litter training

Desexing your bunny

Another important part of litter training your bunny is that desexed bunnies are pretty much guaranteed to use them but
undesexed bunnies will have a tendency to ignore them as they will prefer to mark territory (as do cats & dogs). I have to
say though that I was one young bright spark and although I didn't get desexed until I was over 2 I used my tray from 8
weeks of age (so that's just a rough guide - you'll have to see how you go).

Chew & poo

After you have your litter tray, line it with newspaper and top with good quality grass or oaten hay. Oaten hay is the best
option but grass hay is good too. The hay works well in litter trays because it stays up higher so little feet don't touch
anything wet below and entices the bunny to jump in and use the tray as a "poo & chew station".

Where to place the tray

Place the tray somewhere your bunny looks interested in (usually a corner of a room). If the area is too open, your bunny
might feel a bit unprotected at first so you'll have to judge how your bunny is dealing with indoor situations.

Never scold

If your bunny wees somewhere other than the tray don't scold your bunny as this will do more harm than good. Just move
the tray to the spot they used (you might need more than one tray at the beginning). Litter training may take some time at
first but it's amazing how many of us catch on straight away.

Cat litter

Many people tend to use cat litter in rabbit litter trays. Rabbits see their litter trays as a comfort zone to play in, chew stuff
& just happen to go to the toilet there as well. By using cat litter, your rabbit will inevitably ingest the product because
that's what bunnies do! Rabbits use their teeth to test out wat's around them & will eat whatever is in front of them. All cat
litters are designed to absorb liquid & swell. Just imagine what it would do sitting in a rabbit's stomach!! If you use cat
litter in your bunny's tray (particularly the clay variety), chuck it out & get some hay!!! (for the health of your rabbit!!)

Changing the tray

The contents of your bunny's tray should be changed every day, paper & all. If it wasn't changed every day, the tray would
start to smell and your bunny will not eat the soiled hay. By keeping a close eye on your rabbit's litter tray daily, you'll
know whether the tray has been used. If the tray hasn't been used, then something may be wrong with your bunny.

Cleaning

Cleaning & scrubbing out litter trays can be done as much as you like. Only use water or a weak vinegar solution to clean
trays. Rabbits are very sensitive creatures and strong chemicals should never be used near a rabbit.

Patience

Every bunny can be litter trained! Yes it's true - we're pretty bright
you know! The best advice I can give if you are going to litter train
your house bunny, is to keep trying.

The tray

First thing you'll need is a plastic tray - you can get all sorts of
trays from the Reject Shop, Bunnings, $2 shops & The
Warehouse for really cheap prices. Make sure you get an
appropriate size for your bunny (not too small) and if you're buying
one for a baby bunny, remember it will grow! (I went through about
3 different trays by the time I grew up).