained. I came back from a trip and now for weeks he is weeing everywhere outside except his litter box in his cage. I don't know what to do. he is even sitting outside and leaving piles of poo - he never did any of this before. I can even put him in hid crate tell him to wee on the litter box and he will on command. Then he keeps going outside and does a wee on the floor in many places. Thought he had a UTI got him on meds and he is still doing it. HELP!!!! he loves to roam free in the home but cannot have him doing that if i am wiping up wee 7 times a day! HELP In need of advice!
Have you tried placing a litter box outside the cage? He may not want to go inside for some reason. Something scary may have happened to make him reluctant to toilet in there...
The way I feed my bunnies now is with cardboard paper tubes stuffed with hay. I simply toss them in their playpen and it works great for them. However, is having these hay tubes everywhere other than the litter tray bad?
My bunnies are older (8 and 9) and when I got them (2yrs ago) they took to using the litter box well (of course, sometimes peeing in a random place), but now they no longer use it consistently, and pee and poo in their hidey houses and on my rugs. I haven’t changed the hay/litter type at all, so I don’t know why this is happening. Any suggestions?
It may be that they are favouring the plush material of the rugs, not happy with the route to the litter box or finding accessing it difficult in their older age. Consider how large the space they are free roaming in is - do they need more than one toilet? What are your floor surfaces like - are there any slippery areas they have to walk over to get to it? Is it a high step into the box? There's always a chance they may have developed arthritis or, at their age, one or both of them may be suffering with incontinence. It may be worth consulting a vet about the issue. If, as you mentioned, they've always had a tendency to occasionally pee in random places then the issue may be one of the former.
If you have a big enough box they'll be fine with just one box. Just make sure their bond is a true bond and not just a baby bond. Are they neutered adults?
Hi I just watch your video and I noticed that you says not recommend woodshaving for they litter tray but I been to pet shop in the uk and the staff say woodshaving are better than bedding and now I’m a bit confused 😕 which one is the best to use as I got 2 rabbits and they only 9-10 weeks old
Not wood shavings. Unfortunately pet shop staff are generally not very knowledgeable, unless they happen to have gone out of their way to do research in their own time. And, let’s face it, how many minimum wage workers do that? 🤷🏻♀️ Wood shavings were recommended back in the 90s, but we have since come to realise they can cause respiratory issues. And, when you think about it, it totally makes sense - it’s the same reason we should wear dust masks if we sand wood. Tiny wood particles aren’t safe for anyone to be inhaling into their lungs, especially not little bunny lungs. Hope that helps clear up some confusion. Always fact check pet shop advice 😉
Yes, but you may find they will use pee to mark other areas if they are not fixed. Have you seen my video on spaying and neutering? ua-cam.com/video/7FHoLzayr0c/v-deo.html
@@TheBunniesBrigade Hi Thank You So Much For Replying! I got my bunny litter trained and she is not even fixed yet! She does, however, still leave droppings on the couch or on my bed, and I doubt that will change 😥 But I am Still happy she got it right this far! She is still young, too young to be fixed anyway. I will look into your other video if I haven't already 🤗
My bunny just turned 3 years old is not fixed and he uses his litter box sometimes but not a lot he sprays sometimes I really wanna get him to use his litter box more but idk how please help me
Loved this video. I now realise where I’m going wrong. Would it be wrong to have my bunnies in a pen instead of the room until they’re neutered so they can stop peeing on my bed? Both boys are around 4 months and they’re just spraying everywhere and it’s a nightmare to keep cleaning so I’m considering giving them a huge xpen for now but I’m not sure if that’s mean or not
Glad to hear the video was useful! It’s definitely not mean, especially if they’re not neutered. In fact, I’d advise putting them in 2 separate pens for the time being. How’s their bond? There’s a chance you could have fights on your hands soon as they’re coming of age. Just be aware of that. Do you have them booked in yet for their neuter?
@@TheBunniesBrigade yeah I’ll separate them then, thanks. And they have a really good bond, they’re brothers from the same litter and they have started to fight abit because one keeps mounting the other. And yes they are booked in, they’re getting done in 2 weeks.
Well it’s a good sign only one is mounting. You should be able to bond them easily after the neuter because there’s clearly a more dominant guy already. But yeah, don’t let it turn to actual fights because then it won’t be so easy later. Wait 4-6 weeks after the surgery before you begin the bonding process. I’m working on bringing out a video on bonding actually 🙂
@@TheBunniesBrigade the day after I sent you a message they both started mounting eachother so yeah they were definitely separated. And yeah I won’t, thanks for all your help. Is it difficult to look after a rabbit after they’ve been spayed or neutered? And awesome! I’ll make sure to watch it :)
@@misskittylewis494 Totally knew it was coming haha. Glad to hear you've separated them 👍🏼 Nope, it's not difficult at all. Just make sure they're eating and pooping as they should be post-op. There's a chance they can get GI stasis afterward, from the pain or the stress of it, but your vet should go over all this with you and talk to you about what to do if this does happen. This didn't happen with any of mine, they've always made very very quick recoveries in the past.
I could use your advice! I just adopted 2 buns - fixed, bonded couple 1.5 years old. Their original mom said they wouldn't take to a litter box, so she trained them to use a washable pee pad. I would much rather clean a litter box than have to wash pee pads! So I thought maybe with the move, I could retrain then to use a box. I lined a very large, low storage container with their pee pad, and added hay. (The original owner had the hay away from the pee pad, so I thought this would extra encourage them). They hopped in and out a few times, but wouldn't actually go potty. Not until hours later when I took the box away and layed their pee pad flat, did they use it. I really want to be able to better contain the mess. Any advice?
Just do what you’ve already done and leave it. They’ve gotta relieve themselves at some point. You’ve done exactly the right thing putting the hay in there. Now just wait… If they pee outside the box then I’ll be very surprised. But let me know!
@@TheBunniesBrigade they peed on the floor outside their enclosure, so I wiped it up, put the paper towel in the littler pan and they peed in there - way! BUT, they are pooping all over the enclosure. How can I get them to poop in the litter box, too? I have parrots and can't have little poops all.over the house cause my parrots will try to eat it 😝
It depends on the bun, but even more so the habitat. If it’s a pen definitely do it whilst they’re not in the area, especially as some can get defensive/angry when you start “invading their space”. If your bun’s free roam they shouldn’t be too bothered. Sometimes mine come over to see how the cleaning’s coming along but it doesn’t bother them and they rarely get in the way.
I'd recommend always having your space set up to encourage good litter habits, not matter the age of your rabbit. Since you've mentioned your rabbit is just 5 weeks, I do want to make you aware that this is very young for a rabbit to be separated from their mother. If you are the owner of the mother also and her litter habits are good, she will be helping them learn also. If you are not the owner of the mother I strongly recommend you have your bunny checked out by a rabbit savvy veterinarian, as soon as possible. When rabbits are taken from their mothers before 8 weeks they can often struggle with immune deficiencies or developmental problems. Your rabbit could need a dewormer to help them. Please speak with your vet about this.
Hi, 8 months ago I adopted a spayed girl for my neutered boy. Both dwarf. The x-pen is 3 square meters, they do have play time outside the x-pen twice a day. I have tried everything in this video, but the girl is still peeing everywhere. She is healthy, I just can’t find out why. I don’t want to downsize the x-pen again, because my boy gets very agitated. Does anyone have any tips or clues?
Oh my, I'm so so sorry to hear this! 😔 Did the vet not offer you any insight into what went wrong? I would consider going with a different vet next time as I would be doubting the competence of their anesthetist. If it helps at all, the probability of this happening to you again is so so small. 💚
we have a little bit of a problem with litter training our 11 weeks old bunny. at first we tried moving the litter box to where he usually pees and that did help a lot. Still after we did this he found a different spot where he occasianly pees wich is right next to his litter box. Also he keeps peeing on the couch. I've been trying to spot when he starts peeing but as of now i have not spotted is. Why does he pee right next to his litter box even though there is no hay there and how can we get him to stop peeing on the couch?
It sounds like he might be ready for the snip. 10-12 weeks is often when boys start getting hormonal. In the meantime, just make sure you're giving him plenty of opportunity to pee before hopping around and jumping on the sofa. Try to keep tabs on when he pees and put him in the litter box if he hasn't been for a while. When you see him pee in the box give him a treat and then he can come a play on the sofa or where ever!
Hello. I have an 3 month old dwarf that is refusing to use his litter box. I have him in a pen I have been reducing the size of trying to get him to use the litter box (about 4 ft by 3 ft) we have a dog cage in there, where we've place his pellets and water, with paper litter and a fleece bunny blanket velcrowed down. He's still peeing and pooping in his cage, all over the floor, and sometimes in his litter box. We've tried picking up his poop and placing it in the box but can't seem to figure out why he continues to use the floor as his toilet. Any thoughts? Also we try to give him short periods outside the pen to socialize him but anytime we do, he usually pees on our bed. Should we not worry about socializing him until he's potty trained? Please help. Thanks!
Aww, he's a baby, he's still trying to work things out. Remove the fleece blanket and paper litter from the crate as it sounds like it's confusing him. Only have the paper litter in the litter box itself. Rabbits often pee on plush materials. Whilst he's still young and learning, don't give him access to anything plush (like your bed, for example lol). I imagine he's probably peeing on your bed because very young animals have trouble controlling when they pee and/or poop, plus everything's so huge to him as well so the litter box will no doubt seem so far away. He's probably on your bed and then suddenly thinking, "Oh, I need to go bad! Here's good. 🤷♂️"
So should they stay in their cage at all times until they’re peeing in the litter box of the enclosure? Then slowly introduce them outside of it but only small parts of the outside?
You should definitely allow them free roam time, but if you're in the process of litter training, you'll need to watch them all the time so you can redirect immediately if an accident happens. It's a good idea to give them their free roam time immediately after they've had a pee. You can try placing them in their litter box if you haven't seen them go for a while, they may go straight away. Then they can come out for a hop around!
I have a cat that isn’t fixed yet. & I have a bunny about 12 weeks old. He’s really good about where to use the bathroom but whenever my cat is in heat he’ll go in the spots that she sprayed. Is there a way to correct this? Or is my only option to get my cat fixed?
Oh wow. This is interesting. As he’s so young he’s probably just following her lead on where to go to the toilet. I’m afraid I don’t know a great deal about cats, but it sounds like the problem lies with her litter habits, rather than his. I imagine the best way to correct her behaviour would be to get her spayed.
@@TheBunniesBrigade sounds like a plan! Also I just found your channel & I subscribed immediately! You definitely know what you’re talking about & you’re so calm with it as well. Keep up the great work I know your channel will be a hit!
I have two 3 year bunnys (one female and one male) both neutered. I have two Litter that they use, but the female has not lost the instinct to mark her territory. I can't get her to stop peeing on my sofa and bed, (other places too of course, but these are the most problematic) the problem is that she always does it when I'm not present or sleeping. There is also an aggravating factor, she often has urinary problems and whenever she is in pain, she pees outside the Litter (I believe it is to show me that something is wrong, because it takes me a while to notice the symptoms and if that happens, her last resort is peeing in front of me) Is there any solution to my problem?
As long as she has urinary issues you will won't be able to correct her litter habits. You will need to get a urinalysis done by the vet. Examine her diet as well - make sure to stop feeding her anything that is high in calcium.
Not yet, but it's in the works 😉. In the meantime, if you haven't already, watch my Clicker Training 101 video because that gives you the foundation for teaching any tricks.
Hiya, love your content, could you possibly link me to the storage crate and little hay rack you have? I'm having real trouble getting my bun litter trained and I think your box and rack would be really good!
Thanks! The box is linked in the description 🙂. I don’t have a link for the exact rack I have, but I did link to something very very similar on Amazon.
@@TheBunniesBrigade Thank you so much for this! Hopefully once baby bun is neutered and I've gotten your setup put into place it will be a much smoother process!
My bunnies have recently gotten worse with peeing outside the litter boxes (they have five in their room!). I used to have to mop up the rug spots once or twice a week. Now it's twice a day! No change in their diet...Maybe the hot weather? I noticed the accidents happen just beside the tray. I think they overshoot the rim and it ends up on the floor. Also, I think they imagine that just backing up to the tray from the outside and lifting their tails counts as actually being in the litter tray. The logic being that if they can't see what's behind them, they can just rely on positive thinking... I have been trying to reward them for doing it right and withholding kibbles and veggies if they make a mess. I even give them treats as they sit in the litter trays to emphasize the point. But I don't think they understand the connection. If their scheduled treat doesn't come, they just get mad. I would be grateful for any advice...(Are you U.K.-based?) Thanks!
I'm actually based in US, but I am from England and have had rabbits over there. Have you tried a high-sided or hooded litter box to prevent weeing over the edge? How many bunnies do you have and how large are your litter trays? Perhaps you may need something larger? Rewarding them for going in the litter tray is good, but rewarding them for squatting to pee in there is even better. Training to understand a clicker is even more useful as you can mark the exact behaviour you want to (our clicker training video, if you haven't already seen it: ua-cam.com/video/IezMvnZJfKA/v-deo.html). Withholding food isn't effective as they won't be able to make the connection to the accident.
@@TheBunniesBrigade Thanks so much for replying to my post. (Ironically, I'm an American living in the UK!) I was inspired by your video to try different litter trays, so took out the three main regular cat-sized trays they were using and replaced them with one large covered tray and two wide, flat (litteral food service) trays. I think this setup feels better to them--they seem to prefer these low-sided trays-- though there have still been a few accidents just outside-- some due to spillage, some deliberate. They are two buns, aged three and four, both neutered, occupying a 3m x 2.5m room. (Too much space, you might say?) I've stopped penalizing them, but I am not able sit and watch them long enough to catch them when they pee to either reward or chastize them. Thanks again for your advice. 🌝👍🐰🐰
My bunny was doing good with using its litter box but I got a carpet and now it’s peeing all over it what should I do? (Got a carpet so he has something he can stand on since I have wooden floor and he slips)
My issues is that my rabbit keep insisting on peeing on their rug. My female rabbit is perfectly litter trained but my male keeps peeing on the rug. He is using the box but is trying to pee on the rug as well. I’ve blocked it off putting logs on the rug so he can’t pee comfortably on it. Any tips?
Is your rug very plush? He may just favour peeing on that material. Is he able to get to the litter box easily? There's no slippery floor he has to walk over or anything? Make sure you've thoroughly neutralised the spot he keeps peeing in and try your best to catch him in the act and move him before he goes.
Hello I’m hoping you can answer my question I’m not home all day to put her in her litter box when she goes in the wrongs spot or to reward her for going in the right spot I’d love if you could help me so I can free roam her Edit: Btw I subscribed and I was still hoping 🤞you can answer my question. Tysm 💕💖
That's fine. It just means it may take a little longer... and then again it may not, depends on the bunny. Do what you can - correcting her and rewarding her whenever you ARE home is still good reinforcement. Make sure you have everything else setup as suggested - her only hay source is in or over the litter box, are no beds, blankets or towels in her enclosure that might be tempting for her to pee on etc. Check for accidents as soon as you get home and clean them up straight away.
Love this tutorial however my main issue is that I just can’t tell when he poops, he’s a baby bunny and it’s really hard to tell, do you have any tips?
Pooping is difficult to tell as bunnies can poop the odd ball without even realising lol. When they're actually pooping and proper pile, they will just be very still and, if you're very quiet and it's a hard surface, you'll actually be able to hear them drop 😆 #pooptips
We are on the tail end of bonding, lots of snuggles, no more fur pulling. But during the morning one of ours pees on the carpet, never piles of poops. She also hates being in the pen during the day, but maybe she needs to spend more time in the pen? 2 are rescues that have spent most of their little lives in a rescue and it breaks my heart to see her upset.
Is she peeing in the litter box when she is penned? It could be territorial if they're not yet fully bonded, or if where she's peeing is far away from the litter box (perhaps in another room) then you may need a second litter box.
👋 I have 3 unfixed males. They fight. I don't want to get them fixed. Is it possible to litter train them and bond them? They are almost 1 years old and brothers
You won’t be able to bond 3 un-neutered males. It can be difficult to bond 3 males even when they are neutered - boys will be boys! (Far from impossible though). You may be able to litter train them to some degree, although there will probably be frequent accidents, especially if they’re sharing spaces or have their pens near each other. May I ask why you’re choosing not to get them fixed? Neutering will make things leaps and bounds easier (pun intended 😉) for you and your bunnies.
Why do you think they will suffer? They will have happier, healthier lives without that testosterone fuelled stress. When you have unbonded animals sharing a space they are always on high alert, never able to be truly relaxed because they’ve always got one eye on each other. If they were neutered they can bond and be cuddling up together, grooming each other, and able to look to one another for comfort when they’re spooked. I understand that it’s natural for them to have their complete man parts, but nature only puts them there for the purpose of breeding. They won’t be missing anything they need. Plus the surgery is simple for bucks.
I’m not a vet. But from what I understand it’s the anaesthesia that can cause complications with rabbits. You will need to find a vet with experience putting rabbits under. Do the research for your area. Make lots of phone calls. The key question to ask is, “Do you have experience spaying and neutering rabbits?” If they don’t, see if they can refer you to someone who does. As I say, the surgery itself is easier with males than females and with an experienced vet the chance of losing them will be next to none. Pepper and Wally are both fixed and had absolutely no issues. Same with our little Jasmine, who passed away 3 years ago after a very long happy life.
So I do have mine in a cage (just until I can potty train them) but I have the entire floor covered in hay because I was scared that they’ll just eat whatever else I lay down. So I was wondering what will be safe to replace the hay with
Ah, that is the question! So, I'm assuming it's an x-pen they're in, not an actually cage - seeing as you don't have a base. And I guess your actual floor isn't suitable? Is it too slippery? The best solution I've found for x-pen flooring has been in a fabric shop. I used to use a rough but wipeable material - you can get whatever size cut you need and it's generally pretty inexpensive, so you can easily replace it if they dig at it. Some people use linoleum and some just like old sheets. However, I don't think sheets make for an easy clean up, especially if you're litter training, and there's also the potential for them to favour peeing on the soft material.
@@TheBunniesBrigade x pens are actually too expensive in my country. They’re in an old bird cage (which is actually the same size as an x pen) the floor has a mesh which is why I’ve been keeping it covered as best as I can. But I do plan on free roaming them. They’re happy now but I can’t say they will be in a few years
Ah ok. Well, wood will be your best option if you want to cover mesh flooring. I doubt the hay is really doing much of anything to protect their feet. Linoleum might work, but scratch my other suggestions in your case. Litter training shouldn’t take long (certainly not years) so you should have them free-roaming in no time 👍🏼🙂
I’m not even sure if anyone will see this comment so late but will the random poops stop after getting a male sterilized? Idk his age (flea market rescue) but ik he’s mature. He’s only peed on my bed once but never anywhere else outside his litter box. And he very rarely actually poops outside either just the random little pebbles…
Help! Can you free roam 1 of a bonded pair?? 2 years ago, I rescued 4 month old sibling lops from a mill, spayed at 11 months due to liver problems stalling anesthesia (they guessed toxins at the mill), and now they are 2 years, happy and very bonded, no medical problems (my first bunnies, so I bring them in every few months to check livers and teeth). Large apartment, totally free roam except for overnight they get a large bathroom with washable rug for grip, cat tree they love to sleep up in, even during the day, toys, hiding spots, XL cat litter with chopped hay for absorbancy and timothy, orchard, and meadow for snacking, with a baby gate to keep us apart (or Paloma will jump on the bed and pee next to my head when I sleep!) If I only had one bun, I'd be an expert, but they are SO different! Mariposa is skittish, only comes to me for treats, never grooms, but barely protests when I brush her, and is perfectly litter trained. Paloma grooms them both, is always underfoot and will take ANY version of petting on earth; she wants to pee everywhere, and if she can't get on my bed, she will do anything to pee next to it! She found several places in the apt she pees and now I have SEVEN XL cat litter boxes stuffed with hay (they also hate hay, so they get greens 2x a day, 1/4 cup pellets at night, some treats, and are healthy weights) and she'll still pee near the boxes, especially by my bed where there are 2 already! I have wall to wall carpet, so I Nature's Miracle spots (vinegar STINKS) and have put down a ton of plastic tablecloths and washable rugs to shield the constant peeing, but she'll pee on fresh, bare plastic floors too! I'd do ANYTHING to correct Paloma so they can stay free roam! My sweet boyfriend saw your latest video and sent me one of the big cat boxes with the hay "rack" you recommended, the extra pads, AND the little bottle brushes! Mariposa got it right away and Paloma goes in for treats and pets, but still will pee in any spot within 1 foot of my bed if given the chance or while looking at you! I never scold, but I will scoop her up into the nearest box when red-handed. She kicks the pee-soaked paper towels out of the boxes like a game!!!!!! Can I only free roam the trustworthy one? How do I get Paloma to only go in the boxes and can I ever eliminate some boxes? HELP!
Few questions - Does he never ever poop in his box at all? Is he leaving piles of poopballs outside the box? Do you put his hay in/over the box? Also, does he have an enclosure or is he completely free roam?
@@TheBunniesBrigade He is in a smaller space for now.. I'm working on getting him completely trained so we can allow him to be free roam.. He has hay in his litter box. He does poop in the box while he's eating the hay. But when he is outside the little area he'll leave poop pile all about his area.
@@crystalpineda5482 So, I hope I'm understanding this - when he's roaming outside his area he leaves poops just outside? Like around the perimeter? It sounds territorial. It's pretty normal for them to leave poopballs all around their enclosure and even just outside, because it becomes so exclusively their space which encourages territorial behaviour. Free roaming will significantly reduce this. Is it easy for him to get in and out of his area? Does he have to jump up or over anything? Is the floor slippery?
@@TheBunniesBrigade He doesn't free roam yet. He stays within an area that is blocked off by a puppy playpen. He has enough room to hop around and has two litter boxes inside. So I should allow him to start roaming outside of that space now?
@@crystalpineda5482 So he's leaving poops around area that he's blocked off in? As long as it's not literal, collective piles of poop that he's leaving, it's purely territorial. I would definitely allow him to roam outside, especially as he's peeing just fine in the box. Cos what's the worse that can happen? You have to sweep up a few poopballs? lol
My little dwarf .. knows where his litter tray is and directley heads over there to do his buisness! .. Sometimes it can be a hit and niss! 😁 .. But he knows .. that if his inside .. and has to go .. his tray box is waiting! .. Food incentives always help! 😉
I just had my bunny neutered a couple of days ago. Since he's been back he hasn't used to litter box to pee even once. He is peeing on the spot while eating his pellets suddenly, which he has never done before. All the poop is everywhere too but I can handle that, it's the never ending clean up of pee. I have wiped it up and put the paper in the litter box to remind him thats' where he needs to go but nothing has changed. This mustn't be very common, as the vet seemed dumbfounded
Hi, sorry to not reply sooner. How are you getting on with this now? Has there been any improvement? I'm wondering if it was just pain, or perhaps a hormone spike post-neuter. Peeing while eating is very unusual. If you're still having issues then I'd suggest speaking to a different vet. In the meantime, try putting his food bowl in his litter box. Also watch him carefully to catch him in the act, so you can move him.
I got a baby bunny from a friend almost a week ago. I watched a lot of videos about potty training. I know its bad, but she has a small cage because theres no other option at my country. Everything from Amazon and Aliexpress is too expensive (due to the shipping). Ive discussed with my moms boyfriend that we can make her a cage on our own so we will probably do that. Shes out the whole day and is only in the cage if im working on something important or not home. When she first got here, she peed in her cage, but now ive found her not peeing in it anymore. She drinks a lot of water and pees only on my bed. First she peed on the corner and weve sprayed it with vinegar. She doesnt go there anymore, but yesterday she peed on me while i was on the bed and today she tried to pee again on me but i moved her in panic, so she ended up peeing on it again. She pees a lot and im kinda scared that shes holding it all in. Shes a month old so im not sure how much and how frequently they should pee. Ive tried setting up a litter box separately from the cage because i want her to be free-roaming completely since the x-pen are not available unless we make one on our own. My bed is now completely sprayed with vinegar because it seemed to help, but as you can imagine, its not really pleasant to sleep on that bed now. Im really trying my best with everything I have available. I rescued her from a friend because her older bunny kept mounting her and my bunny kept pulling the fur of the older one. She would be bound to go back to pet shop and be in a small cage the whole day, so i guess this is better than nothing
Only a month old when you got her!? At what age did your friend get her? 😳 This is really very sad to hear. No one should be selling rabbits that young! I've got to be honest with you, you may encounter a lot problems as she was taken from her mother far too early. How is her health so far? Have you had her checked out by a vet? She needs anti-parasitic medication. Rabbits need their mother's milk until they are 8 weeks of age or they can become underdeveloped both physically and mentally, they will also be vulnerable to disease and parasites. At this point (as I imagine she is now approaching 8 weeks) make sure she is on alfalfa hay and pellets as it'll help her grow. It is no surprise to me that you are having problems with litter training. She has not had her mother to learn from. You could very well struggle with her training, even as she grows up because, as I say, she may have learning difficulties due to underdevelopment. Also, she is just too young right now to grasp the idea of holding it until the appropriate time (particularly when she was only 4 WEEKS old). Think of a human baby - we don't expect them to potty train straight away, they soil their nappy or wet the bed. Give her time and keep working with her. Wash your bed clothes in the washing machine and consider steam cleaning your mattress. Don't allow her on the bed until she is able to understand where she should be peeing. A cage is actually fine for a rabbit so young and so tiny! Her free-roaming time should have been confined to a small area at that age. However, now she'll be getting to the point where you do want to provide her with a larger area. If x pens aren't an option, have you looked into NIC grids? They are marketed as an adaptable, expandable storage solution, but lots of people use them as bunny pens. You may be able to get them shipped to you for cheaper than a pen.
@@TheBunniesBrigade Hello and thank you for replying! She is now two months old and is doing great. I think we formed a great bond and she is actually sitting on me right now, licking my fingers so its hard to write hahah. I took her to the vet because i was scared she could have a problem with her ears since she was scratching them a lot, but he checked it out and said they were clean. He gave her anti-parasitic medicine and said to come again in a month for a check up. I was really scared since she is a mini lop and lop rabbits tend to have more problems with their ears, but thankfully she is okay. Regarding the litter training, its been going better lately. I wouldnt say she is trained, but I limited accidents by not allowing her to jump on my bed anymore. It can be sometimes exhausting because she tends to jump on it a lot, but thats okay. I set up another cage and introduced it to her with treats so she sometimes goes there during the day. Especially on weekends when she is out a lot, I close her in there for around 5 minutes and she pees in it. Hopefully she will be able to learn when she grows up a little more. She had only a couple of accidents on the carpet when I limited the bed, but lately none! Its scary since she is my first bunny and at that a little baby, but im really doing my best. I will check out your recommendation for grids hoppefully it wont be that expensive. Thank you!
Great video! My neutered bunny is mostly toilet trained, except there is one couch that he consisting will try to pee on. I have a litter box placed right next to the couch, next to the side of the couch he usually pees on, but he consistently pee on that couch no matter what. He knows he’s not allowed to, and every time I catch him doing this, he goes back into the sunroom (it’s his area and it’s big and nice but he loves to be in the rest of the house with us). If he sees that I’m near, he does not pee on the couch, and he could be accident free for weeks, but as soon as I let my guard down, he repeats the crime 😂. What else can I do short of burning that couch?
Your problem is likely the fact he's already peed on it and it's soaked through and you've not been able to fully get the scent out. You could try steaming cleaning it, see if that makes a difference. A pet cover for it will reduce the irritation of it all. But, it might well be time to invest in a new one...😬 Leather might be a better option for you because it can be very tempting for some rabbits to pee on a plush materials (I'm personally not a fan of leather sofa's... But they look nice at least 🤷🏻♀️). Are you rewarding when he does pee in the litter box by the sofa? Training "off" may help so you can tell him "off!" when he jumps up but you're not close to supervise. Have you watched my clicker training video?
@@TheBunniesBrigade thanks for the tips! I will try steam cleaning and also try to really drench the darn fabric in vinegar 🤦♀️. I have watched your clicker training and will give it a try! I do reward him when I see him going in the litter box, but I’m sure there are plenty of times when he’s going in there and I’m not nearby to reward. Please make more videos. They are super helpful!
@@TheWangbaby You can use the luring and capturing methods I talk about in my clicker training video to train an "off" command. When he jumps up, either lure him off with a treat and click as soon as he jumps down, then give him the treat. So long as he doesn't pee on the sofa, you can also wait until he jumps down on his own and click and reward that.
We have a little doe who my husband has caught in the act of escaping several times. (Better, larger, safer, cage is under construction) she has never relieved herself on ANY of her adventures! Only in her cage
Haha, is she a baby? Babies are so good at escaping, they can just slide between bars like water 😆. This is a great example though of that prey instinct to keep their waste in one place that I was talking about. She should take to a litter box very easily.
Yeah, it can be very quick to train them because it's very instinctual behaviour. And yes, they all love to sit or lie in their litter box - it's cosy and it's a safe space 😌
Can anyone help me, I have a rabbit who has been living in a hutch for about 5 ish months now and I finally convinced my mum to let him live inside. He was litter trained when he was living in the hutch but now that I have brought him inside he is going to the toilet everywhere!!! He has a big cat litter tray with lots of hay and he is neutered. I don’t know what to do because if I don’t sort it out he has to go live back outside! Anyone help?
@@TheBunniesBrigade He is mostly weeing and pooing on the corner of a carpet we have in the room, however he is doing in under a chair we have also but he isnt weeing there just poop. Also no he hasnt got a pen he is just in the living room at the moment but he doesnt ever leave the room he is in, even with the door open, he tends to stay in one area x
Ok, good to know. First of all, it sounds like the corner he’s weeing in is the corner he has decide he wants to go and you should definitely move the litter box there. It’ll be difficult to tell him otherwise. See how that goes, it’s likely that’ll fix your problem. The poops under the chair sound like they’re just territory marking - are these just a few or is he leaving large piles there? Failing moving the litter box you should temporarily confine him in a pen on a wipeable surface, so you can monitor him and easily wipe up and neutralise wee puddles. Did you watch the video? The “common problems” section of the video should help you a lot.
@@TheBunniesBrigade yes i did think i should move the litter tray, however where he keeps going is not in the corner of the room it is on the carpet in the middle of the room so thats not really an option. When he is pooping under the chair it is soft ones that then get sat on by him and make a mess, so they arent ones i can easily pick up xx
Sounds like cecotropes then. He may be overproducing. And if it’s not cecotropes his poops shouldn’t be soft anyway. May I ask what you’re feeding? If you’re not happy with the litter box location, which I totally get why you wouldn’t be lol, I’d definitely suggest penning him in the area you want him to go, so he’s forced to find a new place. It could take several weeks, possibly a few months, for him to break the habit. Only let him out when you can give him your undivided attention, in order to correct him immediately if he tries to go in his usual spot.
I'm not sure where you heard this, but it is misinformation. Misinformation that I have seen spread around social media for some reason... It's sad to see people believe this because raisins are an incredibly useful training tool. Raisins are toxic to dogs, but they are perfectly safe for rabbits. They should, of course, be fed in moderation due to their high sugar content, but they are certainly not toxic and much healthier than many treats marketed for rabbits in pet shops. You certainly do not have to take my word for it though, I always encourage people to fact check anything they hear from others on the internet.
I have found that they will more frequently leave poops around in an xpen than if they are free roam. I believe it's due to it being a more defined space that they are able to be more possessive of.
She is not getting trained She is only trained to pee in box but not poop I have to put her in cage for few hours then she automatically poops in If I will keep it open She does it all around the cage as well as litter box
We have spoken about your cage. Have you managed to get her an xpen yet? Please don’t ever shut her in a cage. Have you gotten her a larger litter box, compressed wood pellet bedding, and LOTS of hay, as we have previously discussed? If you are still using the same litter box you showed me then it is too small and she is therefore considering the whole cage as a litter box, which is perfectly normal. Now see it from her point of view... If she considers the whole cage a litter box, and you are shutting her in that cage, then you are essentially locking her in her bathroom.
Ah yeah, that can happen lol. You can put a litter box there and after they’ve been using the box for a bit (like a week or 2) gradually move it a little every couple of days, until it’s in a spot you’d prefer. You may actually find that once they’re going in the box consistently you might be able to just move it somewhere completely different and they’ll continue to just go in the box instead of the corner. It depends on the rabbit and whether they’ve come to associate that the litter box is where they do their business and not actually that particular corner. You can also try temporarily blocking their access to that corner.
Man ir tėčiui patinka juodas triušis gal kada gyvenime jis bus pas mus ES jam stengsimės nupirkti žaislų kad jis negirdėtų o varda jau turim juodas ir vadinsim juodčkiu
Things like raisins, berries, or small cubes of apple work great as treats. We tend to just use their pellets/nuggets for treats because they’re healthy and Pepper & Wally go crazy for them. A treat is anything that YOUR bunny values, it doesn’t have to be something that’s specifically marketed as a treat. If you are looking for treats in pet shops though, look for all natural ingredients and no seeds, nuts or dairy.
Ok love this video I need subs help my bunny goes in his litter box however when he gets on the couch he always pee's and poops. I am trying to free roam him but this is the only problem any suggestions? He is neutered the litterbox is huge he uses the litterbox when he is in x pen but when we let him out he goes on the couch!
Hey Rebecca, I've been having a good think about you're problem today. I've only had this happen with an unspayed bunny myself, and once she was spayed she completely stopped. I know it can happen sometimes though, even when they are fixed. Rabbits often like to pee on plush, absorbent surfaces. There's also a theory with peeing on beds or sofas that they do it cos it smells like you and they're being possessive of you. I do have some suggestions for you to try, but a couple more questions first: - Does he pee the moment he jumps up on the sofa or is it after he's been hanging out on it for a few minutes? - Does he go in the same spot every time? - Is his litter box far from the sofa? Is it the other side of the room, or in a another room entirely?
@@TheBunniesBrigade He pees pretty quickly when he gets on the sofa the sofa. It isn't always in the same spot. His litter Box is on the other side of the room in his little x pen that we keep open when hes out.
@Rebecca Ray So obviously you have the option to just disallow him from jumping on the sofa, but I'm assuming you'd like him to come up on the sofa to see you. So, start with getting a waterproof cover or blanket on the sofa so accidents are easier to clean up and you don't have pee soaking into the cushion anymore, because he's smelling that and it's making him think it's fine to keep going there. You should definitely try a 2nd litter box near the sofa - next to or in front of. There's a possibility that when he's outside his pen he either doesn't want to make the effort to go all the way over to the box or he doesn't want to go in his pen in case he gets shut in - obviously I dunno how long or how often he's confined to his pen, so I dunno how likely the latter would be. Nevertheless, in either of these cases he may be seeing the soft, absorbent sofa as a good place to relieve himself outside the pen and if that's true then a 2nd litter box may just do the trick. But then of course you do have a habit that's formed, so we need to break the habit... If he really is peeing as soon as he jumps up and he's doing it every single time he's on the sofa, without fail, then I'd bet he _does_ have it in his head that "sofa is where you pee". Therefore, the moment he jumps up you need to pick him up and place him in the litter box you now have by the sofa (make sure it has some soiled litter in there). If you do that and he pees in the box then REWARD him IMMEDIATELY - always have treats near by! 😉 Make your first goal to get him where he can jump on the sofa under close supervision and he's only having the occasional accident. You should watch him like a hawk. If he jumps on the sofa, hangs out for a bit, and then jumps off without peeing at all reward him straight away for that. But if you see him start to lift his tail say, "NO!" and pick up him, put him in the litter box. Be patient and stick with it. Rabbit's love routine so it can be difficult to break habits, but don't feel discouraged if you feel like you're having to do this all time, every day for weeks. The repetition will be helping!
Please make sure you are financially able to provide your rabbit with veterinary care before you adopt. Taking out an insurance plan may be a good option if you are worried about a circumstance in which you won't be able to afford vet bills.
My bunny is not spayed but she always poops out side her cage when she is litter train She will step out pee n run Wat does that mean She will come to her litter cum cage n poop out n go very rarely she will go inside n do it Wat shall I do I cannot free roam as she creates mess Plz advice?
Could be any number of reasons. Not being spayed could very likely be the cause. I highly recommend getting her spayed as soon as possible. You say “cage”. Is it an actual cage or a pen? If it is a cage, she may be reluctant to be going in there because she worries she’ll be shut in when she does go inside. Cages don’t provide enough room for them. A pen in always best. Of course I can’t see your set up, so I could very easily be misinterpreting this. Have you tried placing a litter box outside the enclosure?
@@TheBunniesBrigade she is free roam I put her in cage in night for sleep only I don’t have much space for play pen N in India there are not good rabbit savy doctor hence I cannot take chance with her life I dnt close her in cage all time It’s only during night time When she wants to pee she goes some times inside also n does I tried keeping litter box out too to the area were she poops She stoped going there and very rarely use to pee there but yes when litter box was not there she use to prefer going to that location we’re I started keeping litter box I am just confused Wat she wants?
@@TheBunniesBrigade today I came back home n mom told me she locked the cage as she pooped all out I came opened the cage n mom was right She came out pooped all around the area M so confused wats wrong all of sudden Offcourse no body likes cage but she is out most of time Rest in India infra is not so good nor safe to keep them open unsupervised Can u suggest me some solution
@@TheBunniesBrigade m so confuse even if litter box is out she will rarely go there and when it’s not there she will pee there For play pen I dnt have space nor I can afford I try my best to keep her open as much I can do But when she starts pooping all around m left with no option N y coming out of cage n pooping when she is inside already
Your litter box may be too small if it is one that fits inside a cage. And I can only really say again, that she probably doesn’t want to be shut in the cage. A cage is too small even at night. From her perspective she is shut in a small space for roughly 6 hours (depending on how long you sleep for). That’s just too long when they are crepuscular animals - meaning they don’t sleep through the night, they sleep periodically and therefore very conscious of the space they are in for all that time. Being consistently cooped up for prolonged periods will contribute to destructive behaviour. I appreciate the space dilemma though, I know many people sadly don’t have the luxury of space. What I usually suggest to people who don’t feel they’re able to make room for a pen, is to bunny-proof a whole room or area of your home that you can fence off for her. I have a video on bunny-proofing that can help you with that. Regarding spaying. I believe there are some rabbit rescues in India. Research and reach out to those for recommendations on vets they trust to do the surgery. You may have to travel quite far, but it will almost definitely help with your issue AND prolong her life, as almost all unspayed female rabbits develop uterine cancer.
May I ask why you are moving her outside? We don't recommend housing outside if they are a lone rabbit as rabbits are extremely social animals. Please also be aware that outside housing should be a large shed and/or aviary that is well insulated, provides plenty of shade, and secure from predators.
This is hands down the best rabbit litter training video I've ever watched! I've been wanting a bunny for a while, and so for the past two weeks I've been doing lots of research to make sure I'll be able to care for them. So out of all the litter training videos I've seen, this one is the best! So so informative!
Thank you so much, Tiffany!! I’m so glad it’s been helpful! Wonderful to hear you’re doing lots of research, sounds like a bunny (or 2?…) will soon find a very caring home 🥰. Keep us posted!
@@TheBunniesBrigade x
@@TheBunniesBrigade xx
@BunniesBrigade I couldn't figure out how to comment on my own but how often do you clean their temporary litter boxes for when they are roaming for play time?
The best in depth rabbit litter training video. After watching all the other videos, nothing is as in depth and answers all questions than this video. Thank you for answering every question I’ve had 🙌😊
Wow, thank you for the lovely compliment 😊
You are so underrated you just got a follow my rabbit and I love your tips
What a lovely compliment! Thank you so much! That means a lot. I have a new video out today actually that you might like as well 🙂
I love how every time the speckled one sees her hand he's like high five? treat? LOLLL. This video was really useful as well!
OMG YOU'RE MY FAVORITE BUNNY LADY ON THE INTERNET!!
Oh my gosh! That is quite a compliment as there's so much great bunny care content out there. Thank you so much! 😊
Really helpful! I have some foster bunnies and I'm probably cleaning too frequently. I would never have thought this was an issue. Thanks!
Saved this to watch as soon as I can. I need to share this because it's so funny. I bought a potty trained bunny. She came with the litter she was used to. The seller told me to get a corner litter box because that's what she's used to. So she has a corner one and a kitty sized one. I also bought her a very small, plain wood tiny box from the craft isle at the dollar store for her to chew on. Instead of her litter boxes, she sits straight up in this tiny wood box that she can't even fit in and uses that. LOL! Makes clean up so easy. I need to go stock up on these tiny craft boxes. I wonder if anyone else has experienced this. It's cute, so funny, and the first time I've ever seen anything like it. 🤣😂🐰🐇♥
I know this is from a year ago, but our bunny was litter trained very fast in her own box, but she found the cat box and now no matter what we put in her litter box. So we had to change the cat box to wood pellets so they could share. Lol
Snacking on the toilet! That's delightful honestly.
Haha! Yeah, you know, it's like reading on the toilet...or staring at Instagram 😆
@@TheBunniesBrigade relaxing insta - and like you said, they need to feel safe. Snacking is definitely a feeling safe thing I feel.
@@deehappy43 Chewing is calming. Nom nom nom. And wherever the food is, that's where ya gotta be!
thank you for this advice! my bunny is male 4months old, and we're about to get him neutered so hopefully, it helps his potty problems!!
Thank you for this excellent advice. Our Maisy is growing so fast and her litter is now too small.
So smart and enouraging! This video is great!!!
Thanks for your kind words! 😊
Btw, to anyone reading the comments - If you like YA fiction go get yourself a copy of ⬆*_Hidden City_*⬆ : amzn.to/34jwRaI. Just came out in paperback! Really great read, I promise you'll love it!! 🧛🏼♂️🖤
Thank you so much for this video just brought my first bunny today and have so much Learning to do. First problem is i brought a bunny little box and second have to piles of hay around the cage rather than above the little box. I no what am doing tomorrow.
So glad this has helped. We all start somewhere. Believe me, I started with one of those tiny corner boxes too! The main thing is you're doing your research 👍🏼🙂
Loved your video, best one I have seen! Where did you get your hay feeder?
Thank you so much! The hay feeder in this video is actually a toilet roll holder 😆. I think we got this one from Ross. If you're in the US you can easily find them there or Home Goods. I've also linked to one on Amazon in the description.
Very helpful video thank you! I have an 8 week bunny that ive had for a week. It has a room it free foams in (no x pen). Its very good at doing wee’s in the litterbox, not one accident, it also does plenty of poos in there; however, am finding it still drops poo’s around the room. They are never in clusters, just single droppings and it happens every few minutes. As soon as i see them i pick them up and pop them in its litter box but its a constant chore. Should i keep doing this until it learns? Will it ever learn to do all of its poops in the box or is this the reality of free roaming a rabbit? Your advice would be greatly appreciated!
How is it going with your baby bun since you commented? Sorry I didn't get back to you earlier. I'm going to guess that the random poops have been lessening as they've become more accustomed to their new home. You are always going to get the odd poop here and there but it won't be as frequent as you've described once he/she has settled in. Also, keep in mind they are still very very young, he/she is doing SO well to be weeing in the right place already 🙂
Thank you! This is so helpful!!!
Yay! Glad you found it useful.
Fantastic video
Thank you!
Ty for everything
Maybe you could give me your thoughts?
My rabbit is using the liter box...for the most part...
Though he goes in front of the box at least once everyday.
I pick it up and put it in the box..sanitize the area...and then the same thing the next day.
I'd need to see the space and litter box to offer my best advise. Is it just him you have? Is he neutered? How old is he? How large is the litter box? What's your flooring like?
Thank you
Thanks for the information! I have two male lionheads that got neutered May 10, 2023. They both are really good about using their litter boxes, I have one for each of them in opposite corners of their X-pen. They are bonded, as in they will hang out together, groom each other, eat together, but one (Toasty) is obviously more dominant and will sometimes chase off Marshmallow and nip at him. And when they nap during the day they usually find separate favorite hiding spots in different rooms. One time after combining their X-pens into one big one I decided to close them in while I cleaned their room (spare bedroom) Toasty got a little cra-cra and kept chasing Marshmallow and nipping so I immediately opened the gate and then all was fine. Back to my original question, 😂 they keep pooping and peeing along the back wall of the X-pen where the litter boxes are on opposite corners. They only do this at night, not during the day. They usually come sleep under our bed when we go to bed and then after awhile go back to their room. We don’t close them in their room or X-pen ever. Could this just be that they still have residual hormones in their bodies still and it’s a territorial thing that will get better over time, or something else? They don’t poop or pee anywhere else around the house except for upstairs in my art studio which I keep gated off except when I’m up there. And it’s mostly poop except for Toasty who has been peeing on my husband’s paintings that are leaning up on the wall. Not peeing on, but next to. Thanks for your time! I would appreciate any feedback!
Yes, this could well be a hormone spike after the neuter. That is probably why they were chasing each other as well. How are you doing now? If it has got any worse you will need to go through the bonding process with them from scratch.
On another note, if I'm visualising this right and they have access to many rooms, you will need more litter boxes. One in each room is best, or they will create their own corners that are more convenient for them to go in.
@@TheBunniesBrigade I just saw your reply! Thank you for taking the time. They are doing great now! They are getting along fantastically and use their litter box mostly very well. I switched to one really big under bed storage tote for a litter box because they eventually quit using one of the smaller ones and just shared the other one. The only problem they have with it is every morning I wake up to little piles of poop right around the litter box inside the X-pen. Once in awhile I find a little pee spot, but very rarely. I clean it with vinegar. They know exactly where they are supposed to pee/poop, so I don’t know why they continue to do this. And it’s not just when the litter box has gotten to full, it’s the day I clean the litter box and every day after. It’s pretty big and I use horse pine pellets covered with a plastic grid and then some hay. I refresh it every couple days and scoop out the soiled hay and pellets and add new and completely empty it out once a week. I originally thought that they were sitting next to the litter box while eating hay and therefore pooping next to it, but some of the poop piles are too far away for them to reach the hay. I was thinking about getting some kind of enclosed bench/storage box like I see all over instagram and UA-cam, but I haven’t found anything that looks nice and doesn’t cost so much. Any new thoughts or ideas? It’s not a huge deal, I just sweep up the poops and put them in the litter box, but I’m still a little curious as to why they make this a habit. Thanks again!
How small of an area, I just got my bunny spayed and she's currently in a xpen that's 4x4. I have a litter box with carefresh at one end and hay at the other along with her pellets. The person I got her from suggest using a grid to stand on, that if i use a mix of hay then thats the only place i can have hay. Which leads me to ask what abaout toys that are hay based or the hay mats. I've watched a few litter box training videos, some use pine pellets amd carefresh with the hay hanging outside. Others use carefresh on one end and hay om the other. What's the proper way to really set up there litter box. My rabbit won't be a adult till September. I'd really like to get her litter box training habits down correctly
How's the training going so far? 4x4 is great. If she's really struggling you could go a little smaller, but you shouldn't need to. They don't really need a grid to stand on unless they have a tendency to dig in the box, or you just find it easier to clean that way. I wouldn't worry about hay-based toys messing up litter training, you'll notice if they are because you'll see a pile of poop next to them. They certainly won't make a difference in where she pees. In regards to litter and hay, and how to configure it, my recommendation is exactly as shown in my video. Some people may do it a little differently; so long as you have the litter lining the box and the hay on top or dispensed above it in some way then you're all set 👍🏼
I have the medium sized version of the Navy Blue litter box but my rabbits are 2.68 pound one is around 5 pounds she's they're bonded aunt to my original girls sadly they're runt sister passed away so they're doing so much better with having they're aunt with them I'm getting them soon just getting my room all ready for them thank you so much also what paper litter do you recommend I currently have Oxbow Eco straw litter as a pine Pellets alternative but I might switch them to paper baced depends on how dusty the eco straw litter is since I have asthma and allergies so bedding/ litter that's is to dusty is not a good combination for me or the buns or other small animals
I'm using Carefresh in this video. Linked in the description 🙂
I was putting hay in the litter as well as the rabbit house for its bedding . Was that wrong? My rabbit was pooping everywhere!
I don’t have her anymore but for future ref please?
Also, should I keep the rabbit in the rabbit pen until it gets used to me?
I found my last rabbit wouldn’t want to come into the pen and would go under the house but one I had years ago , I would let go during the day in the garden and she would come to me night time when she knew it was time to go into the safety of the rabbit hutch. But that one I had a lot longer and I think she was more used to me.
Hay should be kept exclusively in or over the litter box when litter training.
I'm not sure I'm visualising your past set ups very well. Have they all been outside? If so, when housing outside you are always going to have barriers with trust building because they're not co-existing with you, and being exposed to outside elements will make them more apprehensive of everything. If you are keeping outdoors it *must* be more than one rabbit, as they are extremely social animals, and it *must* be in a highly secure shed-type enclosure, free from draft.
To bond with your rabbit you should be spending time lying on the floor near them every day, allowing them to approach you in their own time. This doesn't necessarily have to be inside a pen. I hope I'm understanding your questions fully... Apologies if there's some miscommunication.
Is it ever too late? Mine is about 12 weeks now.....she seemed to be working ok track but once I changed litters (went from horse pine pellets given to me from the breeder to feline pine) and once I did that it's like she stopped using it. Please tell me it's not too late to get back on track
At that age, she’s more than likely just coming of age and getting hormonal. Litter habits can go south once they reach maturity. I recommend booking her in for her spay and things should correct after that.
It’s unlikely anything to do with your litter. Although, I would stop using Feline Pine. I know it features as a recommended product in this video, but I have since discovered it contains baking soda which can be detrimental to their respiratory system and not safe for them to ingest. I apologise for the misinformation 😔, I did my best to provide a warning about it in the description.
I’m just reading through the comments on this video looking for tips and I saw your comment about switching the litter. When I first got my bunnies they were using the carefresh paper pellets and they kept getting stuck on the bunnies fur so I switched to a different litter and they immediately stopped using the litter box. They’re hormones also kicked in around this time so it wasn’t until they both got neutered and I set up a box with the kiln dried pine wood pellets(I think the same kind you originally used) with a grid over the top to avoid them digging (cuz they love to dig) that they started using the litter boxes almost perfectly right away except for some territorial issues still because they still have some hormones left because it’s only been a month since neutered. But yeah, from the time they were about 4 months old until 6 months when the vet would do the neuter, things got pretty messy. It was super frustrating, but it definitely gets way better once they are neutered/spayed. Best of luck to you!
Thank ypu so much ! I have a 6 week old bun and hes making so much mess. Tho lately hes been peeing only in his litter box, and pooping outside. Hes in an ex pen and hes so small and can easily get out, Im thinking of covering it temporarily, what do you think ?
So young! May I ask why he's only 6 weeks? Did something happen to his mother? You may run into troubles with litter training as he has not been with his mother for the full 8 weeks. Has he been checked out by a vet, and is he receiving dewormer? This is really more important than anything else right now.
Regards your enclosure - NIC grids work well for babies. There are also pens made of clear plastic panels, like this one: amzn.to/3hGE9Py
@@TheBunniesBrigade I bought him off this breeder, I didn't know better at the time. He is being treated by a vet, yes, do you think he's gonna have problems later because of the separation ?
@@MarinSofin Ugh! WHY do breeders do this? They're supposed to know better! 😒 I'm sorry this has happened. Their immune system can be compromised without their mother's milk, which leaves them susceptible to parasites. That's why it's advisable to put them on a course of dewormer. There's also a chance of underdevelopment, which can lead to health issues. I don't want to worry you though, it's good you've had a vet examine him. There are plenty of rabbits with a similar start in life who do just fine with the right care 🙂
I have two 9 week olds that eat hay and pellets, so I put the pellets in the litter box too?
You can do. I've never felt it's necessary under normal circumstances, but if they are struggling to use their box then it can help.
@@TheBunniesBrigade The boy is learning quickly and has got the hang of it. The girl still has more accidents outside of her box. I’ll keep working with them. Thank you!
Thank you for such great info! 👍🏼
You are so welcome!
I like to stick a paper towel layer underneath a layer of litter/bedding - makes cleaning out the box that much easier as it gives a layer that you can easily shovel off into the garbage bag. The only trick is to make sure there are no edges for them to tear out and apart as a toy.
Good tip. Certainly more eco-friendly than using a puppy pad 👍🏼
Great video! But I noticed at 1:55 that you showed some wood pellet litter with baking soda and it smells salty and rabbits might eat it and it can cause digestive problems if ingested, so I just wanted to let you and others know about that, but other than that this video had really good information!
Hey! Yes, you are right. They do add baking soda to a lot of these cat litter pellets. I was trying to provide an image of a familiar brand, but totally missed that on the Feline Pine 🤦🏻♀ Horse stall pellets are much safer, and probably more cost-effective. I'll make a note in the video description. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, albeit a bit late in the day seeing this.
My bunny is spayed, but still he likes to pee on my bed:( I tried to put the litter box in place of my bed. However he goes on with that...
Do you have any suggestions?
I am a new mom for my fur baby at age of 7 weeks... I am so not confident in getting it toilet trained LOL. Thanks for the experience shared and fingers crossed. 😅
You're welcome. Hope it's going well. Just remember to have patience because they're still just a baby.
If the bunnies eat pellets should those go in their litter box too? Or just the hay?
Some people put their bunny's bowl in the litter box. It can help those struggling with training. I have never needed to do it though.
I just brought my bun home a week ago and am trying to potty train. She is only 2 months old so I’ve read she needs unlimited pellets and I’m finding she’s using the litter box great except when she’s eating her pellets she poops right by her food bowl constantly. Is there any way of correcting this or am I doing something wrong? TIA
No, you're not doing anything wrong lol. This can happen sometimes, I find that sometimes it's the type of food that I guess just gets their bowels moving more and they can't help it...😅 She may grow out of it once she's learnt a little more control. Some people like to have a setup where the bowls are next to the litter box, so that their rabbit has to be in the litter box in order to eat.
Can grass also work for rabbit litter?
Only if it is growing. As far as I understand from my research, damp grass ferments and can cause gut issues if ingested.
I’m just wondering, IS it possible to litter train your bunny even though they aren’t baby’s? Because i’ve tried when he was a baby and back then i was young so i made a lot of mistakes and i think that’s why he didn’t pick up on that. I really want to try again now that I’ve understood how you do it. So is it possible to learn them even if it has been a while?
It's definitely possible! It may be more difficult because you're trying to change already established habits. As I say though, toileting in a corner is instinctual, so as long as you provide the right conditions to promote this instinct and keep persevering! 🙂
Thanks for all the tips :) one thing I am wondering is if 2 bunnies can use the same litter box? I understand a lot of their bathroom habits are territorial. I have a fixed male and an unfixed female and I am trying to train them with a single litter box (sized for one rabbit) in an x-pen. My hope would be that eventually they both can share the litter box, but I'm wondering if they will be discouraged by the other marking the territory. Would it help to get 2 boxes or one that they both fit in? Or should it be possible for them to share?
They can absolutely share a litter box, but it has to be big enough for them to both use at the same time. Like the one Pepper and Wally are using in this video. I do highly recommend getting your girl spayed though, as you might run into issues because of that. Unfixed females can get very territorial as well. They are also extremely prone to developing uterine cancer.
Love it
I am thinking about taking in this two-year-old male rabbit but I want to litter train him if I take him in does anyone have any advice or think it’s possible because he’s already two years old?
He may already have good litter habits. If not, old habits can die hard, but that doesn't mean he can't learn. Follow the video and have plenty of patience.
Does the training work for dwarf bunnies too?
Yes. There’s no difference between a dwarf breed’s capacity to learn and that of anything other breed. And, when it comes to litter training, it is instinctual in all healthy rabbits to keep the majority of their toileting in one place.
@@TheBunniesBrigade ok! Thank you so much
My bunny is turning 1 next week. He is neutered and was perfectly potty trained. I came back from a trip and now for weeks he is weeing everywhere outside except his litter box in his cage. I don't know what to do. he is even sitting outside and leaving piles of poo - he never did any of this before. I can even put him in hid crate tell him to wee on the litter box and he will on command. Then he keeps going outside and does a wee on the floor in many places. Thought he had a UTI got him on meds and he is still doing it. HELP!!!! he loves to roam free in the home but cannot have him doing that if i am wiping up wee 7 times a day! HELP In need of advice!
Have you tried placing a litter box outside the cage? He may not want to go inside for some reason. Something scary may have happened to make him reluctant to toilet in there...
The way I feed my bunnies now is with cardboard paper tubes stuffed with hay. I simply toss them in their playpen and it works great for them. However, is having these hay tubes everywhere other than the litter tray bad?
No, it shouldn't be a problem.
My bunnies are older (8 and 9) and when I got them (2yrs ago) they took to using the litter box well (of course, sometimes peeing in a random place), but now they no longer use it consistently, and pee and poo in their hidey houses and on my rugs. I haven’t changed the hay/litter type at all, so I don’t know why this is happening. Any suggestions?
It may be that they are favouring the plush material of the rugs, not happy with the route to the litter box or finding accessing it difficult in their older age. Consider how large the space they are free roaming in is - do they need more than one toilet? What are your floor surfaces like - are there any slippery areas they have to walk over to get to it? Is it a high step into the box? There's always a chance they may have developed arthritis or, at their age, one or both of them may be suffering with incontinence. It may be worth consulting a vet about the issue. If, as you mentioned, they've always had a tendency to occasionally pee in random places then the issue may be one of the former.
Does both of my bunnies (siblings bonded together, never been apart) need their own litter? Or can I train them to go the same one?
If you have a big enough box they'll be fine with just one box. Just make sure their bond is a true bond and not just a baby bond. Are they neutered adults?
Hi I just watch your video and I noticed that you says not recommend woodshaving for they litter tray but I been to pet shop in the uk and the staff say woodshaving are better than bedding and now I’m a bit confused 😕 which one is the best to use as I got 2 rabbits and they only 9-10 weeks old
Not wood shavings. Unfortunately pet shop staff are generally not very knowledgeable, unless they happen to have gone out of their way to do research in their own time. And, let’s face it, how many minimum wage workers do that? 🤷🏻♀️ Wood shavings were recommended back in the 90s, but we have since come to realise they can cause respiratory issues. And, when you think about it, it totally makes sense - it’s the same reason we should wear dust masks if we sand wood. Tiny wood particles aren’t safe for anyone to be inhaling into their lungs, especially not little bunny lungs. Hope that helps clear up some confusion. Always fact check pet shop advice 😉
I have a giant flemish & a giant continental rabbits...amazing how many mistakes I made with litter training 😂🤣😅
We eventually got their though.
Yay! I'd love to adopt a Flemish or Conti Giant one day...
Hello, where did you buy your litter box?
All the litter boxes in the video are linked in the description 🙂
Is it possible to litter train a bunny that is not fixed?
Yes, but you may find they will use pee to mark other areas if they are not fixed. Have you seen my video on spaying and neutering? ua-cam.com/video/7FHoLzayr0c/v-deo.html
@@TheBunniesBrigade Hi
Thank You So Much For Replying!
I got my bunny litter trained and she is not even fixed yet! She does, however, still leave droppings on the couch or on my bed, and I doubt that will change 😥 But I am Still happy she got it right this far! She is still young, too young to be fixed anyway. I will look into your other video if I haven't already
🤗
What happens when they eat veggies?
Where do they litter?
My bunny just turned 3 years old is not fixed and he uses his litter box sometimes but not a lot he sprays sometimes I really wanna get him to use his litter box more but idk how please help me
Getting him fixed will resolve these issues.
Loved this video. I now realise where I’m going wrong. Would it be wrong to have my bunnies in a pen instead of the room until they’re neutered so they can stop peeing on my bed? Both boys are around 4 months and they’re just spraying everywhere and it’s a nightmare to keep cleaning so I’m considering giving them a huge xpen for now but I’m not sure if that’s mean or not
Glad to hear the video was useful! It’s definitely not mean, especially if they’re not neutered. In fact, I’d advise putting them in 2 separate pens for the time being. How’s their bond? There’s a chance you could have fights on your hands soon as they’re coming of age. Just be aware of that. Do you have them booked in yet for their neuter?
@@TheBunniesBrigade yeah I’ll separate them then, thanks. And they have a really good bond, they’re brothers from the same litter and they have started to fight abit because one keeps mounting the other. And yes they are booked in, they’re getting done in 2 weeks.
Well it’s a good sign only one is mounting. You should be able to bond them easily after the neuter because there’s clearly a more dominant guy already. But yeah, don’t let it turn to actual fights because then it won’t be so easy later. Wait 4-6 weeks after the surgery before you begin the bonding process. I’m working on bringing out a video on bonding actually 🙂
@@TheBunniesBrigade the day after I sent you a message they both started mounting eachother so yeah they were definitely separated. And yeah I won’t, thanks for all your help. Is it difficult to look after a rabbit after they’ve been spayed or neutered? And awesome! I’ll make sure to watch it :)
@@misskittylewis494 Totally knew it was coming haha. Glad to hear you've separated them 👍🏼
Nope, it's not difficult at all. Just make sure they're eating and pooping as they should be post-op. There's a chance they can get GI stasis afterward, from the pain or the stress of it, but your vet should go over all this with you and talk to you about what to do if this does happen. This didn't happen with any of mine, they've always made very very quick recoveries in the past.
I could use your advice! I just adopted 2 buns - fixed, bonded couple 1.5 years old. Their original mom said they wouldn't take to a litter box, so she trained them to use a washable pee pad. I would much rather clean a litter box than have to wash pee pads! So I thought maybe with the move, I could retrain then to use a box. I lined a very large, low storage container with their pee pad, and added hay. (The original owner had the hay away from the pee pad, so I thought this would extra encourage them). They hopped in and out a few times, but wouldn't actually go potty. Not until hours later when I took the box away and layed their pee pad flat, did they use it.
I really want to be able to better contain the mess. Any advice?
Just do what you’ve already done and leave it. They’ve gotta relieve themselves at some point. You’ve done exactly the right thing putting the hay in there. Now just wait… If they pee outside the box then I’ll be very surprised. But let me know!
@@TheBunniesBrigade they peed on the floor outside their enclosure, so I wiped it up, put the paper towel in the littler pan and they peed in there - way! BUT, they are pooping all over the enclosure. How can I get them to poop in the litter box, too? I have parrots and can't have little poops all.over the house cause my parrots will try to eat it 😝
Is it better to clean their box when they are napping/away from the area or does it depend on the bun?
It depends on the bun, but even more so the habitat. If it’s a pen definitely do it whilst they’re not in the area, especially as some can get defensive/angry when you start “invading their space”. If your bun’s free roam they shouldn’t be too bothered. Sometimes mine come over to see how the cleaning’s coming along but it doesn’t bother them and they rarely get in the way.
How old can we start trying to litter train. Mine is 5 weeks
I'd recommend always having your space set up to encourage good litter habits, not matter the age of your rabbit. Since you've mentioned your rabbit is just 5 weeks, I do want to make you aware that this is very young for a rabbit to be separated from their mother. If you are the owner of the mother also and her litter habits are good, she will be helping them learn also. If you are not the owner of the mother I strongly recommend you have your bunny checked out by a rabbit savvy veterinarian, as soon as possible. When rabbits are taken from their mothers before 8 weeks they can often struggle with immune deficiencies or developmental problems. Your rabbit could need a dewormer to help them. Please speak with your vet about this.
Hi, 8 months ago I adopted a spayed girl for my neutered boy. Both dwarf. The x-pen is 3 square meters, they do have play time outside the x-pen twice a day. I have tried everything in this video, but the girl is still peeing everywhere. She is healthy, I just can’t find out why.
I don’t want to downsize the x-pen again, because my boy gets very agitated. Does anyone have any tips or clues?
Oh my, I'm so so sorry to hear this! 😔 Did the vet not offer you any insight into what went wrong? I would consider going with a different vet next time as I would be doubting the competence of their anesthetist. If it helps at all, the probability of this happening to you again is so so small. 💚
we have a little bit of a problem with litter training our 11 weeks old bunny. at first we tried moving the litter box to where he usually pees and that did help a lot. Still after we did this he found a different spot where he occasianly pees wich is right next to his litter box. Also he keeps peeing on the couch. I've been trying to spot when he starts peeing but as of now i have not spotted is. Why does he pee right next to his litter box even though there is no hay there and how can we get him to stop peeing on the couch?
It sounds like he might be ready for the snip. 10-12 weeks is often when boys start getting hormonal.
In the meantime, just make sure you're giving him plenty of opportunity to pee before hopping around and jumping on the sofa. Try to keep tabs on when he pees and put him in the litter box if he hasn't been for a while. When you see him pee in the box give him a treat and then he can come a play on the sofa or where ever!
@@TheBunniesBrigade Thank you so much! I'll try that. Your videos are really helpfull
Hello. I have an 3 month old dwarf that is refusing to use his litter box. I have him in a pen I have been reducing the size of trying to get him to use the litter box (about 4 ft by 3 ft) we have a dog cage in there, where we've place his pellets and water, with paper litter and a fleece bunny blanket velcrowed down. He's still peeing and pooping in his cage, all over the floor, and sometimes in his litter box. We've tried picking up his poop and placing it in the box but can't seem to figure out why he continues to use the floor as his toilet. Any thoughts? Also we try to give him short periods outside the pen to socialize him but anytime we do, he usually pees on our bed. Should we not worry about socializing him until he's potty trained? Please help. Thanks!
Aww, he's a baby, he's still trying to work things out. Remove the fleece blanket and paper litter from the crate as it sounds like it's confusing him. Only have the paper litter in the litter box itself. Rabbits often pee on plush materials. Whilst he's still young and learning, don't give him access to anything plush (like your bed, for example lol). I imagine he's probably peeing on your bed because very young animals have trouble controlling when they pee and/or poop, plus everything's so huge to him as well so the litter box will no doubt seem so far away. He's probably on your bed and then suddenly thinking, "Oh, I need to go bad! Here's good. 🤷♂️"
So should they stay in their cage at all times until they’re peeing in the litter box of the enclosure? Then slowly introduce them outside of it but only small parts of the outside?
You should definitely allow them free roam time, but if you're in the process of litter training, you'll need to watch them all the time so you can redirect immediately if an accident happens. It's a good idea to give them their free roam time immediately after they've had a pee. You can try placing them in their litter box if you haven't seen them go for a while, they may go straight away. Then they can come out for a hop around!
I have a cat that isn’t fixed yet. & I have a bunny about 12 weeks old. He’s really good about where to use the bathroom but whenever my cat is in heat he’ll go in the spots that she sprayed. Is there a way to correct this? Or is my only option to get my cat fixed?
Oh wow. This is interesting. As he’s so young he’s probably just following her lead on where to go to the toilet. I’m afraid I don’t know a great deal about cats, but it sounds like the problem lies with her litter habits, rather than his. I imagine the best way to correct her behaviour would be to get her spayed.
@@TheBunniesBrigade sounds like a plan! Also I just found your channel & I subscribed immediately! You definitely know what you’re talking about & you’re so calm with it as well. Keep up the great work I know your channel will be a hit!
Thank you so much! That means a lot! 😊
I have two 3 year bunnys (one female and one male) both neutered. I have two Litter that they use, but the female has not lost the instinct to mark her territory.
I can't get her to stop peeing on my sofa and bed, (other places too of course, but these are the most problematic) the problem is that she always does it when I'm not present or sleeping.
There is also an aggravating factor, she often has urinary problems and whenever she is in pain, she pees outside the Litter (I believe it is to show me that something is wrong, because it takes me a while to notice the symptoms and if that happens, her last resort is peeing in front of me)
Is there any solution to my problem?
As long as she has urinary issues you will won't be able to correct her litter habits. You will need to get a urinalysis done by the vet. Examine her diet as well - make sure to stop feeding her anything that is high in calcium.
Thank you for this! Do you have videos showing how to train your bunnies to high-five for treats? 🥰
Not yet, but it's in the works 😉. In the meantime, if you haven't already, watch my Clicker Training 101 video because that gives you the foundation for teaching any tricks.
My bunnies are 9 weeks old and i've had them for 4 days, and they are a bit crazy but I know i just need to be a bit patient
Hiya, love your content, could you possibly link me to the storage crate and little hay rack you have? I'm having real trouble getting my bun litter trained and I think your box and rack would be really good!
Thanks! The box is linked in the description 🙂. I don’t have a link for the exact rack I have, but I did link to something very very similar on Amazon.
@@TheBunniesBrigade Thank you so much for this! Hopefully once baby bun is neutered and I've gotten your setup put into place it will be a much smoother process!
Yep! And babies can take a little while to catch on to things, so all in good time! 😉
I toilet trained my buns in one day !! They’re very smart 🐰
Yep! From my experience, most rabbits can be trained in a matter of days. Because, as I say, it's in their nature to go in one place.
My bunnies have recently gotten worse with peeing outside the litter boxes (they have five in their room!). I used to have to mop up the rug spots once or twice a week. Now it's twice a day! No change in their diet...Maybe the hot weather?
I noticed the accidents happen just beside the tray. I think they overshoot the rim and it ends up on the floor. Also, I think they imagine that just backing up to the tray from the outside and lifting their tails counts as actually being in the litter tray. The logic being that if they can't see what's behind them, they can just rely on positive thinking...
I have been trying to reward them for doing it right and withholding kibbles and veggies if they make a mess. I even give them treats as they sit in the litter trays to emphasize the point. But I don't think they understand the connection. If their scheduled treat doesn't come, they just get mad.
I would be grateful for any advice...(Are you U.K.-based?)
Thanks!
I'm actually based in US, but I am from England and have had rabbits over there.
Have you tried a high-sided or hooded litter box to prevent weeing over the edge? How many bunnies do you have and how large are your litter trays? Perhaps you may need something larger? Rewarding them for going in the litter tray is good, but rewarding them for squatting to pee in there is even better. Training to understand a clicker is even more useful as you can mark the exact behaviour you want to (our clicker training video, if you haven't already seen it: ua-cam.com/video/IezMvnZJfKA/v-deo.html). Withholding food isn't effective as they won't be able to make the connection to the accident.
@@TheBunniesBrigade Thanks so much for replying to my post. (Ironically, I'm an American living in the UK!) I was inspired by your video to try different litter trays, so took out the three main regular cat-sized trays they were using and replaced them with one large covered tray and two wide, flat (litteral food service) trays. I think this setup feels better to them--they seem to prefer these low-sided trays-- though there have still been a few accidents just outside-- some due to spillage, some deliberate. They are two buns, aged three and four, both neutered, occupying a 3m x 2.5m room. (Too much space, you might say?) I've stopped penalizing them, but I am not able sit and watch them long enough to catch them when they pee to either reward or chastize them. Thanks again for your advice. 🌝👍🐰🐰
My bunny was doing good with using its litter box but I got a carpet and now it’s peeing all over it what should I do?
(Got a carpet so he has something he can stand on since I have wooden floor and he slips)
Is he neutered?
My issues is that my rabbit keep insisting on peeing on their rug. My female rabbit is perfectly litter trained but my male keeps peeing on the rug. He is using the box but is trying to pee on the rug as well. I’ve blocked it off putting logs on the rug so he can’t pee comfortably on it. Any tips?
Is your rug very plush? He may just favour peeing on that material. Is he able to get to the litter box easily? There's no slippery floor he has to walk over or anything? Make sure you've thoroughly neutralised the spot he keeps peeing in and try your best to catch him in the act and move him before he goes.
Hello I’m hoping you can answer my question I’m not home all day to put her in her litter box when she goes in the wrongs spot or to reward her for going in the right spot I’d love if you could help me so I can free roam her
Edit: Btw I subscribed and I was still hoping 🤞you can answer my question. Tysm 💕💖
That's fine. It just means it may take a little longer... and then again it may not, depends on the bunny. Do what you can - correcting her and rewarding her whenever you ARE home is still good reinforcement.
Make sure you have everything else setup as suggested - her only hay source is in or over the litter box, are no beds, blankets or towels in her enclosure that might be tempting for her to pee on etc. Check for accidents as soon as you get home and clean them up straight away.
Tysm this is really helping ☺️
Love this tutorial however my main issue is that I just can’t tell when he poops, he’s a baby bunny and it’s really hard to tell, do you have any tips?
Pooping is difficult to tell as bunnies can poop the odd ball without even realising lol. When they're actually pooping and proper pile, they will just be very still and, if you're very quiet and it's a hard surface, you'll actually be able to hear them drop 😆 #pooptips
We are on the tail end of bonding, lots of snuggles, no more fur pulling. But during the morning one of ours pees on the carpet, never piles of poops. She also hates being in the pen during the day, but maybe she needs to spend more time in the pen? 2 are rescues that have spent most of their little lives in a rescue and it breaks my heart to see her upset.
Is she peeing in the litter box when she is penned? It could be territorial if they're not yet fully bonded, or if where she's peeing is far away from the litter box (perhaps in another room) then you may need a second litter box.
👋 I have 3 unfixed males. They fight. I don't want to get them fixed. Is it possible to litter train them and bond them? They are almost 1 years old and brothers
You won’t be able to bond 3 un-neutered males. It can be difficult to bond 3 males even when they are neutered - boys will be boys! (Far from impossible though).
You may be able to litter train them to some degree, although there will probably be frequent accidents, especially if they’re sharing spaces or have their pens near each other. May I ask why you’re choosing not to get them fixed? Neutering will make things leaps and bounds easier (pun intended 😉) for you and your bunnies.
@@TheBunniesBrigade I don't want them to suffer by neutering them.
Why do you think they will suffer? They will have happier, healthier lives without that testosterone fuelled stress. When you have unbonded animals sharing a space they are always on high alert, never able to be truly relaxed because they’ve always got one eye on each other. If they were neutered they can bond and be cuddling up together, grooming each other, and able to look to one another for comfort when they’re spooked.
I understand that it’s natural for them to have their complete man parts, but nature only puts them there for the purpose of breeding. They won’t be missing anything they need. Plus the surgery is simple for bucks.
@@TheBunniesBrigade Could they kill the smallest one?
I’m not a vet. But from what I understand it’s the anaesthesia that can cause complications with rabbits. You will need to find a vet with experience putting rabbits under. Do the research for your area. Make lots of phone calls. The key question to ask is, “Do you have experience spaying and neutering rabbits?” If they don’t, see if they can refer you to someone who does. As I say, the surgery itself is easier with males than females and with an experienced vet the chance of losing them will be next to none.
Pepper and Wally are both fixed and had absolutely no issues. Same with our little Jasmine, who passed away 3 years ago after a very long happy life.
what if the spot id the middle of the room
Are they free roam? If so, you may want to consider penning them whilst you work on correcting this habit.
my rabbit just sleeps in the loo lol and uses the living room as the bathroom lol while doing the same in the bath room
l
So I do have mine in a cage (just until I can potty train them) but I have the entire floor covered in hay because I was scared that they’ll just eat whatever else I lay down. So I was wondering what will be safe to replace the hay with
Ah, that is the question! So, I'm assuming it's an x-pen they're in, not an actually cage - seeing as you don't have a base. And I guess your actual floor isn't suitable? Is it too slippery?
The best solution I've found for x-pen flooring has been in a fabric shop. I used to use a rough but wipeable material - you can get whatever size cut you need and it's generally pretty inexpensive, so you can easily replace it if they dig at it. Some people use linoleum and some just like old sheets. However, I don't think sheets make for an easy clean up, especially if you're litter training, and there's also the potential for them to favour peeing on the soft material.
@@TheBunniesBrigade x pens are actually too expensive in my country. They’re in an old bird cage (which is actually the same size as an x pen) the floor has a mesh which is why I’ve been keeping it covered as best as I can. But I do plan on free roaming them. They’re happy now but I can’t say they will be in a few years
Ah ok. Well, wood will be your best option if you want to cover mesh flooring. I doubt the hay is really doing much of anything to protect their feet. Linoleum might work, but scratch my other suggestions in your case. Litter training shouldn’t take long (certainly not years) so you should have them free-roaming in no time 👍🏼🙂
@@TheBunniesBrigade thank you so much for helping me. 😁
Of course! 🙂
OMMMMGGGGGGG 🐇🐰🐇🐇
😅
Thanks ❣️ love from northeast India
Thanks for watching!
From all the videos I’ve watched about this, this is the most informative and detailed one. You are amazing thanks for your help! 🤍
So glad it was useful! Thanks so much for the lovely comment 😌
I’m not even sure if anyone will see this comment so late but will the random poops stop after getting a male sterilized?
Idk his age (flea market rescue) but ik he’s mature. He’s only peed on my bed once but never anywhere else outside his litter box. And he very rarely actually poops outside either just the random little pebbles…
Help! Can you free roam 1 of a bonded pair?? 2 years ago, I rescued 4 month old sibling lops from a mill, spayed at 11 months due to liver problems stalling anesthesia (they guessed toxins at the mill), and now they are 2 years, happy and very bonded, no medical problems (my first bunnies, so I bring them in every few months to check livers and teeth). Large apartment, totally free roam except for overnight they get a large bathroom with washable rug for grip, cat tree they love to sleep up in, even during the day, toys, hiding spots, XL cat litter with chopped hay for absorbancy and timothy, orchard, and meadow for snacking, with a baby gate to keep us apart (or Paloma will jump on the bed and pee next to my head when I sleep!) If I only had one bun, I'd be an expert, but they are SO different! Mariposa is skittish, only comes to me for treats, never grooms, but barely protests when I brush her, and is perfectly litter trained. Paloma grooms them both, is always underfoot and will take ANY version of petting on earth; she wants to pee everywhere, and if she can't get on my bed, she will do anything to pee next to it! She found several places in the apt she pees and now I have SEVEN XL cat litter boxes stuffed with hay (they also hate hay, so they get greens 2x a day, 1/4 cup pellets at night, some treats, and are healthy weights) and she'll still pee near the boxes, especially by my bed where there are 2 already! I have wall to wall carpet, so I Nature's Miracle spots (vinegar STINKS) and have put down a ton of plastic tablecloths and washable rugs to shield the constant peeing, but she'll pee on fresh, bare plastic floors too! I'd do ANYTHING to correct Paloma so they can stay free roam! My sweet boyfriend saw your latest video and sent me one of the big cat boxes with the hay "rack" you recommended, the extra pads, AND the little bottle brushes! Mariposa got it right away and Paloma goes in for treats and pets, but still will pee in any spot within 1 foot of my bed if given the chance or while looking at you! I never scold, but I will scoop her up into the nearest box when red-handed. She kicks the pee-soaked paper towels out of the boxes like a game!!!!!! Can I only free roam the trustworthy one? How do I get Paloma to only go in the boxes and can I ever eliminate some boxes? HELP!
Hey. We got your email and have sent you some advise to help with your situation 🙂. Let us know how Paloma gets on!
My bunny has peeing in the litter box down. But we’re still struggling with poop. He’s 7 months and was neutered a while ago. Any suggestions?
Few questions - Does he never ever poop in his box at all? Is he leaving piles of poopballs outside the box? Do you put his hay in/over the box? Also, does he have an enclosure or is he completely free roam?
@@TheBunniesBrigade He is in a smaller space for now.. I'm working on getting him completely trained so we can allow him to be free roam.. He has hay in his litter box. He does poop in the box while he's eating the hay. But when he is outside the little area he'll leave poop pile all about his area.
@@crystalpineda5482 So, I hope I'm understanding this - when he's roaming outside his area he leaves poops just outside? Like around the perimeter? It sounds territorial. It's pretty normal for them to leave poopballs all around their enclosure and even just outside, because it becomes so exclusively their space which encourages territorial behaviour. Free roaming will significantly reduce this.
Is it easy for him to get in and out of his area? Does he have to jump up or over anything? Is the floor slippery?
@@TheBunniesBrigade He doesn't free roam yet. He stays within an area that is blocked off by a puppy playpen. He has enough room to hop around and has two litter boxes inside. So I should allow him to start roaming outside of that space now?
@@crystalpineda5482 So he's leaving poops around area that he's blocked off in? As long as it's not literal, collective piles of poop that he's leaving, it's purely territorial. I would definitely allow him to roam outside, especially as he's peeing just fine in the box. Cos what's the worse that can happen? You have to sweep up a few poopballs? lol
My little dwarf .. knows where his litter tray is and directley heads over there to do his buisness! .. Sometimes it can be a hit and niss! 😁 .. But he knows .. that if his inside .. and has to go .. his tray box is waiting! .. Food incentives always help! 😉
Great to hear. Yep, tasty rewards are always the way! 👍🏼😉
I just had my bunny neutered a couple of days ago. Since he's been back he hasn't used to litter box to pee even once. He is peeing on the spot while eating his pellets suddenly, which he has never done before. All the poop is everywhere too but I can handle that, it's the never ending clean up of pee. I have wiped it up and put the paper in the litter box to remind him thats' where he needs to go but nothing has changed. This mustn't be very common, as the vet seemed dumbfounded
Hi, sorry to not reply sooner. How are you getting on with this now? Has there been any improvement? I'm wondering if it was just pain, or perhaps a hormone spike post-neuter. Peeing while eating is very unusual. If you're still having issues then I'd suggest speaking to a different vet. In the meantime, try putting his food bowl in his litter box. Also watch him carefully to catch him in the act, so you can move him.
My male rabbit is unneutered, is it still possible for me to litter train him without neautering him? 💕💕
Yes, but he will be more susceptible to accidents, especially as he comes of age and becomes territorial.
I got a baby bunny from a friend almost a week ago. I watched a lot of videos about potty training. I know its bad, but she has a small cage because theres no other option at my country. Everything from Amazon and Aliexpress is too expensive (due to the shipping). Ive discussed with my moms boyfriend that we can make her a cage on our own so we will probably do that. Shes out the whole day and is only in the cage if im working on something important or not home. When she first got here, she peed in her cage, but now ive found her not peeing in it anymore. She drinks a lot of water and pees only on my bed. First she peed on the corner and weve sprayed it with vinegar. She doesnt go there anymore, but yesterday she peed on me while i was on the bed and today she tried to pee again on me but i moved her in panic, so she ended up peeing on it again. She pees a lot and im kinda scared that shes holding it all in. Shes a month old so im not sure how much and how frequently they should pee. Ive tried setting up a litter box separately from the cage because i want her to be free-roaming completely since the x-pen are not available unless we make one on our own. My bed is now completely sprayed with vinegar because it seemed to help, but as you can imagine, its not really pleasant to sleep on that bed now. Im really trying my best with everything I have available. I rescued her from a friend because her older bunny kept mounting her and my bunny kept pulling the fur of the older one. She would be bound to go back to pet shop and be in a small cage the whole day, so i guess this is better than nothing
Only a month old when you got her!? At what age did your friend get her? 😳 This is really very sad to hear. No one should be selling rabbits that young! I've got to be honest with you, you may encounter a lot problems as she was taken from her mother far too early. How is her health so far? Have you had her checked out by a vet? She needs anti-parasitic medication. Rabbits need their mother's milk until they are 8 weeks of age or they can become underdeveloped both physically and mentally, they will also be vulnerable to disease and parasites. At this point (as I imagine she is now approaching 8 weeks) make sure she is on alfalfa hay and pellets as it'll help her grow.
It is no surprise to me that you are having problems with litter training. She has not had her mother to learn from. You could very well struggle with her training, even as she grows up because, as I say, she may have learning difficulties due to underdevelopment. Also, she is just too young right now to grasp the idea of holding it until the appropriate time (particularly when she was only 4 WEEKS old). Think of a human baby - we don't expect them to potty train straight away, they soil their nappy or wet the bed. Give her time and keep working with her. Wash your bed clothes in the washing machine and consider steam cleaning your mattress. Don't allow her on the bed until she is able to understand where she should be peeing.
A cage is actually fine for a rabbit so young and so tiny! Her free-roaming time should have been confined to a small area at that age. However, now she'll be getting to the point where you do want to provide her with a larger area. If x pens aren't an option, have you looked into NIC grids? They are marketed as an adaptable, expandable storage solution, but lots of people use them as bunny pens. You may be able to get them shipped to you for cheaper than a pen.
@@TheBunniesBrigade Hello and thank you for replying! She is now two months old and is doing great. I think we formed a great bond and she is actually sitting on me right now, licking my fingers so its hard to write hahah. I took her to the vet because i was scared she could have a problem with her ears since she was scratching them a lot, but he checked it out and said they were clean. He gave her anti-parasitic medicine and said to come again in a month for a check up. I was really scared since she is a mini lop and lop rabbits tend to have more problems with their ears, but thankfully she is okay.
Regarding the litter training, its been going better lately. I wouldnt say she is trained, but I limited accidents by not allowing her to jump on my bed anymore. It can be sometimes exhausting because she tends to jump on it a lot, but thats okay. I set up another cage and introduced it to her with treats so she sometimes goes there during the day. Especially on weekends when she is out a lot, I close her in there for around 5 minutes and she pees in it. Hopefully she will be able to learn when she grows up a little more. She had only a couple of accidents on the carpet when I limited the bed, but lately none!
Its scary since she is my first bunny and at that a little baby, but im really doing my best. I will check out your recommendation for grids hoppefully it wont be that expensive.
Thank you!
Your rabbits look exactly like mine
Great video! My neutered bunny is mostly toilet trained, except there is one couch that he consisting will try to pee on. I have a litter box placed right next to the couch, next to the side of the couch he usually pees on, but he consistently pee on that couch no matter what. He knows he’s not allowed to, and every time I catch him doing this, he goes back into the sunroom (it’s his area and it’s big and nice but he loves to be in the rest of the house with us). If he sees that I’m near, he does not pee on the couch, and he could be accident free for weeks, but as soon as I let my guard down, he repeats the crime 😂. What else can I do short of burning that couch?
Your problem is likely the fact he's already peed on it and it's soaked through and you've not been able to fully get the scent out. You could try steaming cleaning it, see if that makes a difference. A pet cover for it will reduce the irritation of it all. But, it might well be time to invest in a new one...😬 Leather might be a better option for you because it can be very tempting for some rabbits to pee on a plush materials (I'm personally not a fan of leather sofa's... But they look nice at least 🤷🏻♀️). Are you rewarding when he does pee in the litter box by the sofa? Training "off" may help so you can tell him "off!" when he jumps up but you're not close to supervise. Have you watched my clicker training video?
@@TheBunniesBrigade thanks for the tips! I will try steam cleaning and also try to really drench the darn fabric in vinegar 🤦♀️. I have watched your clicker training and will give it a try! I do reward him when I see him going in the litter box, but I’m sure there are plenty of times when he’s going in there and I’m not nearby to reward. Please make more videos. They are super helpful!
@@TheWangbaby You can use the luring and capturing methods I talk about in my clicker training video to train an "off" command. When he jumps up, either lure him off with a treat and click as soon as he jumps down, then give him the treat. So long as he doesn't pee on the sofa, you can also wait until he jumps down on his own and click and reward that.
We have a little doe who my husband has caught in the act of escaping several times. (Better, larger, safer, cage is under construction) she has never relieved herself on ANY of her adventures! Only in her cage
Haha, is she a baby? Babies are so good at escaping, they can just slide between bars like water 😆. This is a great example though of that prey instinct to keep their waste in one place that I was talking about. She should take to a litter box very easily.
@@TheBunniesBrigade she is! We moved her out of her more secure cage when she started fighting with her sister
It only took stardust a week to litter train do your bunnies like to sit in the litter box
Yeah, it can be very quick to train them because it's very instinctual behaviour. And yes, they all love to sit or lie in their litter box - it's cosy and it's a safe space 😌
@@TheBunniesBrigade he falls asleep in it too
Can anyone help me, I have a rabbit who has been living in a hutch for about 5 ish months now and I finally convinced my mum to let him live inside. He was litter trained when he was living in the hutch but now that I have brought him inside he is going to the toilet everywhere!!! He has a big cat litter tray with lots of hay and he is neutered. I don’t know what to do because if I don’t sort it out he has to go live back outside! Anyone help?
Just to clarify - he’s weeing everywhere? Does he have a pen?
@@TheBunniesBrigade He is mostly weeing and pooing on the corner of a carpet we have in the room, however he is doing in under a chair we have also but he isnt weeing there just poop. Also no he hasnt got a pen he is just in the living room at the moment but he doesnt ever leave the room he is in, even with the door open, he tends to stay in one area x
Ok, good to know. First of all, it sounds like the corner he’s weeing in is the corner he has decide he wants to go and you should definitely move the litter box there. It’ll be difficult to tell him otherwise. See how that goes, it’s likely that’ll fix your problem. The poops under the chair sound like they’re just territory marking - are these just a few or is he leaving large piles there?
Failing moving the litter box you should temporarily confine him in a pen on a wipeable surface, so you can monitor him and easily wipe up and neutralise wee puddles.
Did you watch the video? The “common problems” section of the video should help you a lot.
@@TheBunniesBrigade yes i did think i should move the litter tray, however where he keeps going is not in the corner of the room it is on the carpet in the middle of the room so thats not really an option. When he is pooping under the chair it is soft ones that then get sat on by him and make a mess, so they arent ones i can easily pick up xx
Sounds like cecotropes then. He may be overproducing. And if it’s not cecotropes his poops shouldn’t be soft anyway. May I ask what you’re feeding?
If you’re not happy with the litter box location, which I totally get why you wouldn’t be lol, I’d definitely suggest penning him in the area you want him to go, so he’s forced to find a new place. It could take several weeks, possibly a few months, for him to break the habit. Only let him out when you can give him your undivided attention, in order to correct him immediately if he tries to go in his usual spot.
RASINS AE TOXIC TO BUNNES!!!
I'm not sure where you heard this, but it is misinformation. Misinformation that I have seen spread around social media for some reason... It's sad to see people believe this because raisins are an incredibly useful training tool. Raisins are toxic to dogs, but they are perfectly safe for rabbits. They should, of course, be fed in moderation due to their high sugar content, but they are certainly not toxic and much healthier than many treats marketed for rabbits in pet shops. You certainly do not have to take my word for it though, I always encourage people to fact check anything they hear from others on the internet.
My rabbit uses the litter box often, but she also poops allllll over her xpen. Poop. Every. Where. Is this a marking behavior?
I have found that they will more frequently leave poops around in an xpen than if they are free roam. I believe it's due to it being a more defined space that they are able to be more possessive of.
Can u make video on how retrain the bunny
Use the exact same methods if you're in a situation where you need to retrain.
She is not getting trained
She is only trained to pee in box but not poop
I have to put her in cage for few hours then she automatically poops in
If I will keep it open
She does it all around the cage as well as litter box
She knows we’re she has to go
But she is naughty unless I shout she dsnt get in n do
Wat to do with such rabbits
We have spoken about your cage. Have you managed to get her an xpen yet? Please don’t ever shut her in a cage. Have you gotten her a larger litter box, compressed wood pellet bedding, and LOTS of hay, as we have previously discussed? If you are still using the same litter box you showed me then it is too small and she is therefore considering the whole cage as a litter box, which is perfectly normal. Now see it from her point of view... If she considers the whole cage a litter box, and you are shutting her in that cage, then you are essentially locking her in her bathroom.
What do you do if they chose the corner in front of the door….
Ah yeah, that can happen lol. You can put a litter box there and after they’ve been using the box for a bit (like a week or 2) gradually move it a little every couple of days, until it’s in a spot you’d prefer.
You may actually find that once they’re going in the box consistently you might be able to just move it somewhere completely different and they’ll continue to just go in the box instead of the corner. It depends on the rabbit and whether they’ve come to associate that the litter box is where they do their business and not actually that particular corner. You can also try temporarily blocking their access to that corner.
Man ir tėčiui patinka juodas triušis gal kada gyvenime jis bus pas mus ES jam stengsimės nupirkti žaislų kad jis negirdėtų o varda jau turim juodas ir vadinsim juodčkiu
We call it the "chew and poo"
Haha brilliant!
I can’t find any treats that my rabbit likes. He loves his morning veggies and his pellet food, but every treat I’ve bought, he’s rejected it
Things like raisins, berries, or small cubes of apple work great as treats. We tend to just use their pellets/nuggets for treats because they’re healthy and Pepper & Wally go crazy for them. A treat is anything that YOUR bunny values, it doesn’t have to be something that’s specifically marketed as a treat. If you are looking for treats in pet shops though, look for all natural ingredients and no seeds, nuts or dairy.
Also my bunny is a dwarf bunny who isnt even a kilo yet i cant find any pen he cant escape from
Try NIC grids
Ok love this video I need subs help my bunny goes in his litter box however when he gets on the couch he always pee's and poops. I am trying to free roam him but this is the only problem any suggestions? He is neutered the litterbox is huge he uses the litterbox when he is in x pen but when we let him out he goes on the couch!
Hey Rebecca, I've been having a good think about you're problem today. I've only had this happen with an unspayed bunny myself, and once she was spayed she completely stopped. I know it can happen sometimes though, even when they are fixed. Rabbits often like to pee on plush, absorbent surfaces. There's also a theory with peeing on beds or sofas that they do it cos it smells like you and they're being possessive of you. I do have some suggestions for you to try, but a couple more questions first:
- Does he pee the moment he jumps up on the sofa or is it after he's been hanging out on it for a few minutes?
- Does he go in the same spot every time?
- Is his litter box far from the sofa? Is it the other side of the room, or in a another room entirely?
@@TheBunniesBrigade He pees pretty quickly when he gets on the sofa the sofa. It isn't always in the same spot. His litter Box is on the other side of the room in his little x pen that we keep open when hes out.
@Rebecca Ray So obviously you have the option to just disallow him from jumping on the sofa, but I'm assuming you'd like him to come up on the sofa to see you. So, start with getting a waterproof cover or blanket on the sofa so accidents are easier to clean up and you don't have pee soaking into the cushion anymore, because he's smelling that and it's making him think it's fine to keep going there.
You should definitely try a 2nd litter box near the sofa - next to or in front of. There's a possibility that when he's outside his pen he either doesn't want to make the effort to go all the way over to the box or he doesn't want to go in his pen in case he gets shut in - obviously I dunno how long or how often he's confined to his pen, so I dunno how likely the latter would be. Nevertheless, in either of these cases he may be seeing the soft, absorbent sofa as a good place to relieve himself outside the pen and if that's true then a 2nd litter box may just do the trick. But then of course you do have a habit that's formed, so we need to break the habit...
If he really is peeing as soon as he jumps up and he's doing it every single time he's on the sofa, without fail, then I'd bet he _does_ have it in his head that "sofa is where you pee". Therefore, the moment he jumps up you need to pick him up and place him in the litter box you now have by the sofa (make sure it has some soiled litter in there). If you do that and he pees in the box then REWARD him IMMEDIATELY - always have treats near by! 😉
Make your first goal to get him where he can jump on the sofa under close supervision and he's only having the occasional accident. You should watch him like a hawk. If he jumps on the sofa, hangs out for a bit, and then jumps off without peeing at all reward him straight away for that. But if you see him start to lift his tail say, "NO!" and pick up him, put him in the litter box.
Be patient and stick with it. Rabbit's love routine so it can be difficult to break habits, but don't feel discouraged if you feel like you're having to do this all time, every day for weeks. The repetition will be helping!
... What if you can't afford to take them to the vet?
Please make sure you are financially able to provide your rabbit with veterinary care before you adopt. Taking out an insurance plan may be a good option if you are worried about a circumstance in which you won't be able to afford vet bills.
@@TheBunniesBrigade Obviously, but... it wasn't entirely by choice... This should be told to my mother...
My bunny is not spayed but she always poops out side her cage when she is litter train
She will step out pee n run
Wat does that mean
She will come to her litter cum cage n poop out n go very rarely she will go inside n do it
Wat shall I do
I cannot free roam as she creates mess
Plz advice?
Could be any number of reasons. Not being spayed could very likely be the cause. I highly recommend getting her spayed as soon as possible.
You say “cage”. Is it an actual cage or a pen? If it is a cage, she may be reluctant to be going in there because she worries she’ll be shut in when she does go inside. Cages don’t provide enough room for them. A pen in always best. Of course I can’t see your set up, so I could very easily be misinterpreting this. Have you tried placing a litter box outside the enclosure?
@@TheBunniesBrigade she is free roam
I put her in cage in night for sleep only
I don’t have much space for play pen
N in India there are not good rabbit savy doctor hence I cannot take chance with her life
I dnt close her in cage all time
It’s only during night time
When she wants to pee she goes some times inside also n does
I tried keeping litter box out too to the area were she poops
She stoped going there and very rarely use to pee there but yes when litter box was not there she use to prefer going to that location we’re I started keeping litter box
I am just confused Wat she wants?
@@TheBunniesBrigade today I came back home n mom told me she locked the cage as she pooped all out
I came opened the cage n mom was right
She came out pooped all around the area
M so confused wats wrong all of sudden
Offcourse no body likes cage but she is out most of time
Rest in India infra is not so good nor safe to keep them open unsupervised
Can u suggest me some solution
@@TheBunniesBrigade m so confuse even if litter box is out she will rarely go there and when it’s not there she will pee there
For play pen I dnt have space nor I can afford
I try my best to keep her open as much I can do
But when she starts pooping all around m left with no option
N y coming out of cage n pooping when she is inside already
Your litter box may be too small if it is one that fits inside a cage. And I can only really say again, that she probably doesn’t want to be shut in the cage. A cage is too small even at night. From her perspective she is shut in a small space for roughly 6 hours (depending on how long you sleep for). That’s just too long when they are crepuscular animals - meaning they don’t sleep through the night, they sleep periodically and therefore very conscious of the space they are in for all that time. Being consistently cooped up for prolonged periods will contribute to destructive behaviour. I appreciate the space dilemma though, I know many people sadly don’t have the luxury of space. What I usually suggest to people who don’t feel they’re able to make room for a pen, is to bunny-proof a whole room or area of your home that you can fence off for her. I have a video on bunny-proofing that can help you with that.
Regarding spaying. I believe there are some rabbit rescues in India. Research and reach out to those for recommendations on vets they trust to do the surgery. You may have to travel quite far, but it will almost definitely help with your issue AND prolong her life, as almost all unspayed female rabbits develop uterine cancer.
My rabbit will be outside indoor in kennel at night until she adjusts to being outside in cage
May I ask why you are moving her outside? We don't recommend housing outside if they are a lone rabbit as rabbits are extremely social animals. Please also be aware that outside housing should be a large shed and/or aviary that is well insulated, provides plenty of shade, and secure from predators.