ABSTRACT
Rabbits can easily be trained to use a litter tray due to their tendency to toilet in one area. A breakdown in toilet training can occur in response to litter tray aversion, a change of substrate, problems associated with social relationships within the home and marking behaviour. It is quite common for rabbits to lose all notion of toilet training as they reach puberty; this is often improved with castration. In cases where rabbits feel that they are not safe whilst using the tray, they may choose to urinate and defecate in an area that appears to be more secure. Occasionally, these areas can be associated with the owner's smell and provide comfort to the rabbit. Owners should ensure that the litter tray is placed in a quiet, secure area and they must not change the type of litter that they are using. To do so may break the association between the act of elimination and the substrate, leading to a breakdown in basic toilet training. Many toileting problems are caused by overmarking, so once any underlying medical problems have been eliminated, the owner must ensure that any 'accidents' are cleaned using an enzymatic cleaner such as a warm solution of biological washing powder. Faeces and urine can be used to mark boundaries within the territory; a sofa provides a nice high area to promote maximum olfactory impact. Rabbits that routinely mark furniture may be living in a home where they feel less than secure. With time, however, a learned pattern of behaviour may also develop and the rabbit will need to be confined in an area large enough to include its tray for a period of time sufficient to reintroduce the tray.
