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One of the greatest benefits of owning a rabbit is that this amazing animal can be litter box trained much like a cat. Many individuals looking for a house pet are unaware at how intelligent these small creatures are and that they can make wonderful companions. Litter box training a rabbit takes patience, they are much like a toddler-sometimes they catch on quick, sometimes they require a little more persistence.

There are litter boxes designed especially for rabbits. Whichever box you choose, it should be small enough to fit into their cage during training but large enough for your bunny to sit in. Litter will need to be placed inside the box and what type you use is important to the health of your rabbit. Do not use clay-based cat litter as the dust can cause respiratory infections and some rabbits have been known to eat this type of litter causing impaction in the stomach. Cedar and pine litters are best avoided also as many rabbit experts believe the fumes may be too strong to a rabbit's sensitive sense of smell. Acceptable litter includes pelleted litter, paper or other organic materials such as aspen or wheat grass.

The best place to start litter training is in your rabbit's cage. You may notice a certain area of your rabbit's cage that he or she is already using, this is the perfect spot to place the litter box. Place a few pieces of your rabbit's droppings into the box to help your rabbit understand what the box is for. Anytime you see your rabbit using the litter box, give the rabbit a lot of praise including a treat. Rabbits are highly intelligent and enjoy praise as much as any other pet.

Once you know that your rabbit is utilizing the litter box for his or her needs, you can gradually move up to larger areas. Your rabbit can be blocked off into one room of the house with the litter box placed into a corner. The area should be small such as a bathroom or hallway and have very little human traffic. Your rabbit's food, water and bed should be placed in another area of the space as rabbits would rather use the bathroom in a separate area away from their eating and sleeping quarters. You can also place the rabbit's cage in the room, leaving the litter box in the cage. This will encourage your rabbit to return to the cage for their needs.

If you notice your rabbit decided to use a different area as a bathroom, rearrange the area and place the litter box where he or she prefers to go. If this doesn't remedy the problem then your rabbit wasn't ready for a larger area and you will need to start over confining the rabbit to its' cage. On occasion, a rabbit will decide to use their litter box for their bed. The best way to solve this problem is provide a better bed for your rabbit so it prefers the bedding over the litter box.

If you allow your rabbit to explore large areas of your home, you may consider placing more than one litter box in your home. Placing some type of protection under and around the litter box will help with clean-up in case of accidents. Litter boxes shouldn't be cleaned every day since your rabbit needs a sense of smell to know that is their bathroom. Cleaning can be done two to three times a week or more if you use paper in the litter box. Some organic litter box fills aren't as absorbent and need changed more often.

Once you have bonded with your pet rabbit, you will find that they have unique personalities like any other pet. Some require more training but they bond with humans well and make wonderful indoor pets. Give your rabbit plenty of treats and praise during litter box training while being persistent yet patient and your rabbit will catch on quickly to the litter box.

Learn more about this author, Angela Pollock.
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