How to Litter Train a Pet Bunny
Yes, bunnies CAN be litter trained! Although spaying and neutering helps tremendously with more complete litter training, even my breeding rabbits consistently used their litter boxes for their urine and most of the poop. As soon as my Holland lop baby bunnies hopped out of the nest box, I began placing them in their mom's litter box, and most learned to use it in under a week! Before you begin litter training your pet rabbit, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Bunnies pee and poop to mark their territory. Spaying and neutering greatly reduce this urge and therefore help to complete litter training.
- Even when spayed/neutered, your bunny will still drop dry poops, though much less than before. Keep a small vacuum or broom and dustpan handy.
- Keep your bunny's area small and on easy-to-clean flooring until litter training improves. Rolls of cheap textured vinyl from Lowe's or Home Depot are your best friend.
- Add plenty of litter boxes throughout the areas your bunny occupies!
Easy Steps to Litter Train a Bunny:
1. Litter Box Selection: (See my Amazon Store for rabbit litter box ideas)
Purchase at least one (preferably several) litter box that is large enough to fit your bunny when full grown. You might try a few different boxes to see what you and your bunny prefer.
Cat Style Boxes - Generic, large, rectangular cat litter boxes may be all that you need and are readily available. Deep litter boxes are ideal for rabbits who like to dig, but make sure your bunny can easily hop in and out. The benefits of this style are the large size to fit plenty of litter and hay and inexpensive cost. Without a grate, your bunny will be sitting on the urine and poop, so daily cleaning will be necessary. You can be creative and make your own litter box grate such as out of plastic lighting grid material from home improvement stores.
If you want something a little nicer and prettier than cheap dollar store cat litter boxes, check out this 20x15" KittyGoHere litter box.
Red Gorilla makes a 4 gallon (15 liter) shallow flexible plastic tub that I've found works great as a hay feeder for my bunnies, but you can alternatively add litter underneath the hay and make it your bunny's main litter box. These are round, deep, flexible, and come in pretty colors. :)
Litter Box w/ Grate - This is what I mostly use with my bunnies, as I appreciate the poop and urine falling through the grate, away from my bunny's bottom. Plastic grates are nice, such as in the huge 17x13" Amakunft rabbit litter box, but the metal grates in the 16x10" corner Ware Jumbo Scatterless rabbit litter box are just fine and don't hurt the bunny's feet for such a short duration throughout the day. Be careful of other grate style litter boxes marketed for rabbits; if they're much smaller than the two above boxes, check the dimensions and measure your bun's buns! The Ware litter box comes with handy tabs that connect it to a wire cage wall or exercise pen, which is nice. Be cautious not to get a small, lightweight litter box that your bunny will dump over. They're mischievous little critters and flip anything they can. :)
Below are pictures of both grate-style rabbit litter boxes and bunny litter boxes without grates. Click photos for shopping links to similar bunny litter boxes.
1. Litter Box Selection: (See my Amazon Store for rabbit litter box ideas)
Purchase at least one (preferably several) litter box that is large enough to fit your bunny when full grown. You might try a few different boxes to see what you and your bunny prefer.
Cat Style Boxes - Generic, large, rectangular cat litter boxes may be all that you need and are readily available. Deep litter boxes are ideal for rabbits who like to dig, but make sure your bunny can easily hop in and out. The benefits of this style are the large size to fit plenty of litter and hay and inexpensive cost. Without a grate, your bunny will be sitting on the urine and poop, so daily cleaning will be necessary. You can be creative and make your own litter box grate such as out of plastic lighting grid material from home improvement stores.
If you want something a little nicer and prettier than cheap dollar store cat litter boxes, check out this 20x15" KittyGoHere litter box.
Red Gorilla makes a 4 gallon (15 liter) shallow flexible plastic tub that I've found works great as a hay feeder for my bunnies, but you can alternatively add litter underneath the hay and make it your bunny's main litter box. These are round, deep, flexible, and come in pretty colors. :)
Litter Box w/ Grate - This is what I mostly use with my bunnies, as I appreciate the poop and urine falling through the grate, away from my bunny's bottom. Plastic grates are nice, such as in the huge 17x13" Amakunft rabbit litter box, but the metal grates in the 16x10" corner Ware Jumbo Scatterless rabbit litter box are just fine and don't hurt the bunny's feet for such a short duration throughout the day. Be careful of other grate style litter boxes marketed for rabbits; if they're much smaller than the two above boxes, check the dimensions and measure your bun's buns! The Ware litter box comes with handy tabs that connect it to a wire cage wall or exercise pen, which is nice. Be cautious not to get a small, lightweight litter box that your bunny will dump over. They're mischievous little critters and flip anything they can. :)
Below are pictures of both grate-style rabbit litter boxes and bunny litter boxes without grates. Click photos for shopping links to similar bunny litter boxes.
2. Litter Box Placement:
Keep your bunny's area relatively small until litter training improves, such as in an exercise pen. Add a litter box for each small area your bunny plays. Don't be afraid to move the litter box to the location where your bunny frequently has accidents. Add more litter boxes if needed. You can ALWAYS remove extra litter boxes as your bunny matures and has fewer accidents.
Place your bunny's hay in or near the litter box, especially at first. Bunnies often pee and poop when they eat their hay. You can even make your own hay rack out of a cheap dollar store plastic container partially cut and zip tied to the exercise pen wall above the litter box. My bunnies have both litter boxes and hay boxes/tubs and have trained themselves not to do their business where they eat hay, but many bunnies prefer a single hay/litter box (see small blue cat style litter box photo above...litter in the bottom and hay on top...but it's a bit too small).
Keep your bunny's area relatively small until litter training improves, such as in an exercise pen. Add a litter box for each small area your bunny plays. Don't be afraid to move the litter box to the location where your bunny frequently has accidents. Add more litter boxes if needed. You can ALWAYS remove extra litter boxes as your bunny matures and has fewer accidents.
Place your bunny's hay in or near the litter box, especially at first. Bunnies often pee and poop when they eat their hay. You can even make your own hay rack out of a cheap dollar store plastic container partially cut and zip tied to the exercise pen wall above the litter box. My bunnies have both litter boxes and hay boxes/tubs and have trained themselves not to do their business where they eat hay, but many bunnies prefer a single hay/litter box (see small blue cat style litter box photo above...litter in the bottom and hay on top...but it's a bit too small).
Bunny has a Ware Jumbo litter box with grate and separate hay tub
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Ware Jumbo rabbit litter box (w/ grate), hay rack, and cardboard hay box (she's a chewer!)
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Bunnies who chew may prefer a cardboard hay container. Sometimes used as a litter box too.
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This bunny has two litter boxes and a giant hay pile in a 24x24' space. So messy :)
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3. What to use as Litter?
Compressed pine pellets in 40lb bags from Tractor Supply or Rural King are what we use, but Carefresh Naturals (shredded cardboard), aspen shavings, or Yesterday's News (compressed newspaper pellets) are other great bunny litter options.
A COMMON MISTAKE is spreading a layer of litter/bedding material along your bunny's enclosure floor. Do NOT do this! Your bunny will be confused where to go to the bathroom! Litter goes in the litter box only.
You only need a thin layer of litter to absorb the urine and help control the smell. Speaking of which, did you know that if fed a healthy soy-free pellet like Sherwood, your bunny's urine will have very little smell? Cheap, grain-filled rabbit foods do not ferment well in your bunny's digestive system and will create stinkier waste. With a small amount of litter, daily litter box cleaning, and Sherwood bunny food, my rabbit barn has extremely minimal odor, making one or two indoor rabbits very doable for those sensitive to odors.
Compressed pine pellets in 40lb bags from Tractor Supply or Rural King are what we use, but Carefresh Naturals (shredded cardboard), aspen shavings, or Yesterday's News (compressed newspaper pellets) are other great bunny litter options.
A COMMON MISTAKE is spreading a layer of litter/bedding material along your bunny's enclosure floor. Do NOT do this! Your bunny will be confused where to go to the bathroom! Litter goes in the litter box only.
You only need a thin layer of litter to absorb the urine and help control the smell. Speaking of which, did you know that if fed a healthy soy-free pellet like Sherwood, your bunny's urine will have very little smell? Cheap, grain-filled rabbit foods do not ferment well in your bunny's digestive system and will create stinkier waste. With a small amount of litter, daily litter box cleaning, and Sherwood bunny food, my rabbit barn has extremely minimal odor, making one or two indoor rabbits very doable for those sensitive to odors.
4. Cleaning
Until your bunny consistently uses the litter box, don't completely clean all of the soiled litter each day. Allow a small amount of residue to remain so your bunny smells his/her urine and begins to associate the litter box with the smell of their urine.
Did your bunny have an accident? Soak up the urine with a paper towel or tissue and place it in the litter box (ideally under the grate if your litter box has one). You can sweep up and dump the poo balls into the litter box as well, but your bunny will still have some poops outside the litter box even when litter trained. They seriously are poop machines and can even poop in their sleep!
I use a plastic putty knife to scrape the soiled litter into a large Gorilla Tub compost bin, rinse the box with water, and then refill with a thin layer of fresh litter. Occasionally, I will soak the litter box with a vinegar/water mix and scrub to remove some of the hardened urine. I don't recommend harsh cleaners since bunnies are very sensitive. Dish soap or vinegar work fine. Your bunny's litter box is going to get yucky and eventually need replaced but can hopefully last a few years.
Until your bunny consistently uses the litter box, don't completely clean all of the soiled litter each day. Allow a small amount of residue to remain so your bunny smells his/her urine and begins to associate the litter box with the smell of their urine.
Did your bunny have an accident? Soak up the urine with a paper towel or tissue and place it in the litter box (ideally under the grate if your litter box has one). You can sweep up and dump the poo balls into the litter box as well, but your bunny will still have some poops outside the litter box even when litter trained. They seriously are poop machines and can even poop in their sleep!
I use a plastic putty knife to scrape the soiled litter into a large Gorilla Tub compost bin, rinse the box with water, and then refill with a thin layer of fresh litter. Occasionally, I will soak the litter box with a vinegar/water mix and scrub to remove some of the hardened urine. I don't recommend harsh cleaners since bunnies are very sensitive. Dish soap or vinegar work fine. Your bunny's litter box is going to get yucky and eventually need replaced but can hopefully last a few years.
5. Patience
Bunnies are smart animals who tend to prefer urinating in the same few areas, but all will have accidents during litter training. If you ever see your bunny pause and lift his/her tail, quickly scoop bunny into the litter box and let the urine flow! Keep the area small and don't let your bunny play on furniture or carpeted areas until litter training is improved.
Remember that until your bunny is spayed or neutered AND well healed (it can take 1-2 months for the hormones to balance post-surgery), there will be territorial peeing and pooping, especially if you have multiple bunnies or other animals your bunny views as predators. Have plenty of litter boxes, small play areas on easy-to-clean flooring, and plenty of patience with your sweet bunny as he/she learns litter training skills. Some bunnies quickly become litter trained while others take a bit longer and may even regress closer to 4-6 months of age when the hormones first surge. Don't give up, most bunnies eventually can become litter trained...except for a few poo balls. There will always be rogue poo balls scattered about the floor. ♥
Bunnies are smart animals who tend to prefer urinating in the same few areas, but all will have accidents during litter training. If you ever see your bunny pause and lift his/her tail, quickly scoop bunny into the litter box and let the urine flow! Keep the area small and don't let your bunny play on furniture or carpeted areas until litter training is improved.
Remember that until your bunny is spayed or neutered AND well healed (it can take 1-2 months for the hormones to balance post-surgery), there will be territorial peeing and pooping, especially if you have multiple bunnies or other animals your bunny views as predators. Have plenty of litter boxes, small play areas on easy-to-clean flooring, and plenty of patience with your sweet bunny as he/she learns litter training skills. Some bunnies quickly become litter trained while others take a bit longer and may even regress closer to 4-6 months of age when the hormones first surge. Don't give up, most bunnies eventually can become litter trained...except for a few poo balls. There will always be rogue poo balls scattered about the floor. ♥
Camilla & her son Fozzie sleep in their litter box (which is quite common for bunnies)
Want to share your bunny's litter box setup? Email me a photo and description, and I might post it on this page!
