Can you litter train a 4yr bunny?

Can you litter train a 4 yeart old bunny? The thing is Thumper the Rabbit I am rescuing rarely has her hutch cleaned out so she must have no sense of clean and a place to 'go', how do you litter train a rabbit?

Also I am worried that she is going to be very frightened, I want to handle her as much as possible to get her used to human contact and the feeling of love and companionship but am afraid shes going to be very jumpy and aggresive? what can I do?

I think if you spend time with her and build up her trust in you, she may show you affection.

Also, yes i think she could be trained, if you start her off in her new place with a litter tray then she may get used to it.

When you getting her?

Yup, I trained two seven year olds, so it is doable, but really it comes down to how tidy the rabbit is.

I am going to buy the wood for her hutch tomorrow, and plan to start building (well my handy man patner) tomorrow afternoon hopefully will be finished friday lunch time ready to bring her home, I already have purchased her s/d, hay, roughage, toys, hideouts a lovely food bowl etc so i think I will buy litter for her tomorrow, I really a worried shes going to be to nervous I hate it when animals r unhappy should I put her in her new hutch and leave her to get comfy and just say hello when i bring her veggies at first so to slowly get her used to me (and good food )

she will be no doubt nervous, but i think once she realises that she is in a palace she will settle down!

i think if you just talk to her and get her used to you, i wouldnt try to lift her yet, maybe just try offering her veg by hand feeding, then gradually youll be able to stroke her.

i think youll be a super bunny mummy!!

oh i do hope so! what about when I clean her cage for the first time, I also have to take her straight to the vets!

ahhh, well if you cant tempt her into her carrier any other way then there is no option but to lift her!! never thought of that!

if she is a wriggler then a towel may help control her when you lift her

she will get used to you soon though i think, im seeing a happy future for Thumper!

Yes me 2

It's easier to litter train neutered bunnies as they don't have the urge to mark their territory with droppings and wee etc. You'll probably find that she naturally will be very clean - she has probably wanted to be but just isn't able at the moment, so I'm sure she will just be grateful for the chance.

Are you able to take her before your hutch is ready? I haven't seen the background to you rescuing this bun so apologies if I've missed something. Even if she has to stay in her existing hutch for a few more days, you can at least clean it and she will then have a clean, safe haven before she moves into something more permanent and spacious. By you taking the hutch, it also means that the current owners can't then fill it with another poor animal! (edit: I see you're in Southend - I have a 42" dog crate or a 6ft hutch I can lend you if it helps to fill a gap and take the pressure off the time needed to build a new hutch - send me a pm if I can help).

She may well be nervous but she may well just be grateful that she's clean and looked after. I would just talk gently to her, move slowly and carefully, and feed her pellets in your hand. This will encourage her to associate you with yummy food and she will also get used to your smell, voice and you being close by. It can take a lot of patience and hard work with a nervous/aggressive bunny but I find it involves a lot of sitting doing nothing (whilst holding food) and letting them come and investigate you. They soon learn that you come with good things not scary

Hi Alison this is the background on Thumper I have copy n pasted from my first post -

Hello, I have never had the pleasure of owning a Rabbit before, although I do currently have 3 spoiled cats all of which friendly (my youngest kitten is getting over surgery after breaking her leg,). I had been thinking about adopting a Rabbit for quite a while, although my mother says I should get guinea pigs as she has 2 adorable ones herself and says Rabbits can be very tempramentle and bite/scratch (I think this depends on how much they r handled)

I think that my mind has now be made up for me by the irresponsible family over the road, owners of Thumper the Lionhead Rabbit. She was left sitting in her own excrement and pee for such a long time she got fly strike and was covered in maggots, this was during the hot summer months, she only recieves dry food mixes. Her hutch is in dire condition, I knew they owned a rabbit but didn't realise how it was treated until I asked her about her pet in the shop the other day where she openly admitted it was her daughters and she can't be bothered to clean it so it just doesn't get done! I was appauled she went on to tell me about the fly strike etc and i was shocked she would admit to this but at the same time glad.

I hate thinking about poor thumper over in her grimey hutch all day and night with nothing to chew on or play with to break her boredem it really upsets me . So much so I have offered her a new home with me.. I went over the road to meet her last night, her hutch was damp covered in only newspaper and a little straw it looked miserable and was litterally falling to pieces (she said). Thumper was badly moulting, and had bald patches the size of tennis balls over her coat, her left eye also looked a little weepy, is this something I should worry about? What do you think could be the problem? I'm very worried. I'm going to ask them if she has had her vacs, I will get them done if not, I will also treat her for fleas regardless Do you think a change of lifestyle will better her coat and poss eye infection, I'm going to buy her a lovely new hutch with all the trimmings to keep her warm safe and occupied when not in her run.



So thats why im worried!!

Awww poor thing I'd be inclined to go over and get her, hutch and all if you can. Like I said - that way they can't fill it again with another poor animal and you can at least clean it and start to look after her properly. I edited my previous post so don't know if you saw, but I can lend you a dog crate or hutch if you want to get her and take a bit more time over making her something new.

If she is aggressive it is just as likely that it's due to hormones than anything else (although they can get aggressive through fear as well), so getting her spayed in due course would help a lot - as well as preventing uterine cancer.

Sounds as if she's going to be jolly relieved when she does get to you, we'd all like photos as soon as you can please

Thats so kind of you, but i couldnt fit a 6ft hutch in I'm having to build an L shaped hutch 4ft - 2ft on both angles with two storeys!!! if that makes sense>?!?! And I hope that will be big enough or i will have to try and find a good home for her

if this helps when I got Tyson he was living in a 3ft hutch (he's a lionhead) and was rarely cleaned out. Needless to say the minute I got him home I scrubbed his hutch (and got a new one asap as it was sooo small) but I litter-trained him (aged 3) by just watching where he did his business. Rabbits tend to use one (sometimes 2) corners and you can just put a corner little tray in there (or a cat litter tray works also) with wood based litter (not ordinary cat litter) and hay in it. If she/he then goes anywhere else to wee/poop then move the tray to there until he/she is eventually using the tray (if that makes sense) I did buy 2 (well in the end I could open a business in litter trays as I tried so many different ones) so that I covered 2 corners. Now my buns live in a shed and use their trays for their wee but not always for their droppings (they do most in there but some scattered) but that's much less of a problem.
In my experience lionheads are lovely, friendly, gentle buns and your bun should get used to you fairly quickly. I have a very nervous bun but even he comes to me for treats and I can pick him up when I have to but he prefers not to be picked up (that's Bruno). Tyson really doesn't mind as he's a bit of a confident bun to be honest.
I think if your hutch is on 2 floors if will be fine especially if you can give the little chap/chapess time to play out also - sorry but couldn't remember if bun was a he or she - good luck and let us know how it goes

I hope that she works it out!!! I want her to be a clean little bunny! She does seem quite friendly so i hope she will be receptive to change




Molly Kitten, Benjamin, Merlin, and beautiful Ruby....My Angels

blinkwink said:

I hope that she works it out!!! I want her to be a clean little bunny! She does seem quite friendly so i hope she will be receptive to change

Molly Kitten, Benjamin, Merlin, and beautiful Ruby....My Angels

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yes rabbits who have had a bad life sometimes will surprise you. little arthur..doras partner, was in a scummy less than 2ft cage in the garden fed only potatoe peelings and bread and never let out. he is the most affectionate bunny he really is and is so happy he binkys everywhere. i got his jabs done and have slowly built up his wieght. him and dora were love at first site and he has just been neutered i hope with time his hormones will settle he poops in one area with her in the litter trya but will spray things with wee if its new to him (or he feels threatened by other buns) we hope with his neuter this behaviour will stop or at least settle down a bit.otherwise he wees in a litter tray with dora...think she tought him i didnt have to do anything. regarding the nervousness take each day slowly sitting enar him/her may be enough as rabbits dont like being picked up try to be on the rabbits level al the time if you can so they come to you without fear treats will work for this. be prepared for health problems luckily arthur only has dental issues and hopefully these can be controlled with a better diet...his muscle wastage is no longer and he seems a strong and bouncy boy. it is very rewarding to take on an unloved bunster and give them what they need...love safety cleanliness and food and excersse im sure bun will be eternally grateful. jabs are important get these done when you can. about the litter trianing after a neuter this becomes easier arthur was the first boy id had but i do find girls of whom iv had many will use a litter trya you need to put some of their weed bedding and thier poops into the tray every time tehy go somewhere else put teh poop and weed stuff into the tray in a corner if they wee in a different corner move the tray they will get the hang of it in time good luck with the bunster xx

awww poor arthur sounds like thumper less the potato peelings, thankyou 4 ur advice:thumb:

blinkwink said:

awww poor arthur sounds like thumper less the potato peelings, thankyou 4 ur advice:thumb:

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aha but arthur is not poor arthur any more he is happy little naughty bunster who has much loving to give and eats everything you give him! (hay included luckily) he is very happy now im sure thumper wil be too x

bunlover said:

aha but arthur is not poor arthur any more he is happy little naughty bunster who has much loving to give and eats everything you give him! (hay included luckily) he is very happy now im sure thumper wil be too x

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Haha, very cute!! I think that she will be!!! I'm going to Re-name her too, something ladylike, as I think for once she deserves to be treated like a lady!!! Im thinking Bella

Molly Kitten, Benjamin, Merlin, and beautiful Ruby....My Angels

Bella is a lovely name - I renamed both my buns as their names really didn't suit them - Tyson and Bruno are perfect names for them!!!
when do you get her then???

Id get her straight away just in case they change their minds about letting you have her. Kids have a funny way of suddenly wanting something once someone else does