I sought out tips from customers who had successfully done this and was so pleased to get this very helpful and thorough response from Emily Scherer who purchased Whitehaven's Fern.
Thank you so much Emily!
 |
| Whitehaven's Fern photo courtesy of Emily |
Honing in on #1, I would have to say rabbit.org was my go-to site. To break it down to the bare bones, here are some basic steps but you can refer to that site for more in-depth detail:
A. Your bunny should start in a cage. By nature, they will choose a place in their cage where they like to use the bathroom.
B. Once they have chosen their corner, place the litter box there. Put some of their urine soaked bedding and a few of their pills in the litter box so they associate the litter box with their bathroom needs.
C. Once the bunny gets the hang of using the litter box in the cage, expand its roaming area slowly over time, in phases (it is important to not rush the process). Litter training requires undivided attention to work. It is okay to use extra litter boxes as you expand their territory, especially at the beginning. You can always decrease the number of litter boxes as the bunny’s habits improve.
D. Keep in mind, “all rabbits will drop pills around their cages to mark it as their own. This is not failure to be litter-trained. The trick to getting the rabbit to keep his pills in the cage is to give him ownership of his cage–respect the cage as HIS.”
E. Toys are not just for your rabbit; they also keep your house safe. By providing him with a selection of toys chosen to meet his age, sex, and temperament, you will fulfill most of the requirements for bunny-proofing your home.
In regards to #2, in order to protect your home and belongings, there are basic tricks to occupying your bunny both mentally and physically, and therefore preventing any damaging habits.
A. In addition to providing your bunny with enjoyment, toys for your bunny will also keep your house safe. By providing him with a selection of toys catered to his specific personality and temperament, you will fulfill most of the requirements for bunny-proofing your home. Without challenging activities, your rabbit will exhibit boredom which sometimes translates into what a homeowner would view as destructive behavior.
B. It won't take long before you start to observe your bunny's personality and pick up on some of their favorite activities. Once you determine these activities, choose toys accordingly:
a. Bunnies that like to burrow/tunnel--- You can get cardboard concrete forms from building suppliers (or from contractor friends), which make great, inexpensive, chewable tunnels. You can also stuff newspaper into one end of the tunnel, providing lots of digging opportunities.
b. Bunnies that like to dig--- A cardboard box, large litterbox or dishpan, or even a large wicker basket filled with hay, shredded newspapers, old magazines or junk mail, and any other safe shreddable, should do the trick.
c. Bunnies that like to shred--- Rabbits who like to shred need to have paper products aplenty. An urban Yellow Pages is one of the best shredding choices. Unless your rabbit eats a great deal of the paper, shredding itself is not harmful, except to your house and possessions.
d. Bunnies that like to throw--- Baby toys, keys, batta balls, and slinkies are all throwable alternatives to the food dish or litterbox. Make sure the toys are made of hard plastic or metal and have no edible parts.
e. Bunnies that like to climb--- Set up a series of boxes which are stabilized at the bottom, so that your rabbit can safely climb from level to level. Some commercial cat trees are great for rabbits as well, as they provide perches at the top of each level.
f. Bunnies that like to chew--- Provide a toy box of untreated wicker or cardboard full of different sizes and shapes and textures of wood, dried-out pine cones, cardboard tubes or other safe items.
