Composting

Garbage should be thrown into the bin, where it belongs to keep the environment clean.

Moral education since childhood.

Then one day, I came across the fact that:

• 80% of our household waste is biodegradable.
• The biodegradable trash in landfill sites doesn't break down at all.

... There is a misconception that biodegradable trash will break down naturally while it's in the landfill, and that the landfill site will eventually be "emptied" some day. But the truth is, it doesn't.

The scientific explanation (it's not advanced biology, don't worry):

1. In landfills, waste tends to be compacted very tightly so as to reduce the space they occupy.
2. As a result, there is not much oxygen in a landfill site.
3. Also, a landfill site often lacks dirt and useful microorganisms.
4. Therefore, we can all make the simple conclusion: Nearly nothing breaks down in a landfill site. 

Handling and Carrying Your Bunny

How to Carry Your Bunny:

1. Place one hand beneath your bunny's chest. Pet your bunny and talk to him/her soothingly.
   
   
   
2. Place your other hand under your bunny's furry bum. Your hand should be between the tail and bum - bunnies don't like it when you seem to squash their tails in the carrying process!
   
3. Lift your bunny up slowly.

The key to safely carrying your bunny is to fully support your bunny's weight with both of your hands under his/her chest and bum.

Daily Observation

Bunnies exhibit subtle symptoms when they are ill. As their caretakers, it is important for us to notice these signs quickly - this is an ability you will come to possess over time through daily interactions with your bunny.

A quick list to check if your bunny is healthy: 

• eats food, especially hay, as usual
• produces poop throughout the day
• mostly active - instantly perks up when you bring him/her a treat
• carries out all bunny activities (eg: grooming) normally

Alerting symptoms: 

• eats significantly less hay
• does not show interest in favourite foods (eg: vegetables, fruits)
• produces small-sized, abnormal poop OR none at all
• rests in same position and location without moving much 
• lethargic, sluggish movements

It is not uncommon for bunnies to have mild digestive ailments every now and then. From personal experience, this is often the cause of why a bunny "doesn't seem him/herself" on a certain day.

In these cases, high-fibre hay is always the #1 solution.

To encourage hay consumption:

• Hand-feeding
• Pick a fresh strand of hay from the package and wiggle it in front of your bunny's mouth to entice him/her to eat it.

• Increase water intake
• I have found that giving 1/8 to 1/4 cup of diluted tomato juice helps. Just one 1/8 cup, though!
• Note: The tomato juice must be freshly made. Use a juicer. DO NOT purchase bottles or cartons of pre-packaged juice from the store.

• Accompany your bunny more often
• Have you been giving your bunny less attention lately? A good dose of praises and pets can do wonders!

• Ear TTouches
• The TTouch is a kind of massage technique. Ear TTouches helps stimulate the digestive system. You can read more on the TTouch method here: Tellington TTouch for a Happy and Healthy Rabbit

Grooming Your Bunny

What is Grooming?

Grooming involves brushing your bunny's fur and, if necessary, trimming your bunny's nails. Generally, short-hair breeds require less coat maintenance. It's the long-hair breeds that require more attentive fur care.

Wally the Angora rabbit (Look at how well-trimmed his long fur is!)

The Purpose of Grooming

• To reduce ingested fur

• Bunnies are clean creatures. One of their daily activities is grooming themselves with that cute little tongue. However, they tend to swallow a lot of hair in the process, and that is why they occasionally need assistance from us to brush away the excess loose fur, especially during molting periods.

• Short nails for safety

• Long nails are uncomfortable for a bunny when he/she hops. 
• Long nails are more likely to get accidentally caught in items and teared off - needless to say, this would be painful for the bunny! 

What to Use

Bunnies have delicate skin, so it is important that you take note of the type of brush you use: 

• A soft bristle brush or fine-toothed comb is recommended. 

• Personally, I strongly advise against using a slicker brush. The metal teeth can be quite uncomfortable for a bunny's sensitive skin. 

Metal slicker brush - A no-no tool when grooming bunnies.

How to Groom Your Bunny
The steps are very easy - in fact, there are only two steps.

1. Pet your bunny so that he/she assumes a resting position.
2. Follow the direction of your bunny's fur when you brush!
   
   
   

Dealing with Heavy Shedding
Bunnies tend to go through a heavy shed at least once a year. During such periods, a soft pet on your bunny's back would literally send loose fur fluttering in the air. A few more strokes and it's not an understatement when I say you'll yield this:

A ball of loose fur

Jippie and the ball of fur

Now, what should you do?

• Brush more frequently

• Alternatively, you can simply stroke your bunny more often. The thin layer of sweat on your palms naturally picks up and removes the loose fur. 

• The right foods

• Check on your bunny's hay consumption - make sure he/she is eating hay! Fibre is crucial in pushing all the ingested fur out of their gut. 

• If your bunny isn't a keen water drinker, offer more vegetables when he/she is shedding. Water is important to ensure an efficient digestive system as well.

During a heavy shed, there might be:

• a change in your bunny's fur colour (eg: dark brown to light brown) 
  
  Left: 2-month-old Dutchie, his fur is pure black.
  Right: 2-year-old Dutchie, the tips of his black fur are light brown!

• mildly bald patches, the thinning out of fur, and artistic patterns appearing
  
  A heart shape?

Be reassured that a change in fur colour is perfectly normal, and where there are mildly bald patches, the bunny's fur should grow back quickly within 1 - 2 weeks. 

Dealing with Other Issues

• Long-hair

• The effective method to make long fur more manageable is simple: keep the hair short. You can trim the fur to about 1 inch. 

• Make it a must to brush your long-hair bun daily. Lack of manual brushing will often result in the fur tangling into severe mats.

• Matted fur

• DO NOT attempt to pull out the chunk of fur with your fingers. You may potentially injure your bunny's delicate skin. 
• Use a pair of scissors with a rounded end to carefully trim away the mat. 

Trimming the Nails

Many bunny owners are nervous about the idea of cutting their bunny's nails. The greatest fear is bleeding. However, as long as you're careful and equipped with the correct information and tools, the task is not as difficult as it sounds!

Which section of the nail you should cut:

This is the nail clipper I use:

General instructions and tips:

• A bunny's nail should be trimmed about every 4 weeks.
• Instead of estimating from where the quick ends, you can simply position the clippers several millimetres from the tip of the nail and make the cut there, just to be safe.
• You can ask a family member or friend to help coax and restrain your bunny while you trim the nail.

An excellent video on how to trim a bunny's nails:

Why You Should NOT Breed Your Bunny

Baby bunnies are undeniably one of the cutest things to exist on earth alongside puppies, kittens and other little baby animals. Hence, many people wish to breed their bunny - it is indeed adorable to see one's beloved bunny have children.

However, please read on before making this decision. Breeding one's bunny often leads to an undesirable and on the whole, unfortunate domino effect.

5 Quick Facts

#1:  The gestation period for bunnies is approximately 30 days (a month).

#2:  At the end of the gestation period, the mother can give birth to a litter of 5 - 10 kits.

#3:  The doe (female bunny) is able to conceive immediately after giving birth.

#4:  Bunnies reach sexual maturity at around 6 months old.

#5:  A bunny has an average lifespan of 10 years.

In the wild: 

By nature, bunnies are prey animals. Facing such high predation, they have evolved to produce litter after litter in a short period of time to keep their species alive. 

Living with humans:

When kept as pets and allowed to mate - whether unintentionally or not - it often results in too many unwanted bunnies.

Due to irresponsible breeding (as well as impulse buying, etc), thousands of bunnies are abandoned each year. 

A Calculated Example

Combining the facts mentioned above, and assuming that the female bunny is mated upon on:

• 1st January
• the start of each of the following months 

... Here is an example of the number of bunnies one might end up with after three months:

Now remember, this is just one bunny reproducing. If we take into account the litter of bunnies born on 1st February, and assuming only 3 out of the 6 of them are females ... 

Total: 22 bunnies

Now, imagine the number of bunnies the person could have after a year ... Calculation is not even necessary to know that the answer would be alarming.

"What if I just bred my bunny once?"

If you're able to find good, loving homes for all of your bunny's babies - what if one of your adopters decides to have "just one litter" as well?

It is highly likely that your bunny's descendants might end up -

• abandoned in the streets, exposed to the dangers of the roads and feral predators
• dumped at a kill shelter, where they would be euthanized when the shelter becomes full.

Our Responsibility

People often breed bunnies for the sake of profit, to give away the little babies as gifts to friends, or simply out of mere curiosity.

But remember, actual lives are at stake. Please don't contribute to the statistics. Those of us who love rabbits should take responsibility not just for our own companions, but also for the less fortunate ones waiting at shelters.

There are many wonderful bunnies waiting in rescue centres. If you wish to spread your love for bunnies to your friends and relatives - recommend them to start HERE!

6 Possible Garden and Outdoor Hazards To Your Bunny

1. Pesticides and chemical fertilisers

• If you have a bunny at home, it is unadvisable to use these substances on your plants. For instance, your bunny's paws could come into contact with the dissolved fertilisers in water drained from your potted plants.
  
  
  
  Jippie

2. Wild mushrooms, particularly strange-looking weeds, and litter

• If you spot any of these items on your lawn, remove them immediately.
  
  
  
  Wild mushrooms - these tend to pop up during damp and humid times of the year.

3. Gardening tools

• Keep gardening tools, especially those with sharp and pointy ends, out of your bunny's reach. Some bunnies might have the tendency to chin these objects.

4. Compost

• Those who do trench composting - where a hole is dug in the ground, and kitchen scraps are placed into it and covered with soil - be careful not to let your bunny have access to that area. He/she might try to dig out the various rotting vegetables, banana skin, etc underneath!

5. Potential predators

• You MUST supervise your bunny at all times when he/she is outdoors. Leaving your bunny alone for even a mere 5 minutes could result in an accidental escape.

• Keep an eye out for eagles circling above your home as well as feral cats.

6. Poisonous plants

• Check that the plants in your home are not poisonous. Here is a list from the House Rabbit Society's website: Poisonous Plants

First published on 02/01/2012

Chewing - A Problem?

Why Bunnies Chew?

• Chewing is part of a bunny's nature, and to bunnies, it is a rather enjoyable pastime. 
• The practical benefit: a bunny's teeth do not stop growing, so they are worn down by everyday chewing and munching. 

The Right Attitude

From a human's point of view, chewing is often considered to be "bad" behaviour because household items are often targeted for chewing purposes. Common objects include:

• wires
• legs of wooden furniture
• remote control buttons
• books placed on accessible shelves

We must understand that our bunnies don't know it's our treasured possessions they unknowingly damaged. They are innocent.

DO NOT hit, scold or punish your bunny in any way.

The Common Mistake: Chewing "Rewarded"

When we're engrossed in activities like watching TV, a graceful hop up the bookshelf or consistent gnawing on the wooden chair legs will no doubt attract our attention.

In order to somewhat stop this behaviour and resume our activity, we give our bunnies a treat or an extra piece of vegetable. After eating, they usually become satisfied and will go about with their usual grooming or resting business.

Now, here is what the bunny learns from our actions: "Ohh, by chewing, I get something yummy."

The chewing behaviour is unconsciously reinforced!

How to Prevent

1. Provide hay at all times.

• When your bunny finishes the given amount, do not hesitate to offer more. The bunny can munch on the hay to satisfy his/her chewing urge.
  
  
  

2. Chew wood

• These can be bought from a pet shop.

3. Bunny-proofing your home

• You can use baby gates to fence off your study, for example, where the books are kept.
• Wires can be encased in plastic tubing. Slit the length of the tubing to wrap the wire inside. 

First published on 07/08/2011

Bonding With Your Bunny

What is Bonding
Bonding probably sounds like a heavy word! Actually, it simply involves you, the human, hanging out with your bunny and both of you getting to know each other more.

Jippie enjoying pets

The First Step: Abandoning Preconceptions

"Affectionate", "cuddly", and "friendly" - these are the words that tend to come to one's mind when thinking about a bunny.

Bunnies are indeed wonderful, intelligent creatures, but the typical "cute" image of a bunny doesn't represent the actual animal. It is very important that you see your bunny as an individual.

Each bunny has his/her own unique personality; some are naturally adventurous, some are feisty and bossy, while some are shy and are more on the introvert side. 

When bonding (or in less intimidating words, hanging out) with your bunny:

DOs:

• Open the cage door and let your bunny come out on his/her own.
• Sit near, but not directly beside, your bunny. Keep a polite distance. Your bunny will come to you if he/she wants to.
• Talk to your bunny, speak gently and give compliments: "Hello, you're a handsome bunny, you know that?"
• If you wish to pet your bunny, approach slowly with your fingers and start from the head. It is better to position yourself beside your bunny when doing so instead of directly in front of him/her.

DON'Ts:

• Make any sudden, loud noises or movements.
• Carry and cuddle your bunny. He/she is not familiar with you yet, and so might kick and struggle when held against their will, potentially injuring both of you.
• Use your whole hand on his/her back. It may startle him/her.
• Follow or chase your bunny around - you would appear as a threat!

When it is time for your bunny to return to his/her cage or play area, use a strand of vegetable or a tiny piece of carrot to tempt and guide your bunny back. Try to use carrying only as a last resort.

If your bunny seems more interested in knowing the furniture or bookshelf rather than you, there is no need to become disheartened or angry! The keys to a good relationship are:

• Allocating time daily for your bunny.
• Making yourself the source of affection and pets.
• Making yourself the supplier and waiter of your bunny's food.
• Focus on your bunny when you're with him/her. Stop the incessant chatter that is so often present in our busy heads. It's not quality time spent if your mind is constantly on other things.
• Of course, lots of patience and love.

Different Types of Hay Feeders

Timothy hay makes up 75% of a bunny's diet and must be made available to your bunny at all times throughout the day. Since it would be rather boring for your bun to eat hay straight out from a bowl, here are some suggestions on the things you can use to make the hay consumption process more interesting for him/her:

1. Toilet paper roll/Paper towel roll

2. Metal hay ball

3. Household item, eg: steel toothbrush holder

4. Cardboard box

Food Hunt

The Food Hunt is an activity where the bunny has to find hidden treats. This is good stimulation for your bunny's senses (especially that cute, twitching nose!) and encourages foraging.

What you need: 

• Treats which are dry

• Note: Since I do not purchase commercial rabbit treats for my bunnies, I use pieces of carrots instead.

Instructions:

1. Get the treats ready! (As a reminder, a bunny should only have a teaspoon of fruits/treats a day.)
   
   
   
2. Hide the treats in reasonably challenging places.
   
   
   
   "Ooh, the carrots are on the box."
3. If your bunny appears to require hints, guide him/her by directing his attention to the correct hiding spot, eg: by snapping your fingers.
   
   
   
   "In my food bowl, hoomin?"
4. Remember to check that all treats have been eaten and not left in their hiding spots.

Try to change the hiding spots every few days. Being the smart and intelligent creatures they are, bunnies memorise all the same ones very quickly - and predictability wouldn't be as engaging or fun!

The Importance of Praise and Encouragement

1. Forges a good relationship between you and your bunny

• Bunnies learn good habits by being praised for doing things right, NOT by being punished for doing wrong. 
• Constantly dropping comments like: "You're a naughty, bad rabbit!" achieves nothing, and would only result in the bunny seeing you as a human who dislikes him/her.
  
  
  
  Look at the sparkle in those eyes - bunnies are intelligent creatures

2. A source of comfort and support when your bunny is sick

• Lots of praise and encouragement can help raise our bunny's spirits. Don't hesitate to shower your bunny with compliments when he/she is considering to pick up a strand of hay or drink water.
• You'd be surprised, but keeping up with positive messages for your bunny would give you a boost as well - and as you're the caretaker, it is essential to maintain your composure.
  
  
  
  Dutchie enjoying a head scratch

3 Reasons Why Bunnies Should NOT be Housed Outdoors

1. Potential attack by predators

• Even if the cunning predator fails to completely get hold of the bunny, the bunny could be left with severe injuries and in considerable distress.

• It is known that the mere presence of a predator could trigger an extreme reaction and cause the bunny to die from a heart attack.

2. Poor weather conditions

• High temperatures on a hot day could result in heat stroke. 
• During a heavy rain or a storm, the bunny would feel cold and lonely as well as intimidated by the loud claps of thunder.
  
  

  
  (Rabbit Sarcasm from Bunnyhugga)

3. Lack of bunny-human interaction

• A bunny housed in an outdoor hutch cannot possibly receive as much attention as a bunny living within your home. After all, how much time do you intend to spend in the yard? Consequently, the bunny tends to be afraid of humans as he/she is not familiar with them.

• You may not catch the bunny's subtle changes in behaviour when he/she is sick. Being prey animals by nature, bunnies hide their illnesses so as not to be seen as an 'easy target'. (For me, only after taking care of my bunnies for several years have I been able to distinguish between a 'I'm a bit bored' and a 'I'm uncomfortable' face!)

Besides the three main reasons above, there are still other problems like: possible theft by humans, the bunny digging a burrow and eventually escaping ...

An indoor bunny would be much happier than one kept outdoors, and isn't a happy life what we all want for our animal companions? 

Cages and Puppy Pens

A cage is a common item purchased by almost all pet owners, while puppy pens are used to set up a play area.

Firstly: cages.

The common misconception

As bunnies are generally considered to be small-sized animals, many people tend to have the idea that they should be housed in cages when kept as pets. This, I must emphasize, is incorrect.

Consequences of caging a bunny:

• The bunny becomes unable to carry out some of his/her natural activities.

• Example of natural activity: binky, which obviously requires space.
  
  
  
  Billy, The Real "Energizer Bunny", binkying on a bed. Look at him go!

• The bunny becomes isolated.

• Imagine being cooped up in a small, transparent room, watching everyone else walking freely around you, but you can't be a part of them due to your restrainment.
  
  This is what a bunny feels like when he/she is constantly caged.

• Over time, the bunny is likely to become more territorial.

• As a result of restricted living spaces and the lack of natural, daily interactions with humans, the cage is the only place the bunny feels belong to him/her. The bunny becomes extremely protective of it. Sticking your hand into the cage is perceived by the bunny as intruding his/her territory, and hence he/she may lunge at you or bite your hand, while making an angry grunting noise.

• This is one of the reasons many bunnies are dumped. The act of lunging and showing irritation is seen as 'aggressive'. It is crucial to understand that this so-called 'aggressive' behaviour is caused by the inadequate living conditions the bunny was housed - NOT an inborn personality. These unique individuals are terribly misunderstood!

Caging could, indeed, cause a number of adverse physical and mental effects on a bunny. However, it is also essential to realize that cages are often needed when you have a bunny (or any other pet). Housing a bunny in a cage only becomes a problem when the bunny is kept in it too long. 

The proper uses of cages:

• To house the bunny during the first few days of his/her arrival in your home.

• As the bunny is not yet familiar with the new surroundings, it can be a little intimidating for him/her if you give a large, open space straightaway.

• To place the bunny in it for his/her own safety.

• For example, when you're not at home or when you're sleeping during the night.

Which cage to choose?
There are several factors to consider when purchasing a cage:

1. The size of the cage

• The cage must be large enough for the bunny to hop several steps in all directions and to completely stretch out. 
  
  Relaxed bunny stretching out hind legs

• There must also be sufficient space left to put in your bunny's other items, eg: food bowl.

2. The structure of the cage

• The door of the cage should be on the side, NOT on the top, so that whenever the door is opened, the bunny can hop into and out of the cage at his/her own will.

• Personally, I'd recommend wire cages. These have a tray underneath it. Besides being more hygienic (as the bunny won't be resting directly on top of used litter), it makes your job of clearing out litter and poop easier.
  
  
  
  A wire cage (Please excuse the stained tray!)

3. The bunny's age

• If your bunny is young (6 months old and below), he/she will definitely grow in size as time goes by. You'll need to take this into account. Don't buy cages that are too small!

Preventing sore hocks

Sore hocks - a condition in which the sole of a bunny's feet becomes raw and inflamed.

Sore hocks

One of the causes of sore hocks is improper flooring. If you press your palm with a certain amount of force onto the flooring of a wire cage, you'll immediately feel the uncomfortable (and possibly, painful) pressure of the thin, rigid metal bars on your hands. 

Bunnies experience the same discomfort when they stand on it.

Personally, I place a rubber matting in the wire cage to allow my bunnies' weight to be distributed evenly over the flooring. I've been using this for years and it has worked perfectly - their feet stays furry and comfy!

What to put inside a cage?
Ask yourself this question: What does your bunny need when he/she is in the cage?

The items in a bunny's cage varies, but here's a list of the things you'll definitely need to place in it:

• a food bowl
• a water bowl OR water bottle
• a hay feeder OR hay rack
• optional: toy.

The simple layout of Jippie's cage

The cloth is a toy, which Jippie likes to dig, rearrange and lounge

Now, moving on to the closely-related subject of puppy pens.

Play areas
As discussed above, a cage is not enough and hence cannot be a bunny's main, daily living quarters.

The purpose of a play area is simple: to give the bunny more space and freedom.

Setting up a play area is relatively easy:

1. The most important thing you'll need to have are several puppy pens.
   
   
   
   Puppy pens
   
   
2. Link them up by their hooks and arrange them to create a space that is at least 2m x 2m. (#Tip: make use of walls.)
3. The play area should consist of: the cage, a litter box, and various toys.
   
   This is Jippie's play area; the cardboard box is his hideout.

Where to locate?

The entire play area, including the cage, should be placed:

• indoors

• Why?
  Bunnies living outdoors are exposed to many dangers, eg: predators, hot weather conditions.

• most preferably where most human activities are carried out, eg: near the living room.

• Why?
  This allows the bunny to observe what your daily activities are - one of the keys to a good bunny-human relationship. 

• away from direct sunlight

• Why?
  The bright light would be uncomfortable for the bunny's eyes and the location may be rather uncomfortably hot!

'Housekeeping'

• The cage, along with the tray, should be washed every 2 - 3 months. You'd be surprised how much wispy fur will be sticking in-between the bars.

• The floor of the play area should be mopped (or steamed, depending on the type of flooring you have in your home) at least once a week to keep the bunny's space fresh and hygienic.

• Litter boxes should be cleared and washed everyday to prevent unpleasant odour.

A good housing environment is one that suits your bunny's needs and fits your home. There are no exact instructions on how to set up a play area. This is simply a guideline. Improve the setup whenever necessary along the way - this is what I did, and what I'm still doing as well!

Note: If the owner of the 'sore hocks' image reads this, can you kindly provide me a link to your website for crediting purposes? I found this image quite a while back and have forgotten to note down its source. My apologies in advance!

Litter Training Your Bunny

What is litter training?
Litter training is the process of training an indoor pet (in this case, bunnies) to dispose of his/her excretions in a litter box. Bunnies can be trained to urinate in a litter box.

Benefits of litter training:

• Your job of cleaning the litter box is eased and the process is sped up!

• Your bunny's play area space can be expanded, since he/she wouldn't be urinating after every other hop.

• Your bunny can even be given full access to the entire house!

Obviously, the advantages listed above benefits both bunny and human. However -

Expectations and reality facts:

• Your bunny will still be extremely likely to leave poop at random places OR while hopping around.

• Occasionally (or even a couple of times a day), your bunny may still urinate outside the litter box.

• The litter training process may take weeks or months; the time varies from bunny to bunny.

• Young bunnies (below 6 months old) tend to be more difficult to litter train.

• Adult bunnies (above 6 months old) tend to be easier to litter train.

Beginning with the Right Attitude

• DO NOT scold, hit, or punish your bunny in any way when he/she does not use the litter box. The bunny would come to associate the litter box with bad treatment, and this does not help the training process.

• When you spot your bunny using the litter box, DO: 

• Give lots and lots of praise!

• Reward your bunny with a piece of his/her favourite vegetable.

• Bunnies learn by doing the right thing and being rewarded, NOT by making mistakes and being scolded.

Things needed:
Note: Various suggestions are listed in (i), (ii) ... etc.

1. Litter box

• The litter box is where the bunny hops inside to urinate.

(i) Household-item-turn-litter-box
This is the litter box my bunnies use. It is a two-layered basket-like object - its original usage was for people to place washed vegetables and fruits in it to dry.

• Notes on litter box:

• If the litter box purchased has two layers, check that the holes on the upper layer are smaller than your bunny's feet. This is because if the bunny's foot gets stuck in one of the holes, there is a dangerous risk of the leg breaking as he/she attempts to pull out the foot in a panic manner.

• You can place rubber matting on the upper layer to better ensure safety.
  
  
  
  Rubber matting on upper layer of litter box

(ii) Cat litter box*

More on using cat litter boxes for bunnies here

2. Litter

• Litter is to be placed into the litter box to absorb the bunny's urine.

(i) Newspaper

• the cheapest and safest kind of litter.
• you can shred the newspapers before you line them in the litter box.
  
  
  
  Dutchie amidst shredded newspaper.

(ii) Carefresh litter*

• Notes on litter:

• It is strongly advised that you DO NOT purchase the following types of litter:

• pine OR cedar shavings - phenols, which are natural volatile chemicals in the wood, have been found to cause respiratory problems and liver damage in bunnies.

• clumping OR clay-based litter - causes potentially fatal blockage if the bunny consumes it.

• Personally, I also advise that you DO NOT purchase any shavings that are sold and marketed as "scented". Once, I bought a "natural" scented shaving and I noticed that my bunnies (and also me) sneeze a lot when the shavings are used. Everyone returned to normal when the shavings are no longer used.

*Recommended by many bunny owners, but I personally have not used this.

3. Some poop and urine-soaked litter

• These will be placed in litter box. This sends the bunny the message that the litter box is where he/she should urinate.

4. Puppy pens

• Puppy pens are used to confine the bunny in a restricted area and used throughout the litter training process.
  
  Puppy pens

• Note on puppy pens:
• The puppy pens should be able to be hooked and unhooked, so that they can be rearranged to create different play area sizes.
  
  
  
  One of the hooks

5. A shallow storage box (optional)

• I use this to contain the litter box.. I use such a box because sometimes, my bunnies' furry bums back up so far in the litter box that urine goes over the edge.
  
  
  
  The storage box lined with a layer of newspaper

The litter training process
1. Place your chosen type litter into the litter box.

A layer of newspaper at the bottom and shredded ones on top.

2. Place urine-soaked litter and several poop into the litter box.

Placing urine-soaked newspaper into the litter box.

(Alternatively, you can use a paper towel to mop up a puddle of urine and place that inside.)

Placing poop into the litter box.

3. Place the prepared litter box in your bunny's favourite toilet spot.

• Also, make Timothy hay available right next to the litter box. Bunnies like to munch on hay and use the litter box at the same time.

I've made two holes in a paper towel and stuck hay into them; the paper roll is hung onto the cage with a S-hook.

Jippie eating hay

4. Confine your bunny to a limited area using puppy pens.

• When your bunny successfully uses the litter box for a period of time (eg: a week), rearrange the pens to create a larger space. Then, after a week, if he/she successes again, expand more!

• Example:

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Cleaning chores

The cleaning process:

1. Wear a mask and a pair of plastic gloves.
2. Throw out the litter and wash the litter box.
3. Place new litter into a second, clean litter box.

• Litter boxes should be cleared and washed daily. 

• Rinse and scrub the litter box thoroughly with water, or they'll get really foul-smelling over time.

General tips

• If your bunny has chosen a new toilet spot right after the litter box is placed in his/her old one, move the litter box to the new spot. It's easier to follow the bunny's choice rather than instruct (which is quite impossible) him/her to urinate in a spot you have chosen.

• If your bunny has multiple toilet spots, you can supply the bunny with more litter boxes; one for each spot. Reduce the number of boxes gradually as your bunny develops the habit of using a litter box.

As a final reminder: Patience is key when litter training your bunny.