How to litter train a rabbit

Can you litter train a rabbit?

Yes. Rabbits naturally pick one spot, usually a corner, for their wee and most of their droppings, the House Rabbit Society explains. Litter training is mostly a matter of putting the tray where your rabbit has already decided to go and making it the nicest place in the pen to sit. Most rabbits get there. None is perfect: a few dry droppings around the edge of the home are normal, and are often a rabbit marking its patch as safe.

Neutering is the biggest single help. Hormones kick in at puberty, around 3 to 6 months, and unneutered rabbits often spray and scatter droppings to mark territory. The House Rabbit Society says neutering makes good habits much more likely, and that neutered rabbits' urine smells less. Our page on neutering and spaying rabbits explains what to expect. Older rabbits are generally easier to train than babies.

How to litter train a rabbit, step by step

1. Start small. Keep your rabbit in its pen or hutch at first, not the whole room. Too much freedom too soon is the most common reason training slips.
2. Watch where it goes. Give it a day and note the corner it chooses. That is where the tray goes, not where you would like it.
3. Set up the tray. Newspaper on the bottom, a thin layer of rabbit-safe litter, then a big pile of fresh hay on top or a hay rack over one end.
4. Move the misses. Pop stray droppings and a little wee-soaked bedding into the tray so it smells right.
5. Clean the wrong spots well. Wipe misses with a mix of white vinegar and water or a pet-safe enzyme cleaner. Soap and water leave enough scent to bring the rabbit back.
6. Add trays where needed. If your rabbit keeps choosing a second corner, put another tray there. Working with your rabbit is quicker than arguing.
7. Widen the space slowly. Once the tray is used reliably, open up more room bit by bit, adding a tray in each new area at first.

Best litter for rabbits

The best rabbit litter is safe if nibbled, absorbent and low in dust. The House Rabbit Society recommends paper-based pellets or shredded paper, compressed paper or wood pulp pellets, and natural wheat or grass litters. The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF) adds heat-treated wood cat litter pellets, pulped paper and paper pellets. PDSA suggests wood-based, dust-extracted cat litter pellets, checked for silicone.

Use only a thin layer of pellets, enough to soak up wee, the House Rabbit Society advises. The hay on top does the rest. Our guide to rabbit bedding covers what goes in the sleeping area.

Wood stove pellets and horse bedding pellets for rabbit litter

Many owners use wood stove (heating) pellets or horse bedding pellets because a big bag is cheap. No welfare charity we use covers stove pellets by name, so this is our reasoning from what they say about wood litter: plain, 100% wood pellets are the same thing as wood cat litter pellets, which the RWAF and House Rabbit Society recommend. The risk is in what else is in the bag.

• The bag says 100% wood, with no binders, accelerants or fire starters
• No added scent or oils
• Low dust when you pour it
• For horse bedding, plain wood or straw pellets; the RWAF lists hemp, flax and miscanthus horse beddings as options
• Hay on top, as with any pellet

What size litter box does a rabbit need?

Big enough for your rabbit to turn round and stretch out in comfortably. The House Rabbit Society says a medium or large cat litter tray usually works, and that bigger breeds or bonded pairs may need a low-sided under-bed storage box. Corner trays sold for small animals suit only small rabbits and are often too tight.

• Plastic, which is light, easy to clean and does not hold smells
• One low side to hop in, three higher sides to keep hay and pellets in
• No wire grate or mesh bottom, which traps wee and can hurt feet
• A lower front, or a puppy pad under the edge, for older or stiff rabbits

Rabbit cage and hutch setup with a litter box

Keep the toilet, bed and food areas separate, as PDSA advises, and put the tray in the corner your rabbit picks. In a hutch, that is usually a corner of the living area away from the bedroom. Put a hay rack beside or over the tray. Outdoors, a tray of pellets topped with hay works in the hutch and a second one in the run. Many hutches have little room, which is one more reason to join them to a run: our page on the best rabbit hutches and cages has the sizes, and our rabbit cage setup guide shows layouts with the tray in place.

How often to clean a rabbit's litter box

Every day. The House Rabbit Society suggests changing the tray daily, with newspaper underneath so the whole lot tips out into a bin bag or compost, and the RSPCA says toilet areas should be cleaned every day. Rinse the tray each time, and give it an occasional white vinegar rinse to shift the chalky crust rabbit urine leaves. Check under and around the tray for leaks. Our rabbit cage cleaning routine covers the weekly deep clean.

Why is my rabbit not using the litter box?

Most often the rabbit is not neutered, has too much space too soon, or does not like where the tray is. Sudden changes, such as a new pet or person, moved furniture or a new home, can upset good habits for a while; they usually settle as the rabbit adjusts. If nothing has changed, or you see small dribbles of wee while your rabbit hops, the House Rabbit Society advises seeing a rabbit-savvy vet, as a urine infection or other illness may be to blame. For everything else, see our complete rabbit care guide.