Rabbit Care: The Scoop on Litterbox Training

Many people are surprised when they find out that rabbits are easily litterbox trained. It's the truth! If given the proper supplies, most rabbits are quite easy to litterbox train! Rabbits are very clean animals and like to keep their space clean. Offering a litterbox is appreciated by many rabbits (since again, they are very neat and clean) and can often work immediately! We have rescued over 200 rabbits and have been successful in training every rabbit who has passed through our rescue. Our technique is based on years of trial and error!

First, it's important to note that wire-bottom cages (also called fall-through cages), where rabbits poop and it falls to a tray below, aren't good for many reasons. They don't promote litterbox training since the poop and urine falls through to a tray below. In the past, rabbits were kept outdoors and weren't members of a family. Now, as the house rabbit has become more popular and is now the "norm" in many places, wire bottom cages are no longer as acceptable. Wire also can be bad for a rabbit's feet. Wire can cause an issue called sore hocks, which essentially are sores that can cause infections. We like a solid floor for a rabbit's feet, whether in a plastic or linoleum-bottom cage, exercise pen, or as a free roam bunny. Many people think rabbits need pads, towels, or sheets to keep the bottom surface comfortable, but we find that that many rabbits like a clean bottom for the cool floor. In our experience, most rabbits also like to bite through and pee on any sort of fabrics. So, until your rabbit is litterbox trained, make sure the floor of the rabbit's living area is bare and easily cleaned- it may take a few days for the rabbit to get the hang of it!

Many people who do keep their rabbits indoors still use cedar or pine bedding on the bottom of their rabbit's cage. While these products are ok for smaller animals, cedar and pine bedding is not good for rabbits. In fact, according to highly esteemed exotics vets from the House Rabbit Society, the "phenols in cedar shavings may cause liver damage" (http://www.rabbit.org/journal/1/liver-disease.html). Further, the oils can cause problems with their skin. If you currently have or use cedar bedding for your rabbit, kindly donate it to a local shelter or rescue group that can use it!

The same goes for cat litter! While it is safe and wonderful for cats, clay litter is not appropriate for rabbits! Rabbits should never be living on scoopable cat litter.

An important thing to note when beginning to litterbox train your rabbit is that rabbits will pick a corner where they will typically go to the bathroom. If you're able to spot that corner and put the litterbox there, you're one step closer to having a litterbox trained rabbit! In addition, rabbits love to poop and eat at the same time! You may notice that your untrained rabbit will go to the bathroom while eating. Once your rabbit is litterbox trained, move the hay hopper or holder (for information on diet, see our posting titled Rabbit Health: Diet) closer to the litterbox so the rabbit can eat and relieve him or herself at the same time! This will increase your chances of having a fully litterbox trained rabbit!

If you have recently adopted a rabbit, make sure to cut the rabbit some slack! They have been most likely moved around more than once, and will take some time to settle into a new home and routine. Even our most perfectly litterbox trained rabbits have had some issues transitioning into a new home. This is not uncommon, especially if the rabbit is entering a home where other rabbits are or were present. Rabbit scents don't leave overnight and a newly adopted rabbit will be able to smell scents left by other rabbits. This may cause a newly adopted or recently moved rabbit to "mark" their territory, and may throw off their litterbox training. Make sure to thoroughly clean an area before you can expect a rabbit to be perfectly litterbox trained there.

In order to litterbox train your rabbit, there's a few supplies you'll need. Please note, everyone litterbox trains rabbits differently. The way we litterbox train our rabbits is based on successfully litterbox training about 200 rabbits. While we know this works for our foster rabbits, feel free to use whatever works best for you and your rabbit!

The supplies we use are:

A square hi-bac litterbox (or a medium to large-sized cat litterbox)- In our experience, these plastic litterboxes are the best choice for rabbits. They are the most inclined to jump in this litterbox and can easily eat and relieve themselves at the same time! We use this litterbox for most of our rabbits and find that they prefer this box to others out there. This can be purchased at most pet stores like Petco, Petsmart, and Pet Goods (on Rt. 17 South in Paramus).

Carefresh Bedding- This product is made from recycled paper and is soft and wonderful! It holds in odor and is easy to clean. While the product does come in white and other assorted colors, we love the classic grey Carefresh litter the best by far! This can be purchased at most pet stores like Petco, Petsmart, and Pet Goods (on Rt. 17 South in Paramus).


Once you have the correct supplies, fill up the litterbox only with about an inch or less of Carefresh bedding. Again, the rest of the cage should be bare, without anything on the bottom. Place the litterbox in a corner of the cage facing either front or sideways, whichever you and the rabbit prefer. Place the hay source near the litterbox so it is easily accessible from there. Once in place, gently guide your rabbit to show them the litterbox. You can softly place your rabbit inside the litterbox. Rabbits are very intelligent and do understand praise. You can reward your rabbit when he or she is in the litterbox, and when they go to the bathroom in there. Find a treat (like a piece of dried fruit) that your rabbit loves and feed them the treat when you see them using their litterbox!

When accidents happen, which is common in the beginning, soak up the urine with the Carefresh bedding and place it back in the litterbox. Throw all poops (which are small, dry, and odorless to humans) back in the litterbox. For the first few days that a rabbit is being trained (or if a rabbit has recently joined your home), let the litterbox get a little dirty. This will allow the rabbit's scent to be in one place, which will help the rabbit realize that they should be going to the bathroom in there.

To clean the litterbox, simply put the whole thing inside a plastic shopping bag and tap the backside. You can use a rabbit-safe cleaner or diluted white vinegar to clean the bottom of the litterbox if needed. Then, refill the litterbox with Carefresh bedding. You can spot clean the litterbox daily by putting a bag on your hand and grabbing the corner where the rabbit urinates. The whole litterbox should be cleaned every 2-3 days to keep the area odor-free and clean!

Below you can see a picture of our adoptable Hug-a-Bunny Winnie the Pooh sitting in his litterbox. You can see the clear floor below him, the square hi-bac litterbox with Carefresh bedding in it, and the hay source (a shoebox clipped to the side of the cage) right near him! What a setup!



Eventually, as your rabbit gets the hand of litterbox training, you can add in a carpet remnant into the cage for added comfort. We suggest waiting, since if a rabbit has an accident while training takes place, the scent will often stay in there and may deter the rabbit from using the litterbox!

There are other litter materials that have been known to work. Yesterday's News is a litter that is widely used for rabbits. This litter is also made of recycled paper and is made in pellet form. Some rabbits do like this litter and it is another popular choice for litterbox training rabbits. We like Carefresh more, since you can soak up any accidents to put back in the litterbox. Some people also use newspaper on the bottom of their litterbox and cover that with hay. While that may work for some, we don't like our rabbits urinating on their hay, since it can get very messy. Plus, if they come across a pile of hay as they're hopping about, we don't want them to think it's ok to pee in it! We prefer to stick with Carefresh litter!

When your rabbit has time out of his or her cage to play, make sure the food, hay, water, and litterbox are all accessible at all times! You can either buy a second litterbox to put in another spot, move the litterbox into the play space, or leave the cage door open for the rabbit if they are playing in the same place that their cage is. It may be hard for the rabbit to transition with his or her litterbox skills out of the cage, so be patient. It will take time for your rabbit to realize that they need to go in the litterbox wherever they may be! If more than one rabbit plays in the same spot (if they are NOT bonded), they may try to mark the spot where the last rabbit was. Make sure to clean the area well.

Below, you can see our adopted Hug-a-Bunny Blue J. (adopted in 2008) sitting in his litterbox during playtime. The food, hay, and water (the water bowl is out of range of the picture) is all easily accessible to him!


Of course, even if you follow these directions religiously, you may need some help troubleshooting. In the event that you've tried our suggestions and still need some advice, feel free to email us at hugabunny@gmail.com for some additional help! You may find that your rabbit prefers a different brand or type of litter. Please also note that everything listed above (and everything on this blog for that matter) is our opinion. Feel free to follow what you believe in!

Good luck litterbox training!