The Truth About Litter Training Unspayed Rabbits

An unspayed rabbit would have the urge to mark their territory in general or if they ever smell a new scent in it. For this reason, it is important to keep their litter box as clean as possible. Frequent litter box changes and cleaning with an enzymatic cleaner can help reduce the chance of your rabbit marking their territory in this way.

As a matter of fact, spaying your rabbit will remove this urge, it is still entirely possible for your rabbit to be litter trained.

It may seem impossible at first, but it’s easy once you and your rabbit got the hang of it. The important things are continuous learning and supervision.

What is spaying and why should my rabbit go through with a procedure?

Spaying removes the negative behavioral effects one would usually experience from sexual maturity, this includes marking and general aggressiveness when faced with other rabbits/animals.
Since rabbits are very territorial, you might see them often challenging other animals when they get too close to their ‘home’.

Unfortunately, they display unruly behavior that causes damage to the said home. Damage means multiple instances of marking and other accidents.

Is it possible to litter train my rabbit despite being unspayed?

Yes, it is! While it may take longer than normal due to their territorial and primal urges, it is still possible to train them.
You need to be consistent and driven to get them to use their litter box. And don’t dilly-dally! Getting started at a young age will save you a good deal of accident clean-ups!

Should I spay my rabbit?

That is a conversation that you should have with your veterinarian. In my experience, they highly recommend this procedure as it contains multiple benefits but they wouldn’t force it if you don’t want to.
But if your rabbit is highly territorial due to sexual maturity and it’s causing massive problems for you then you should highly consider this procedure.

Things to consider before litter training my rabbit

It’s much better to start this as early as possible. After all, there’s only so much that you can clean without correcting their behavior.
But before that, there are things that you must prep for the process to go smoothly. While it’s no easy task to litter train your rabbit, the process will be less difficult if everything’s prepared.

Getting a good litter box

Bunnies like having enough space to move around so you need to buy a pretty big one. And if you have a bonded pair of rabbits, make sure that they can both fit in it with enough room to spare.
You don’t even have to get one that’s specifically for bunnies. It’s easy to just get a cat litter box to ensure that there’s enough space.

If you have a significantly large house, try setting up multiple litter boxes to ensure that your rabbit can easily access one wherever they are.

Getting the right litter

Properly filling in the litter box

Rabbits can be pretty sensitive about how much litter they want/need every time they go potty. If you’re unsure, try testing it out by putting one inch of litter, or even other types of litter.
You can add more if it’s not enough but refrain from putting too much as your rabbit will start to dig and make a mess. If this happens, they might just stop using the litter box entirely.

Be prepared to clean up any accidents

Your rabbit uses scent to track down which way is the bathroom. For example, if they peed on a small corner, they would continually go potty on that corner because they smelled their pee/poop on it.

That’s why you need to clean up any accidents before they start to register that it’s okay to go potty in that place.

If you’re having trouble getting rid of the smell, try using a mix of water and vinegar. Just make sure to avoid using any scented soaps as it’ll only attract your rabbit to go there again.

Starting the litter training

Now that you’ve factored in a lot of things, you are now well prepared to take on the task of litter training your bunny.

Choose a location

Designate a specific area in your house for training. It’s good if it’s a small room without carpeting, it would be hard to wash the carpet if your rabbit has any accidents there.
Your bunny would be confined in that room for a long time. They need to know where to go potty and should be consistent with their learning.
They cannot go out of the room unless they’re always using the litter box for urination.

Set up the litter box

The bunny

Always supervise your rabbit when the training is in session. If you see that they’re exhibiting signs of going to the bathroom, put them inside the litter box.
If it’s too late, you can still put the poop onto the litter box just to let your bunny know where exactly is their bathroom.

Remember, they can only go out once they mastered going into the litter box in the training room. If you need to leave, let them roam in a small enclosure or let them rest in the cage.
Just make sure to come back immediately so they won’t forget the training sessions. You must do this for a few hours every day.

Expanding the area

Once they have mastered the training room, repeat the process until they master every room in your house, it’s all about consistency.
You can even set up multiple litter boxes now. Just make sure that they’re all easily accessible and comfortable to be in.

Tips and tricks to further instill the right potty behavior

Do not, under any circumstance, punish them while they’re in training. Rather, try and reward them every time they use the litter box. No negative feelings should be associated with using a litter box.

• Let the litter box stay dirty while they’re in the process of learning. Remember, they track the bathroom using their scent. Having poop in the litter box is an indication that it should be their potty place.
• Speaking of, you should also clean up any accidents as soon as possible. It’s difficult once they’re already set on the idea that this area is their bathroom when it shouldn’t be.
• If your rabbit is very fidgety and ends up moving the litter box a lot, try using a clamp so that it would stay in position.
• You can also time their water and food intake. That way, you’re aware of what time they’re most likely going to urinate/poop. Be on standby and be prepared to lift them to the litter box.
• You could also put a little bit of hay in. It’s like their version of a newspaper while they take a dump, they just really like chomping on them!

Can my rabbit still be litter trained when they’re old?
While other animals have a hard time breaking their bathroom habits, your rabbits have no problem adopting a new one!
Yes, they can be litter trained at any age. So, don’t make excuses about how it’s too late or that they’re too old, it’s possible!

My bunny stopped using the litter box

Having your bunny stop using the litter box all of a sudden can be confusing. While it may seem like all those training has gone to waste, it’s easily explainable and could be due to numerous reasons such as:

A change in bedding/cleaning product

Changing up a certain aspect of their routine can immediately throw your rabbit off. Remember, consistency is key, you need to keep everything the same way that it was the moment they started litter training.

The size/placement of their litter box

If you bought the litter box when they were young, they might’ve outgrown it and found the box too restricting.

While keeping everything consistent is crucial, so is the comfortability of your rabbit. Be prepared to make certain changes and adjust to their growing size.

Is it possible for a litter-trained bunny to suddenly go back to peeing everywhere?

While accidents are still plausible, your bunny shouldn’t poop/pee elsewhere if a litter box is accessible.
If they’ve been trained for years and suddenly caused numerous unexplainable accidents then there must be a health issue at play.

Some rabbits develop complications that make it hard for them to control their bladder. Normally, they would hold it in and release it once they’re in the litter box.
But since they have a complication, they have no choice but to release in that spot. So, make sure to contact your veterinarian in case this is the issue.

Conclusion

There’s so much to prep and consider before properly starting a training session with your rabbit. While it can be tiring, it’s much easier to clean a litter box rather than a new carpet.
Just remember to make the litter box as comfortable as possible. It needs to feel safe and nice for them to properly use it as a bathroom.
And litter training doesn’t stop once they get the hang of it. You should always try to reward them for doing a poop well done by pets, toys, or even treats.
And of course, you always need to supervise your bunny and clean the litter box regularly. Suddenly breaking their routine could be a sign of a health issue and they would need immediate attention.