Bunny litter training help!

MrsDash

Tue, Feb 01 2011, 1:56 pm

Can someone with experience (or have known/seen) litter trained bunnies, give me some tips on how to go about it?

Here's some info about the bunny to give a clearer picture of his/her lifestyle and where I'm coming from.

Bunny is a Dwarf Rabbit, and is about 5 1/2 weeks old. (We got him/her at 3 weeks)

The bunny is going to remain an indoor pet.

I have a large enclosed gate in the house where the bunny gets to run around and get sufficient exercise.

Currently, the bunny is in a small enclosed cage. In it is the food bowl, water bottle, pine bedding, and it's where he/she sleeps.

Here's a picture of Bunny (My almost 4 year old daughter name our new pet, Bunny.)

amother

Tue, Feb 01 2011, 3:18 pm

3 weeks is waaay too young to separate a bunny from it's mother. They should never be weaned before 8 weeks (preferably closer to 12). Unfortunately you're probably looking at a lifetime of health problems and expensive vet bills, if it survives at all Sad

I recommend that you take a look at this flickr group - there are a lot of very knowledgeable bunny owners on there who can advise about your situation: http://www.flickr.com/groups/b.....cuss/

Also check out http://www.rabbit.org/ for more general information.

And get yourself a good vet ASAP: http://www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

Good luck!

amother

Tue, Feb 01 2011, 10:26 pm

I'm so sorry - I really didn't mean to depress you. I just really love bunnies and have had them my whole life. I highly recommend giving Dr Adelsohn a call tomorrow to make an appointment. She will talk to you and tell you exactly what you need to do to keep your bunny healthy. In the meantime, try to read everything you can on the house rabbit society website, and ask any specific questions you have on the flickr group.

BTW, where did you manage to get a 3 week old bunny? I thought it was illegal to sell bunnies so young. Whoever is doing this should be stopped immediately. It's not your fault at all - but the breeder should know better Sad

Cookiegirl

Wed, Feb 02 2011, 12:37 am

If you have a "hayloft" or a holder for the hay, put it near the litter box. That will keep the rabbit in the right area...most rabbits are very clean, so this is a trainable behavior. I wish you luck with your bunny, Yoshi. S/he is a cutie- I had a dwarf dutch/Polish mixed bunny like yours for many years- actually rescued and "Bundergrounded" from Wisconsin to New York...

For anyone else reading this and thinking about a rabbit as a pet, you should know a few things. Rabbits are not yet "bred" thoroughly for desireable traits as other house animals like cats and dogs. It's comparatively recent that people have tried to domesticate rabbits. An intact rabbit will mark its territory- just basic nature. Therefore they are much harder to litter train...so, if you are considering a rabbit, please, please, please go and adopt at a shelter. There is an excellent chance that you can get a pre-fixed bunny, because most shelters spay/neuter incoming animals if they have the funding. You cannot do this later as a frum petowner. Also, rabbits are very commonly found at shelters now because people think they are low maintenance "perfect" pets for their kids, and a lot of them are not child ready- once the child is not interested because the rabbit does "do" what the child wants- it gets dumped.

Also, rabbits are prey animals and react with those instincts. There are very few rabbits who are naturally willing to be picked up (although there are some). Many times a rabbit that is picked up will just freeze- you may think it's "willing" but it's actually in panic mode. Assume your rabbit is a "four on the floor" bunny until proven otherwise. Cuddly rabbits will jump onto a lap. Even those that don't like to be picked up can be petted and when they are relaxed, they actually purr...it's very cute.

MrsDash

Wed, Feb 02 2011, 12:47 am

Cookiegirl wrote:

I have to say, as someone who has had all different kinds of animals, from typical house pets to exotics, I never knew bunnies purred until we got this bunny. Whenever he's cuddling with me, usually under my neck, Bunny starts purring! It's the sweetest and warming feeling!

Thank you so much for the advice, and other info on bunny care! Smile

MrsDash

Wed, Feb 02 2011, 12:59 am

yoshi wrote:

Cookiegirl wrote:

Forgot to ask. Where can I buy hay? Is there a specific type or packaging that I should look for?

Thanks Flower

Cookiegirl

Wed, Feb 02 2011, 1:13 am

It's been a while, but we used Oxbow hay for the most part. Any good pet store that serve exotics should have it. I think you're in/near Lakewood- you can also get hay from some of the horse farms around you if they'll sell it. You can store it in a large garbage can. It's much cheaper that way, but it should be kept indoors. Oxbow is sold in manageable size bags. Since you have only one young dwarf bunny, you should be able to get away with a pet store bag of hay rather than getting a flake of hay from a farm.

I'm slightly freaked out by the fact that you bought your bunny at a pet store and they did not force a bag of hay on you...don't go back there if you can help it...they don't know bunnies, and if they stock hay, it may not be best quality. Hay is the main/most healthy food for a house rabbit. Oxbow also sells/sold Vitamin C pills that can be broken in half and given as a treat/training reward- especially for litter box use. Keep all other foods to a minimum until the bunny is feasting on hay. Then you can introduce some other fresh veggies- best are dandelions, kale, brocolli rabe and other dark greens. (Iceberg lettuce is worthless nutritionally, and carrots have way too much sugar).

I've mentioned this on another thread, but you should google "petbunny" or look on Yahoogroups. This is a great listserv of people who are very bunny savvy. If you can't find it, PM me, and I will try to dredge up the signup instructions with the hosting university.

Cookiegirl

Wed, Feb 02 2011, 1:20 am

Also, I reread your post and noticed your housing plan...I don't think pine bedding is the best- cedar is the worst, but pine is not great. You should/could use wood stove pellets for litter. You can also get compressed recycled newspaper as well, but this is more expensive. Most Home Depot/Lowes type stores should have wood stove pellets. You should stock up in the winter because it's a seasonal product.

When your rabbit is a little older, try to get a larger cage, or build a multi-level "condo" with some attached running space, that can be contained by a puppy gate. If you google "Nice Idea Cube Bunny Condo" you'll get the idea of what the chic bunny is expecting for living quarters. (Bunny owners are kind of nuts, but rabbits are fairly misunderstood as house pets, so we do our best...)

MrsDash

Wed, Feb 02 2011, 11:18 am

Thank you so so much for all the bunny information. I'll look into the types of hay they sell at the farms here, and replace the pine as well. There's also a farmers market near by that sells all different green vegetables you mentioned.

Is it at all possible to have a non-caged bunny? (Eventually) when Bunny is a bit older and litter trained, I was hoping to keep him/her out of a cage. I'd maybe make a little cuddly area/bunny bed in the house for the bunny to sleep, and have the litter box handy at all times.

Here's a recent "family" photo LOL

Bunny has gotten huge!

Cookiegirl

Wed, Feb 02 2011, 11:23 am

You can definitely have an uncaged bunny- like a cat. They can be leash trained as well and be taken outside in nice weather. They will always need a dedicated area with a litter box and food, and I would recommend that you keep some type of home that is lockable, so you can put the bunny away for its own safety if you have visitors, cleaning help, etc. But many people who have rabbits are happy to let them have full access to the house once they are trained.

Good Luck- very cute, that rabbit is!