Littertraining RAWR!!

[Photoesque]

Ok, littertraining..

TELL ME ALL THAT YOU KNOW!!
I'm freaking out!

My old bunny Thumper never went to the bathroom out of the litterbox. I didn't have to train him. I got pretty lucky =]

So now I have Ruby who doesn't use the littlebox, AT ALL.
She uses the bathroom (numbers 1 and 2) in her food bowl, in the cage, on her blanket, in her carrier, on her chair, on my bed, on ME! ANYWHERE BUT THE STUPID LITTERBOX!

I put food and hay in her littlebox, I even put an old blanket in there! But nothing. I'm going to get her fixed as soon as I come up with the money but, what if she still doesn't go in her littlebox?

[Luckybunny]

I know how frustrating it is. Molly was perfect with her litterbox from the day we got her. She only had accidents when the litterbox was being cleaned or she couldn't get to it for some reason. Now she is a total slob. She is 7 months now a goes everywhere and it really smells bad...musky or skunky. She sprays everytime we go near her cage. The smelly bunny gets spayed tomorrow and I certainly hope that will fix the problem. Getting a new bunny brings on different behaviors that I never had to deal with before. Our first bunny can only walk on carpet so we have an area rug and that is the only place he goes...therefore bunnyproofing was not an issue. Molly goes everywhere and gets into everything. Hang in there. I'm sure she will eventually get the hang of using a litterbox...but it is a lot of work for you in the meantime.

[Dragonrain]

For litter training I always recommend the same three things...

1. Give them time - especially if it's a new bunny, or a young one. You wouldn't expect a baby human to be potty trained, don't expect it from a baby rabbit either. Babies are messy, and that includes baby rabbits. Also, when rabbits are in new environments, they will often go to the bathroom all over the place, to mark their territory.

2. Get them fixed - most of the time it greatly improves their litterbox habits.

3. Make sure to keep hay in their litterbox - Bunnies like to multitask, they usually poo while they are eating. I only put hay in my rabbits litterbox, and no where else in the cage, because where ever they eat hay, they go to the bathroom. That means having to clean the litterbox alot, and I give my rabbits fresh hay twice a day - because they won't eat the hay they go to the bathroom on. But it's worth it, because then instead of having to clean poo and pee out of the whole cage, I only need to clean the box.

Good luck! Ruby is young, she'll learn eventually. You should have seen the messes Zeus use to make when he was a baby.

[Photoesque]

Thank you, thank you! =]

I hope that within time, she will learn.

Also, when is it ok for her to get fixed? Age I mean.

[kathydip]

Penelope was the best when it came to using a litter box -but she was at least over a year when I got her and I had her spayed quickly.
Oliver and Ophelia were about 3 months old when we got them. Ophelia was the worst! She never pee'd in her box. It was awful. She pee'd right next to the box and it would go under it. I have said this before and I know that people may not believe me but I swear from the day I brought her home from her spay she always used her box.
Oliver was pretty good even before his neuter.
Teddy has steadily improved since his neuter but he was also at least a year old when I got him.
Teddy is finally not pooing outside of the other buns rooms. He liked to show off for the girls. I keep telling him that pooing does not impress the girls.

Baby bunnies can definitely be a handful - but they are worth it!

[Luckybunny]

I would suggest between 5 - 6 months or before they show sexual behaviour and spraying. In my mind I figure since Molly started spraying it might be a learned behavior and hard to break her of it. If she hadn't got sick...she would have been done two months ago. I guess time will tell...she comes home tomorrow. Save up the $$$ and try to get it done sooner rather than later.........if that's what you decide of course.