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Why is a Rabbit Not Like a Dog?
Now consider the rabbit. The wild rabbits from which our domestic friends are
descended are indeed social creatures, but they are herbivores who have not had the
evolutionary pressure to be highly cooperative. The family group lives in a series of
excavated tunnels (the warren) in the earth. There is a social hierarchy, but it is
generally based on which rabbit is the strongest and toughest. g, guinea pig or other
animal than with an unfamiliar member of his/her own species!
The rabbit subjected to physical punishment may become extremely aggressive,
hopelessly fearful. With love and patience, the human caregiver can teach the bunny
what is acceptable and what is not. The only effective way to train a rabbit away from
undesirable behaviors is with positive reinforcement and very gentle negative
reinforcement, such as a squirt with a water bottle and a firm "No!" when the bunny is
being naughty. What is "naughty" for a rabbit?" The human caregiver must accept that
certain behaviors we might consider objectionable (e.g., chewing furniture, digging
carpet, marking with urine in a corner) are not naughty to the bunny, and are, in fact,
extensions of the rabbits natural behavior. If the bunny is chewing furniture, you can dab
some nail biting remedy on the problem areas, but don't forget to provide the bunny
with chew toys (untreated wicker baskets, clean, tape and staple-free cardboard boxes,
untreated pine molding, macaw-safe chew toys, etc.) as a substitute. If the bunny is
digging carpet, and you don't have access to a safe, fenced area where the bunny can
have some supervised digging time, cover the problem areas with 100% cotton bath
mats and provide a large litterbox full of organic litter and shredded paper or a paper
grocery bag filled with fresh grass hay. If the bunny is insistent about using a particular
corner for urination, even after repeated warnings and white vinegar deodorizing, give in
and put a color-coordinated litterbox in that corner.
Living with a rabbit can mean learning to compromise, but it tends to make us better,
more toleratnt people in the long run.
Litter Box Training
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To train your rabbit to use a litterbox in a selected area, choose a litterbox that is the
right size for the bunny. Don't force a tiny dwarf rabbit to leap into an enormous,
high-sided box designed with a high sides and a lid.
Place the box with wood shavings, shredded paper, or specialty litter such as
Carefresh in an area where the bunny can be comfortably confined for a few days,
except for brief excursions for run and play and whatever is convenient as well as
attractive to the bunny.
If you are training your rabbit to use a box outside of his/her cage, use a baby gate to
enclose the bunny in the selected room with his litterbox, and be sure to provide plenty
of toys, food, water and comfortable places to sleep. This will be bunny's area and
should be as inviting as you can make it. It may take a few days for the bunny to reliably
use the box.. It may help to soak or sweep up "accidents" (they're not accidents) with a
paper toweling and put it in the box. He'll get the idea!
It often helps to put a handful of timothy hay in a clean corner of the litterbox to
encourage use of the box. A rabbit will often sit in the box, happily munching at one end.
Some rabbits will even nap in the litterbox! As long as the litterbox is changed regularly,
this should pose no problem: rabbit fecal pellets are hard, dry and relatively odorless.
Once your bunny is reliable about using the litterbox in his area, you can gradually
increase his freedom. Be sure that he can always get back to his litterbox when he's
free in the house. There's a possibility that he may pick a second area in the house as
a toilet corner. If the behavior continues, even after squirt bottle and white vinegar, you
may have to raise the white flag and provide another litterbox or two. But bunny's
litterbox doesn't smell if it's changed regularly.
| BUNNY TRAIL FARM |
Training
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