You woke up one morning and found that your bunnies did not make your living room dirty with their poops and there is no urine odor.
I have experienced the quite opposite though when my bunny came home for the first time.
But, fortunately, my experience with my rabbits have taught me how to potty train a rabbit fast, which you are going to learn in this article.
Dealing with a couple of cute rabbits have taught me how to litter train a bunny to accept a potty or litter box in a short time that I have shared in this article.
As someone wise once said:
The only source of knowledge is the experience.
Lucky for you as you do not have to wait for the experience. After you finish reading this article and apply all the techniques I have suggested, your rabbit will soon stop using your house as a large litter box.
AND you will save yourself from the nuisance of cleaning rabbit poops here and there and become an excellent rabbit guardian.
Skip to section
Can rabbits be potty trained?
The answer is YES. Rabbits are very intelligent animals and can quickly adopt new habits.
It is all about building a spayed or neutered rabbit’s habit of using a litter box. Rabbits can be taught so many tricks.
But depending on rabbit breeds and a rabbit’s age the time for them to acquire all the new habits may vary.
How to potty train a rabbit fast and spare yourself from the cleaning nuisance?
Start with a litter box filled with timothy hay and a layer of newspaper at the bottom to soak all the urine.
Then leave some rabbit poops in the litter box for your rabbits to realize it’s their toilet.
Next place the litter box where your rabbits prefer to go for pooping and urinating.
Now continue reading for a more elaborate understanding on how to litter train a bunny in a free range environment. As well as if you want to discover how to litter train a bunny in a hutch read here.
Now that I have your attention:
First, understand this litter training or teaching your rabbit to use the potty as a toilet is not difficult at all.
As well as to teach your rabbit to use the litter tray/potty, you have to spay/neuter your rabbits first. Without this first step, litter training the baby bunnies will be extremely hard.
However, you as your rabbits’ guardian you have to be patient during the training period.
Because rabbits are a habitual animal. You have to allow them the time to build their habit of using the potty.
Once they have acquired the habit of going to the litter box/potty when necessary, your rabbits or bunnies will stop using your house as a large litter box.
Although I definitely did not want my house to be the bunny’s large litter box, she did not realize that in the beginning.
But occasionally you will find even potty trained rabbits poop here and there in your house for several reasons which I will explain later in this article.
How to litter train a bunny and keep your house clean?
As I said litter training your bunnies are all about giving them the time to build their new habit. You as the guardian have to assist them as well to build the habit.
How can you teach them good manners?
Here’s the deal:
You have to limit your bunnies running space or restrict them in a smaller space from the beginning to litter train them.
In this post, I will particularly only talk about litter training a rabbit in the house or in a cage-free environment.
Now:
The restricted zone can be a room in your house, or a playpen or even a hutch. Within the restricted space put a litter box in a corner.
Or maybe two litter boxes in two corners as your desire. Do you know why I said to place the litter box/potty in the corners? Because rabbits usually consider the corners as their toilet.
Next:
Observe your rabbit how s/he behaves within the constrained room or the playpen and where s/he goes to the toilet.
If your rabbit uses the litter box, then it is great that she is already getting used to with the litter training and adapting to a new habit.
However, if your rabbits don’t go anywhere near the potty and use any other corner of your room as his/her toilet, you have to deal with that.
Some stubborn rabbit really does not like to build new habits.
How do you bargain with this behavior without forcing them?
You simply set the litter box/potty in the corner where your rabbit prefers to go to the toilet. Upon observing that and once you have spotted the corner you have to shift the rabbit litter box in the one specific corner.
It is much better if you use more than one litter box. Now frequently keep an eye on your rabbit within the enclosed area of your rabbits.
If they are not using the litter box at all, then it is the time you take steps and teach them some manner.
Obviously, you cannot be so harsh on these small cute animals due to the reason rabbits get nervous very easily.
How do you discipline stubborn rabbits and ensure they get potty trained?
All that you have to do now is:
When you see your rabbit is pooping or urinating everywhere except the potty/litter box, promptly move them and place them in the litter box once you see them.
As well as take some of their droppings and leave it in the litter box to show them where they must go when its toilet time.
And after you place them on the potty slowly pet them and admire them for being a good bunny. Your rabbit will love the pet and begin to realize what was the purpose of petting.
Once s/he realizes that the litter box is the only place where s/he must poop and pee, he/she will stop making your house dirty.
We are what we repeatedly do.
Success is not an action
But a HABIT.
-Aristotle
Similarly, while litter training your baby bunnies the rabbit litter box you provide for them will play an important role in comprehending them the litter box as a toilet.
Hence later in the article, I have written on bunny litter box ideas.
Finally, once you are satisfied with your rabbits’ behavior that he/she has learned to use the potty as required, you can slowly increase your rabbits’ territory.
Expand the area she is restricted to.
But there’s a catch:
Do not rush to expand you rabbits territory to the full house, that will overwhelm your rabbits and then s/he will break out of the habit of using the potty/litter box and start pooping and urinating anywhere she finds it comfortable.
Hence it is very important to slowly expand a bunnies territory. Using a rabbit pen is extremely helpful in situations like these. Read here about the best rabbit playpen.
Potty training a rabbit will be even easier for you if you continue reading this article.
How long does it take to litter train a rabbit?
Litter training a rabbit doesn’t take very long. Potty training a rabbit may take up to one week or more. But in some cases, it is difficult to teach a stubborn rabbit.
For some rabbits, it might take a lot longer to train them on how to use a potty. In that situation, you have to be very patient and let your rabbit develop the habit.
In general, a bunny will take more or less a week to learn and you will have to gradually increase the bunny’s territory in order to improve her manner.
Neither It is going to happen overnight nor without your proper observation. You have to observe your rabbit behavior and pet your rabbits when they do the right thing.
It wouldn’t be very difficult as you may think but will require your patience.
In the case of headstrong rabbits that do not want to use the litter box/potty as their toilet, you will have to give more than a week.
Some naughty rabbits will kick the litter out of the litter box, and some may stand on the edge of the litter box to spray urine out of the potty.
In such cases like that, you can use a litter box with a cover or urine guard. Read more about this in the next subhead.
Bunny litter box ideas.
Now that you already know how to potty train a rabbit fast, you might be asking which is the best bunny litter box or some bunny litter box ideas.
These following paragraphs are all about the bunny litter box.
See bunny litter boxes must be large enough to comfy your rabbits. Do not buy a litter tray that is too small.
If the litter tray is too small for your rabbits, then you rabbits will definitely not use it as a potty. To train them to use a potty you have to buy a litter tray that is big enough.
Commercial rabbit litter trays sold in pet stores are often too small, and I never buy one of those. It has been always a waste of money purchasing those litter boxes.
So which is the perfect litter tray for rabbits?
Cat litter boxes or any large tray from hardware stores that is compatible with your rabbits’ size.
Choose litter trays with a hood or maybe high side rails that way it will prevent your rabbits from spraying urine outside of the tray.
I find this litter tray for cats which can be used for rabbits as well to be the perfect shape and size >>> Litter box for bunnies.
How to place rabbit litter and tray to keep your rabbits unharmed?
Now that you already know which litter tray to buy and which litter is most suitable for your rabbit, you have to now fill up the tray for your rabbit so that your rabbit understand it is their go-to place for a pee or to dump their droppings.
The first layer in the litter box must be newspapers so that the newspapers will soak all the urine. Bed the newspaper first and then fill up the tray with the second layer of rabbit litter.
Rabbit litters also do the same task absorbing all the urine similar to the newspaper. But rabbit litter can control the odor of rabbit urine, unlike newspapers.
Carefresh rabbit litter has excellent reviews of controlling the ammonia smell for days.
Hence rabbit litter is a must. Though some people do not use rabbit litter. It is also fine to use only newspaper but it will not control the strong smell of rabbit urine.
That’s not all:
The final layer in your rabbit litter tray will be an inch of timothy hay. Do not use any other hay. Plainly Timothy Hay is the best option here.
Learn more about >>> The best rabbit hay.
Do not use dusty hay because that will do more harm to your rabbits’ health. As your Rabbits’ guardian do you want something that is unsafe for them?
Once you are done with these three layers, place some rabbit poops in it and maybe use some hay that is soaked in rabbit urine already.
Finally, station your litter box/tray/potty in the most suitable area of your rabbits’ training zone. That way your rabbit will understand that it is a potty for them.
What to use for rabbit litter for risk-free health?
I see many people use a different kind of stuff as an alternative to rabbit litter. But trust me on this, while saving a few bucks not buying harmless rabbit litter, you are actually risking your rabbit’s health.
You must always use organic litter which is made only for rabbit litter boxes. Do not use cat litter for the rabbit because rabbit often eats the litter, and cat litters are unhealthy for your rabbits.
Always buy rabbit litters that are made from alfalfa, oats, or citrus. Because once your rabbits are properly trained they will spend a lot of time in the litter box.
So you must only choose the best litter for your rabbits.
Due to the reason rabbit urine has a strong smell a citrus flavor litter will absorb all the urine preventing your house from smelling like pee.
I always choose all natural CAREFRESH brand litter for rabbits. If Carefresh rabbit litter is not available at your nearest pet store then look for Yesterday’s News litter.
But ordering them online is always cheaper. Go here:
If none of these two are available at your favorite pet store you can always find them in Amazon.
How often should you clean your rabbit litter box?
There is no time limit for when you must clean a rabbits litter box, however, the more often you clean their litter box the happier your bunnies will be.
A clean litter box encourages rabbits to use them. Therefore to avoid intended accidents it is best to clean the litter box once every week.
You can use the rabbit poops as fertilizers for plants. Next, simply use white vinegar to soak wet the litter box.
White vinegar is perfect for removing any urine stains. Do not use any soap or smelly chemical to clean their litter box because rabbits are very sensitive to smells.
If the litter box smells like soap, your rabbits will definitely avoid using the litter box.
So don’t be surprised to see your bunnies not using the litter box as a potty anymore once you have washed the litter box with soap.
Is cat litter safe for rabbits?
Many rabbit guardians have a cat in the house together with their rabbits. So, it may come into their mind to use cat litter for their rabbits’ litter box as well.
So do you think whether can you use cat litter for bunnies?
The answer is an absolute NO-NO for rabbits. Due to the fact rabbits may chew in their litter, cat litter can be fatal for your rabbits.
Clay cat litters are made from materials that can cause lungs and liver problems for your rabbits. Any dusty litter must be avoided to keep your rabbits healthy.
Choose Carefresh rabbit litter or if you want litter for both your cats and rabbits together then purchase Yesterday’s News cat litter only.
Yesterday’s News cat litter is recommended for both rabbits and cats because it is paper-based.
Conclusion:
Litter training a rabbit is not a difficult task. As rabbits are a habitual animal, it requires only time to build this habit in rabbits.
If you are willing to teach your rabbit some good manners, you have to be patient too during the process.
In this article, I have written about litter training a rabbit in the house.
Overall, the takeaway from this article is about the process of how to potty train a rabbit fast.
However, if you are interested in learning how to litter train a rabbit in a hutch – Click Here.
Some people may prefer to keep their rabbits in a hutch most of the time, so for people who like to keep their rabbit in a hutch, it is equally important for them to litter train the rabbits.
Want your rabbit to be happy and healthy?
Click here to order the ebook How to raise healthy & happy rabbits!
Need other things for your rabbit?
Click on the links below for:
Rabbit food
Rabbit Toys
Rabbit cages and houses
Rabbit health and hygiene
thank for the info you guys gave me
When you first let her into the training area, stay in the room. When she leaves droppings on the floor, immediately put both bunny and the droppings in the litter box. Tell her what a good bunny she is and pet her. Spend as much time as you can with her and when you have to leave, put her back into her cage or enclosure. A baby gate (not light plastic) works well to divide a room into a manageable space. Repeat this often until she has the training room mastered. Only then can you let her out into another room.
When I was a kid, we had a beautiful giant lop-eared rabbit. He was an inside rabbit and was totally potty trained. Came across this article while looking on how to potty train my toddler and got some happy flashbacks. Thanks!
Thank you so much!! Five days ago I welcomed a beautiful bunny into my family Unfortunately, he was not potty trained what-so-ever. The last four days have been constant cleaning up messes and trying to get him to use his corner litter box (the tiny one from petco). This morning after reading this post I ran to get a large aluminum tray which I filled with some bedding and hay. It immediately worked! He uses it all the time.
Really glad to hear that the techniques are working for your bunny. Rabbits are smart animal and they can learn very fast! You as a rabbit guardian have to train your rabbits in their way.
Teaching in their way means you have to understand a rabbit’s behavior first and then try to discipline them.
Hi, we have an almost one year old holland lol. He is leisure box trained for urine and does poop in his two litter boxes, one in his large cage and one is out in a corner of the room where he is able to roam. He is very inconsistent. He will hop on a box to poop and then a few min later he will hope off and move around and leave several dropping’s. He is inconsistent. We have put him on the box, given love and treats and still almost a year later he doesn’t consistently use the box. However we he roams around the rest of the Josie, never an accident, just inconsistent on one room. Help, what can we be doing to have him use the box consistently.
Hi, so we just brought home a baby Flemish giant who is only 6 weeks old so we can’t get him neutered yet. He is in my daughters room. Is it even worth trying to potty train him now? So far we do have a large box with the paper pellets and Timothy hay and whenever he pees on the carpet we soak it up with a paper towel and toss it in the box along with any droppings and then we place him in the box but he hasn’t gone it once to pee or poop only to eat his hay. Even though we can’t get him fixed yet should we still continue to try and litter train him? Also is a bedroom too big of roaming area or should we block half of it? Thank you!
Training will need to begin within the first few days of introducing your rabbit to your home. At first your bunny will be shy and hide, but after some time it will become more and more curious and will want to explore its environment.