Training and Toys

Question
QUESTION: Kelly,

I just adopted a rabbit today. I know about all the general health and all that from lots of research but what I want to know is how to go about training him. I don't know what breed he is exactly as he is a rescue rabbit and all they could tell me is he is 2 years old and that he is a dwarf eared mix.

He is already pretty good with his litter pan but he could still use some work. So how do I go about litter pan training him better?

My cousin says she use to have her rabbits trained to walk on a leash and harness. Can I do that with Spunky?? And if so how do I go about training him??

Spunky is active little guy, so what toys would be good for him?? I don't want him to get bored and all, he has pretty much free roam of the house except when someone is home with him or at night. But he still needs some toys and I am not sure what type would be good for someone as active as my Spunky.

Thanks for your time and any help you can offer.
      Jules

ANSWER: Hi Jules,

This is Pam, Kelly is on vacation.

A few things I may be able to help you with.  It really isn't a good idea to walk a rabbit on a leash.  You can if you really want to but rabbits have really weak spine bones.  If the rabbit were to get spooked it could jerk and in an instant it could snap its spine and end up paralyzed.  I had wrote a whole article on this but I can't seem to locate it so I will try to summarize it for you.  

Lets so you and fluffy are out for a stroll and happily strolling along.   Then all of the sudden Mr. Jones happily comes around the corner with his Dog Muffin who is a harmless toy poodle, well fluffy doesn't know this and tries to bolt.  She is restrained by the leash and severely injures her back or hind legs.  You take her to the vet and they try steroid treatments but sadly poor fluffy is now paralyzed for life, so you now either have to live with and care for a paralyzed rabbit for the next 10 years or you decide its better to have her put to sleep.

Ok now I don't mean to be so graphic but their is just really big controversy about using leashes on bunnies and I just wanted you to understand.  So if you do decide to use a leash then I suggest you get one that is loose enough that you can fit one finger in it so that it doesn't hurt her.  When you walk her do it in your own yard so that she is safe.  Let her walk you and go where she wants to go.  You can't pull a rabbit, it never works.  To get her used to the leash you have to put it on her while she is in the cage and leave it on her for about 15 minutes.  Try these a few times before you try walking her.  Then you can try little walks at first.

Ok now for litter training.  If he isn't already neutered you will need to get him neutered.  This will improve his litter habits tremendously.  If not you can try this site.  It is especially helpful for those hard to train bun buns.

http://www.hgrabbitry.com/littertraining.htm

It is also a good idea to keep him in his cage until he learns to use his potty.  Of course you can let him out to play for time frames but if you catch him going potty where he isn't supposed to then back to the cage he should go.

Rabbits love to chew.  Get him some blocks of wood.  Chunks of untreated pieces of pine left over from 2 x 4's are awesome.  Toilet paper rolls filled with hay.  Those hard plastic gerbil balls with the little noisy balls inside are always a favorite.  Boxes, rabbits love boxes.  Fill them with phonebooks, towels, fleece, basically anything without strings that he could choke on.  Make him bunny condo's out of cardboard boxes.  Be creative, rabbits love to climb.  If you could get an old refrigerator box or TV box and put smaller boxes inside, cut out some windows for him to look out, I think he would love you forever.  Hard plastic baby rattles are awesome.  Any hard plastic baby mobiles, make sure if they have any of the softer plastic on them that you take that off or he could swallow it.  You can buy bird toys that don't have small beads or any seeds on them.  Bells and hanging balls, you can make him some little houses out of untreated wood that he can hang out in and make sure when you glue them together that you use non toxic wood.  The options are endless.

You have one lucky bunny and I am sure he is going to be very spoiled.  Stock up on the phonebooks because they go through them pretty fast.

Also since he has free roam make sure that your house is completely bunny proofed.

Good luck Jules and I hope that I was able to help you a bit.  I am sorry for the delay but like I said I noticed that Kelly was on vacation and I saw this question in the question pool so I thought I would try to give you an answer.

Have fun with your new friend.

Pam

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Pam,

Thanks for all the info, it was very helpful. I only want him leashed trained so he can enjoy the out doors of my back yard where it is quite and all without having him get into trouble. Thanks for the tips with that and with his litter pan training, he is neutered as the rescue shelter I got him from does that with in a few weeks of receiving them and before they put the animals up for adoption. He is getting better with his litter pan, I think it is just that he never had one before coming to the shelter and then to me. So it is still a new thing for him but he is getting it really quick.

I do have another question though, I got him some wood chew toys from my work, (I work in a pet store) but he doesn't chew on them at all or anything else for that matter, he'll pick them up and move them or kick them around, but chewing on them he doesn't do. He's teeth are fine I checked those to make sure they weren't long or anything. He loves the toilet paper rolls stuffed with hay, the boxes he can hide in he has 2 of those that he loves, his box with grass in it to dig in he loves (he is a big digger), the dried hay ball that I got him with a bell inside he loves, and his tunnel. Is there any reason he doesn't like to chew on things other then food?? Is this normal?? Like I said I checked his teeth and the vet checked them when I took him to see the vet for an exam to make sure all was fine with him. His teeth are fine and he eats fine, he just doesn't like to chew on his chew toys. This has me confused as I've never seen a rabbit who doesn't chew.

He loves to jump, climb and run. I don't have a lot of things for him to climb on though, I don't have any big boxes :-(, is there anything else I could use to make him a toy to climb on that he might like??

Thanks again,
  Jules

Answer
Hi Jules

Some rabbits just don't chew.  Keep giving him the toilet paper rolls, he will nibble on them here and their.  I have one rabbit that never chews either.  He is just a digger not a chewer.

They sell these things called Neat Idea Cubes.  You can get them at places like Target.  You can make just about anything your creative mind will let you.  Here is a web-site with some idea's

http://members.aol.com/bunrabtoo/neatcubs.html

Just keep an eye out for boxes.  Sometimes you can ask at super markets or department stores.  They usually just fold them up and recycle them but people who are moving often times will go in and ask if they have any available.  I go to the inventory supply building at the place I work and snag up all the big boxes I can before they send them off to recycle.  Just make sure they don't have any chemicals on them.  For the most part they are pretty safe.

Sometimes with rabbits they will seem to be having a hard time litter training and then one day its like all of the sudden they figure it out.  I don't understand it myself.  We tried to train one for almost a month and had just about given up and then one day we noticed a little wet spot in the litter pan.  We looked at each other and said is that what I think it is.. well it was and he has used his litter pan perfectly ever since.  I bet you one of these days it will just hit him.  Of course they have occasionally hard droppings here and there but as long as they are peeing in the box the droppings can be forgiven.  At least they are pretty easy to sweep up.

Some rabbits like to climb in those cat houses.  Make sure that its made from fleece and not to high that he could fall and get hurt.  I would put a step near it so that he could actually hop up to the place where they like to roost.  They are pretty pricey but they sell them at most pet stores (as I am sure you are aware since you work at one).  Try to get the thick sturdy kind and not the ones that seem to be thin like a tree limb.

Good luck and I hope this has helped a bit more.  I will be on vacation until Sunday but if you have an emergency or need more help, Mr. Lee Meyer, or Ms. Dana Krempels are both excellent people to ask questions about house rabbits.

Enjoy your weekend.

Pam