Litter training - can you teach an old rabbit new tricks?

Hi,

I haven't posted in a very long time, had a baby and other life stuff got in the way.

I wondered if anyone has had any success helping a bunny who has obviously never had
the opportunity to use a tray in her former life, use one.

My Florence's background is unknown. I've had her for 2 years now. She's a house bunny and lives with her husbun, who is fully trained and very clean. She's had access to trays the whole two years - I've tried multiple trays, putting poops and tissue soaked with her pee in the tray, low trays etc. She sits and eats hay, occasionally goes in the tray, but otherwise goes everywhere. I think it stresses her husbun out, as he is so clean.

Any ideas?!

Hello and nice to hear from you. It sounds like you've really tried to get Florence litter trained without success. I have quite a few rabbits like this and the does are usually the worst offenders. Unfortunately I have not found anything that works except to give them an enclosure so the mess is confined as opposed to being free-range.

Hi tonibun - so lovely to hear from you too.

The bunnies aren't free range here (we live at my mum's house until I hopefully buy a place), but they have a large space to roam in. She messes all over it and it's a real ****** to keep clean! I have to wash vetbed a few times a week etc etc.

I am actually getting them a large enclosure (7x5), of which I will probably leave the door open as much as possible. The hope is that she does it inside there, rather than outside!

That sounds nice. We can live in hope can't we? Can you put lino down instead of fleece?

Have you tried confining her space to a small amount with her husbun so she's forced to use the tray and then gradually increasing it?
Is she neutered?

If you can, get rid of soft furnishings such as vet beds. I've found it encourages some buns to urinate in undesired places. Having her on lino, or carpet tiles may work better.
Have you ever tried different litters, and tried with & without hay?

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

Doughnut is litter trained and has the run of the downstairs. I put her bowl on a bit of vet bed as she chucks it around and it would smash but she also tiddles on the vetbed! She also sometimes tiddles on her fleece. Soft furnishings certainly encourage her to urinate in places I rather she didn't so I would reduce the vetbed if possible.

Flo is spayed, and when bonding they had a small area which slowly increased,
with a couple of trays. No luck.

I worry about their feet, so wouldn't want them on just Lino. They're also in the kitchen, so on a hard floor.

She wees on carpet as well as vet bed.

I'm out of ideas!