House training Rabbit

[yoker]

How do you house train a rabbit?
And how do you train them not to bite?

 

[yoker]

Does anyone know?
I have a rabbit and I need help housetraining her. PLEASE.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

firstly you do not train a rabbit....rabbit trains you

If you want to leave him loose in the house you'll have to protect all your wires so that he dosn't electrocute himself and you'll still have a working telephone

.
Expect him to dig out your carpets as he'll just be doing what rabbits like to do outdoors. Careful that there aren't any holes that he can fall into like the sump pump in a basement...had my fav. bunny drown after falling through the covering.

Make litter boxes like I instructed in the other rabbit thread and place them in many corners. Have your rabbit fixed so that he dosen't spray all the walls. Probably a lot more but that's a start.

I would make him a large pen to contain him in when you can't be with him to supervise. Hope that answers some of your questions.

 

[chickenannie]

There's a web site that tells you all the details of house training a rabbit. Here it is:

http://www.rabbit.org/

The House Rabbit Society!!

 

[CherokeeFlats]

I am sorry but the HRS is not necessarily the best place to get information on rabbits.

You will need to baby proof your house but I do not suggest letting the rabbit free roam the home even if you are there to supervise. THey can get into some deep crud if they are not watched every second. Your best bet is to have a little area for them blocked off.. away from wires... with their cage close. they will naturally go to the cage to use the bathroom because they are creatures of habit. THey will drop territorial poos around mostly to mark their area. it should only take a couple days for them to figure it out.

Also, when house training your rabbit.. DO NOT I repeat DO NOT use kitty litter or a litter box at all... rabbits need to be kept on wire floors for health reasons. So a litter box of anykind can be harmful or cause injury on infection like Hutch Burn (which is VERY painful).

a rabbit can be outta its cage to "play" for up to 2 hrs before having to use the bathroom... learn it's body language, if you are holding them, they will tell you they gotta go.. usually by scratching your shirt or nipping at your clothes.....

also, We do not recommend spaying or neutering your rabbits. It's great for dogs and cats but has no medical value or health value for them what so ever. MOre rabbits die ont he table because they can not metabilize the anastetic then make if back home. Male rabbits spray ONLY once bred or exposed to breeding after sexual maturity. Females are not known to spray. When housed in proper cages and fed proper amounts of feed for that breed, a rabbit can live several years past it estimated 5-7 yrs.... I had one that was 11 when he died and he was a breeder!!

I have over 60 rabbits here (including babies in the box) and have bred for over 20 years. In those years, I had to learn what worked and what didnt.... it's experience thats the key.

Hope this helps...

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Quote:
I believe the op is asking for house rabbit experience

House rabbit rescue experience here for the past 17 years.

1) females spray as much or more than males
2) Spraying does not stop necessarily (very rarely)
3) Fixing is a must to keep clean rabbits (no spraying) with good litter box habits
4) Fixing will make that nippy bun more receptive to human handling since it's not focused on reproducing and being hormonal.
5) rabbits are better off paired after fixing...makes for a couple of in

buns

For many years now Isoflurine (sp) has been used and buns are not known to die from anesthetics any longer.
Please see my litter box solution for cleanliness and ease of cleaning.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=256592&p=2

Oh and btw HRS is an excellent site for complete bunny knowledge.

 

[yoker]

the site was helpfull. Thanks. I know this bunny is teaching me patiance
Does spraying mean on the walls and higher then ground level? cause I don't think our bunny has ever do that.

So I block of an area of a room with no wires to get at. I placed her cage in there with her food and water and litter box ect... now I am going to try shreded paper (or would wood chips be better?) in her box which is what the cage has in it. And I will put some hay in the box.

now should I let her out into that area all the time?
Will she always poo all over that area? I have been picking it up and putting it in her litter box is that right?
She is a year and a half is that to old to train her?
Anything else I should know.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[chinbunny]

Seconds wind dancer on the website. Do not use it for any type of information. Esp feeding. Go www.arba.net for all your rabbit information.

However, bucks will spray. So will does. Once they hit sezual maturity. they don't need to be around other rabbits to start doing that. They just do it. Spaying and neutering will help curb it. the problem is finding a vet that knows how to do it. Good luck on that. not very many vets see rabbits, and most are not that savy of them.

You can trai the rabbit to use the wire as a toilet. Or you can place a plastic litter pan made for bunnies in one corner of the cage. Line it with wood chips. Place in the corner where the rabbit uses the bathroom the most. He shouldn't have any problems going in it.

Also, the ARBA guidebook to raising better rabbits and cavies has an excellent section on keeping house rabbits. Much better(and safer) then what you will find on the HRS website.

 

[yoker]

what is the problem with that website?

 

[chickbea]

What is it with the hatred for the House Rabbit Society that so many of you are displaying lately? For someone who is looking to live with their bunny in the home 24/7, they are a great resource. If you are looking to get into breeding or showing, ARBA is a great resource. We don't need to fight about it!
Please remember that someone who has a pet house rabbit is looking for very different information than those of you who breed and show bunnies.
My house bunny never was confined to her cage - the door was always open for her. The only time she went in the cage was to use her litterbox.
To be successful living with bunny:
1. Cover all your cords, and keep bunny out of any area of the house with expensive carpeting or furniture.
2. Find a veterinarian WHO KNOWS BUNNIES. Rabbits have very specific health needs (their digestive system is sort of the same as that of a tiny horse), and they are not to be given certain antibiotics or anaesthetics. I did have my bun spayed, allthough I was very nervous about it. It went just fine.
3. Get right down on the floor with bunny and she will be much more willing to interact with you.
4. Everyone who visits you will want to squeeze and hug your bunny. Some rabbits love atttention, and others loathe strangers. If yours is the latter, find a quiet place for her to be if you are having a party or boisterous houseguests.