Do you want to let your pet rabbit jump around the house but are worried about finding its droppings everywhere? Don't worry anymore. Rabbits are clean animals by nature, and training a rabbit to use a litter basket isn't as difficult as you might think. Get all the things you need and a litter basket, then teach your rabbit to use them.
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Part 1 of 4: Setting Up Equipment
Step 1. Buy a garbage collection basket
Baskets/boxes/trays designed for rabbits have a higher back (to prevent the droppings from jumping out as he picks it up) and a lower front (to make it easier for the rabbit to jump in). You may need to purchase several baskets or trays so you can place them in different parts of the house and replace them easily while cleaning and removing debris from them.
You don't have to use a special litter basket for rabbits. You can also use a cat litter basket with a lower front, or even a shallow cardboard box (just be prepared to change it regularly as it will bite your rabbit)
Step 2. Prepare the newspaper
Use newspaper to line the bottom of the basket, so it can be cleaned easily.
Most newspapers today use soy-based ink, which is non-toxic to rabbits, but be sure to always check before use. Newspaper ink can also stain your rabbit's paws, making them black or gray
Step 3. Choose the right sand
Choose a rabbit-safe material, such as paper-based sand or unvarnished aspen wood scraps. Do not use pine or spruce wood, as these are coated in oil which can harm the rabbit's lung health.
Do not use clay-based sand or cat litter that clumps together. If your rabbit eats this material, it can block its digestive tract
Step 4. Buy a cage
The rabbit's cage should be three to six times larger than its body. The first step in training a rabbit is to put it in a cage with food, water, and hiding places on one side, and a litter basket on the other. This limited space will encourage your rabbit not to contaminate his home, as well as to defecate in the basket.
Step 5. Prepare good quality straw
Use the straw to pull the rabbit into the litter basket. Rabbits often chew during bowel movements, so this will encourage them to use the litter basket.
Step 6. Purchase a special dirt and disinfectant shovel
You should remove the sand that has been filled with rabbit urine every day. The entire basket also needs to be cleaned with a disinfectant at least once a week. Use a disinfectant that is sold specifically for small animals.
Part 2 of 4: Preparing the Manure Basket and Cage
Step 1. Prepare the litter box
Cover the bottom with newspaper folds. Cover the newspaper with about 2.5 cm of dirt-holding sand. Rabbits don't bury their feces like cats do, so you don't need to put a deep layer of sand in the litter basket.
Step 2. Place some rabbit droppings in the basket
Collect a few grains of rabbit droppings and place them in the litter basket. These droppings will give your rabbit an odor that the rabbit recognizes as a perfect place to defecate.
Step 3. Prepare the waste collection basket in the cage
Place the manure basket in one corner of the side of the cage, and spread some fresh hay on top, or hang a hay rack at the end of the cage right near the manure basket. Rabbits like to eat during their bowels, so a few straw sticks will grab their attention and encourage them to come closer.
Step 4. Prepare the bed and feed in the cage
Place the bunny bed on the other side of the basket and prepare food, water, and hiding places. That way he can hide and feel safe.
Step 5. Place the litter box elsewhere in the house
Place a few boxes in your bunny's play area. The more litter boxes you have, the more likely your rabbit will use one.
Before introducing your rabbit to a litter basket for the first time, take a look and pay attention to where he usually defecates. Usually, in the back corner. Once you know where your rabbit likes to defecate, place a litter basket there
Part 3 of 4: Training Your Rabbit
Step 1. Start training your rabbit as soon as you bring it home
Adult rabbits will learn faster than young rabbits (under 4 months of age). Even so, it's never too early to start training him to poop. Get a litter basket ready as soon as you bring your rabbit home, and start teaching him how to use it. Be patient and eventually your rabbit will understand.
At first, when your rabbit is pooping outside the litter basket, pick up the litter and place it in the basket to indicate where it should be
Step 2. Consider spaying your rabbit
Adult rabbits that are not spayed have a greater sense of control, and they will use their scent to declare their territory. This also includes spreading feces and urine around the house, using the smell as a marker of territory. Spaying the rabbit will make it easier for you to train it, because the feeling of mastering it will be much less.
Step 3. Teach your rabbit to use the litter basket in its cage
At first, putting the rabbit in the cage along with the litter basket will be helpful, as the rabbit will learn not to soil its food and bedding. You'll only need to do this step for a few days -- once your rabbit gets the hang of it, you can start removing it.
Step 4. Let your rabbit out of the cage for some time
When you let him play, if he squats down to pee, gently pick him up and place him in the litter basket in his cage. A sign that a rabbit is about to pee is to raise its tail slightly in the air. You should watch out for this move, as it will be very helpful if you catch it in time.
In the early stages of training, don't let your rabbit go outside for more than ten minutes at a time, and don't allow your rabbit to play unsupervised indoors (because you need to catch him before he pees). Once he starts using the litter basket regularly, you can let your guard down a bit and let him play more freely
Step 5. Compliment your rabbit after using the litter basket
Never yell at or scold your rabbit if he is not using one of the baskets you have prepared. Positive encouragement is a more beneficial form of exercise.
Offer him a small reward, such as an apple or carrot, as soon as he manages to use the litter basket. This will make him realize the positive relationship between bowel movements and baskets
Step 6. Adjust the number of waste collection baskets
Once your rabbit starts using the basket regularly, you can reduce the number of baskets or change their position as needed.
For example, if your rabbit uses only two litter baskets and neglects the other, you can get rid of the excess. If your rabbit ignores one basket but is defecating in a place 1 m away from it, move the basket to that place
Part 4 of 4: Cleaning the Basket and Troubleshooting
Step 1. Clean the dirty parts of the basket
Once a day, remove the sand that is exposed to urine. It's okay to leave the rabbit droppings for a day or so as the smell is a signal for the rabbit to go back to the litter.
Step 2. Do not remove all the dirt particles from the dirty basket
When cleaning the dung-collecting sand, look for large, moist-looking dirt grains made up of partially digested food. Leave this litter in the basket for the rabbit to re-eat, so it can get the essential nutrients. Without these droppings, your rabbit can suffer from indigestion and diarrhea, as well as long-term nutritional deficiencies.
Step 3. Clean the basket thoroughly
Once a week, empty all the contents of the waste basket and clean it. Just throw the entire contents into a plastic bag, tie it tightly, and throw it in the trash. Clean the basket with a disinfectant, rinse thoroughly, and dry. Then recreate the basket with newspaper and sand to collect the dirt.
Vet clinics or pet stores sell disinfectants that are safe to use around pets
Step 4. Clean up if your rabbit has the wrong bowel movements
Just deal with the accident, and then clean the place well, so your rabbit doesn't keep pooping in the wrong places. Use a biological cleaning solution or powder and wipe with a clean sponge or cloth. Then rinse with clean water.
- Don't yell or punish your rabbit. Rabbits learn nothing from punishment, except to fear the person who punishes them.
- When cleaning the dirt, always check whether the color of your carpet is faded or not.
Step 5. Get rid of any lingering odors
Pour the baking soda solution onto the carpet, then rinse with clean water. If the surface is smooth, such as tile, finish by wiping it down with medical alcohol.
Do not use cleaning products that contain bleach. This ingredient contains ammonia, which is one of the constituents of urine, and can actually amplify the smell
Tips
- Make sure the sides of the litter basket allow the rabbit to pass easily in and out.
- Talk softly to your pet rabbit.
- If your rabbit loses his habit of urinating in the basket, limit the play area. This should fix the problem. Barriers for puppies are often useful in these cases to partially cover the play area until proper bowel habits are restored.
- Some rabbits choose a particular type of litter box or litter box. If your rabbit uses a different basket from where it used to live, try setting up the same basket in your home.
- Be sure to prepare a good cage.
Warning
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Avoid softwood, corncobs, clay sand and lumps. Sand collecting dirt from soft wood that smells like pine or spruce will release gases that cause liver and respiratory tract disorders. This can lead to chronic asthma and respiratory disease, and reduce your rabbit's ability to take standard medications for him.
- Dust that is inhaled from clay sand can irritate the rabbit's nose and eyes and form lumps in the lungs, making them more susceptible to respiratory diseases. If your rabbit inhales clumps of grit or corncob grit, solid lumps can form in his digestive tract, making it clogged and often fatal.
- Even if you don't see your rabbit eating the sand, don't assume it's safe. Rabbits are pets that need to be carefully cared for, and they may inhale the sand particles stuck to their fur.
