How to Litter Box Train Your Pet Rabbit

Rabbits can bring much joy to a home, but they can also bring many, many small surprises all over your floor if you don't litter box train your bunny.

What you need

It is easier than you think to litter box train a rabbit as long as you know before hand that it will take some time and patience. You will need:

A litter box- just like for a cat. You can get an expensive kitty litter box or you a get a hard plastic Tupperware type box, your rabbit won't care which. I have found that a triangle or corner litter pan works well for inside the cage.

Litter- Carefresh or Yesterdays News is the best thing to use for bunny litter. Never use cloth, cedar or pine shavings as they are bad for bunnies if they chew or eat them. Never use anything that makes a lot of dust as this will give your bunny respiratory problems.

How to get a rabbit to use the litter box.

Put the corner litter box in the corner of the rabbit's cage. Pick up some of his droppings (feces) and place them in the litter box. That way it will smell like a place to go to the bathroom.

If there are any puddles (urine) soak them up with a little toilet paper and place the toilet paper in the litter box.

Let your rabbit get used to having the litter box in his cage for a few hours and if he hasn't checked it out and jumped in, you can entice him in with some Timothy Hay. When you see that your rabbit has used the litter box make sure to praise him, say something like, "Good Bunny." And rub his head so he knows you are happy.

Rabbits are very intelligent animals and will catch on if given enough time, patience and praise.

When you let bunny out for exercise you should have several litter boxes out where he plays. Put urine soaked tissue and droppings in each one so he knows what they are for when he smells them.

If your rabbit has an accident, pick him up immediately and gently place him in one of the litter boxes and feed him some Timothy Hay, then praise him.

After a while your bunny will understand what he needs to do and he will do it. You need to be consistent over the first few days as to not confuse the rabbit as to what to do and gets the hang of it. If you are holding your bunny and he urinates on you, the worst thing you can do is get mad and yell at the bunny. You should pick him up and set him gently down in the litter box and praise him. Keeping him in the litter box by giving him some Hay or a small treat will give him positive reinforcement, making training better for your bunny.