LITTER TRAINING

Yes, rabbits can be litter-trained. Unlike cats, who are litter-trained by the time they leave their mothers, rabbits must be trained by you, the owner. You can take advantage of their natural instinct to keep their business to one corner of the cage (or area in which they live).

Spayed and neutered rabbits are especially good at using their litter boxes, as they have no hormones to contend with, therefore less marking instinct. If your rabbit is not spayed or neutered, litter habits can be sporadic and inconsistent!

TRAINING

If your rabbit is not already litter-trained (if you have adopted an adult rabbit from a shelter/rescue, they may already be litter-trained or at least well on their way), place a litter box in one corner of the cage or in several areas of his free roaming area to start off with (you may be able to reduce the amount of boxes as he learns). Oftentimes, the rabbit will catch on very quickly! Each time there is a wayward fecal pellet, place it inside the box. If you clean up urine outside the box, place the soiled portion of the paper towels in the box before using any cleaners.

Hopefully, your rabbit is now on his way to learning toilet manners! However, not all rabbits are as easily convinced. Try the following tips if you are having difficulty:

• If you catch your rabbit in the act of urinating in an inappropriate area, clap your hands or give a firm "no" command that startles him. Pick him up gently and place him in his box.

• Reward him for good behaviour with a treat and/or some loving pets

• Add more litterboxes to the environment or consider that the litterboxes available may be too small. A large "corner pan" is appropriate for a small-medium breed rabbit, while an average cat litter box is appropriate for medium-large breeds. For large/giant breeds or multiple rabbits, considering using the bottom of a cage marketed for dwarf rabbits (please remember cages marketed for dwarf rabbits are not an appropriately sized cage for ANY rabbit, even the smallest of dwarfs!).

• Remember that even the best litter-trained rabbits may leave fecal pellets around the home from time to time!

INAPPROPRIATE LITTERS & BEDDING

There are many types of litter/bedding on the market and unfortunately, many are unsafe for use with rabbits and other small animals.

For your rabbit's safety and health, please DO NOT use the following types of litter or bedding!! Remember, what is safe for cats, is not necessarily safe for rabbits and other small animals.

• Softwood shavings (such as pine and cedar). Studies have shown that the chemical found in all softwoods (called phenol. For more information, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenol) can cause liver damage in otherwise healthy rabbits. Softwood shavings have also been shown to cause irritation of the respiratory tract in small animals.

• Corn cob bedding. Corn has been found to cause GI blockages. Rabbits often digest their litter while eating cecotrophs (see Health for more information) in their boxes. Corn cob bedding is also prone to mould growth.

• Clumping cat litter. It can lead to sometimes fatal obstructions in the gastrointestinal tract and is also an extreme irritant to their respiratory tract (for humans and cats too!).

• Wheat litters. These are highly palatable to rabbits and ingesting it can cause an overproduction of cecotrophs.

• Clay cat litter. The dust from clay can lead to irritation/disease of the respiratory tract and GI blockages.

There are however, many sound choices for rabbit litter and bedding.

APPROPRIATE LITTERS & BEDDING

• Recycled newspaper pellets

• Wood stove pellets or pine pellets. Phenols are removed in the process of making the pellets and are therefore safe.

• Soft recycled paper bedding (such as Carefresh). Highly-absorbent.

• Hardwood shavings, such as aspen and hemp.

• Plain newspaper, shredded or lined in the box. Although this is a safe choice, it is an inconvenient one, since the litter box must be changed extremely frequently.

Remember, all of the above types of litter are also environmentally friendly and can be composted along with your rabbit's waste matter!