Q&A for How to Litter Train a Rabbit

Yes, it's perfectly possible to litter train a rabbit. Like many species, they tend to use a different place to toilet so as not to contaminate their food or soil where they sleep. Whilst they may not be 100% reliable, when taught at an early age most rabbits will learn to use a litter box.

Start by saying the rabbit's name and "Come" when they happen to move towards you, then offer a reward. They will learn to associate the command with coming to you for a tasty treat and start to do so on cue. Of course, this does take a look of practice and much patience.

Firstly, do NOT use kitty litter, especially clay-based ones, as these could cause a blockage if eaten. Paper- or straw-based pellets work well. Be sure to choose a littler than is not fragranced or treated with chemicals that may be harmful to the rabbit.

Yes, although you need to 'rabbit proof' the house in order to keep your pet safe. Rabbits are notorious chewers and will chomp through electrical cables (among other things) and harm themselves. In addition, it's thought house rabbits can become Vitamin D deficient, so taking the rabbit out on a harness in the sun from time to time is a good idea.

Of all our domestic pets, rabbits are the least likely to pass on infection via their pee or poop. The majority of the bacterial and parasitic infections rabbit excrete are species specific, meaning they cannot infect people. However, whilst the risk of infection is low, it is not ideal to encourage the rabbit into the kitchen where food is prepared or have an open litter box there. Look for a better spot, preferably one that is close to where the rabbit spends most of her time so she doesn't have to go far to use teh toilet.

Yes. Training works best when started with a young rabbit. They have a strong instinct not to soil the nest, so providing an inviting toileting area will often result in a litter trained rabbit.

Remove wet patches daily to avoid ammonia buildup. Always leave the large, sticky pellets and NEVER remove these, as these are cecotrophs and vital to the rabbit's good health (they are re-eaten). Remove the small dry pellets every few days.

Yes, but if you haven't got a purpose made scoop you can improvise. Try cutting a wedge-shaped piece of the bottom off a plastic bottle or use an old yogurt pot as a scoop.

That depends on the individual rabbit. Rabbits are a prey species and prone to be nervous. If handled sympathetically from a young age, they do bond well to an owner and are very affectionate. Unfortunately, a rabbit that spends most of its time in a run alone is likely to be skittish and stand-offish.