Are Male or Female Rabbits Easier to Litter Train? The Surprising Facts.

Written by: Ellyn Eddy

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are male or female rabbits easier to litter train

You may love the thought of getting a companion rabbit – except the part where you imagine yourself scrubbing pee off walls and stepping on “bunny berry” landmines across the house. Is this your inevitable future as a rabbit owner? How realistic is it to potty train a rabbit? Does it make a difference whether your bunny is a boy or a girl? Are male or female rabbits easier to litter train?

I’ve cleaned up the poop of literally hundreds of rabbits over the past twenty years. (Wow, that’s a depressing way to sum up my life’s work, isn’t it?) And I’ve got good and bad news for you about litter-training rabbits. 

Ready for it?

Are Male or Female Rabbits Harder to Litter Train?

Good news first: In theory, you can successfully toilet-train both boy and girl bunnies. In my experience, females are easier to litter train than males, but you certainly can teach your boys their manners.

Here’s the bad news: Even though you can toilet-train a male rabbit, males are more likely to abandon their good habits once they reach sexual maturity and start peeing or pooping all over your home. You can retrain them, but it’s a hassle.

So what’s the solution? Spaying or neutering your rabbit can help it both learn to use the litter box and stick to the practice. The easiest rabbits to litter train are neutered males and spayed females.

Intact rabbits are driven by reproduction hormones and may consider it “worth it” to break the rules of litter training by marking their territory with poop and pee. “Fixed” rabbits are more interested in personal tidiness, staying safe, and keeping routines. They may also be more interested in interacting with humans and learning to please you.

Can You Litter Train a Rabbit that’s Not Spayed or Neutered?

In most cases, yes. You can litter train a rabbit that hasn’t been spayed or neutered. It may be harder to do, and you may have weeklong setbacks where it feels like your bunny doesn’t care. 

Are Male or Female Rabbits Harder to Litter Train

But with patience and gentle reminders, you can litter-train most male and female rabbits. The Fuzzy Rabbit Guide to Litter Training Bunnies describes methods that work for almost all rabbits, whether male or female, neutered or not.

Is it Okay to Not to “Fix” Your Rabbit?

Veterinarians once issued a blanket recommendation to spay or neuter all rabbits, dogs, cats, and other companion mammals. But research on dogs and cats is starting to reveal compelling reasons to opt out of this surgery in some cases.

This “anti-neuter” wave hasn’t hit the rabbit community yet – and it may never.

Research has proven that spaying greatly increases the average lifespan of female rabbits. This is because female rabbits over age 4 have an 80% risk of developing uterine cancer! This cancer frequently metastasizes (spreads to other parts of the body) and treatment with chemotherapy hasn’t been effective in trials.

Spaying is a relatively quick and safe surgery for female bunnies that prevents this horrible disease. Neutering males is an even simpler procedure. But since spaying or neutering requires an experienced vet, anesthesia, and $50-$200, some rabbit owners choose to skip it.

Is it Okay to Not to Fix Your Rabbit

If you decide not to neuter your rabbit, or you can’t find a qualified vet to do it, here are some tips for choosing a pet bunny that will litter train easily. 

Keeping Just One Rabbit Improves Your Odds

If you don’t plan to fix your rabbit, then you should only get one rabbit. 

The most important reason to keep just one intact bunny is to prevent surprise litters. (Don’t trust the pet store to sell you two “males!”) A single rabbit is also easier to litter train than bunnies kept with a companion.

Keeping Just One Rabbit Improves Your Odds

When I’ve had just one rabbit at a time in my home, I’ve been shocked at how much solitude affects their personalities. They seem to forget about competing with other bunnies and seek to bond with their humans. If you have a single rabbit, make sure to invest the time in building that relationship. You’ll be rewarded with easier toilet-training – as well as lots of hilarious interactions with your bunny friend.

It’s Easier to Litter Train Females Than Males

Some people may disagree, but my opinion is it’s easier to litter train intact female rabbits than males. Female rabbits are more focused on their own personal comfort, while males of breeding age want to establish their territory – and that may involve spraying urine or leaving token droppings in every corner. 

It’s Easier to Litter Train Females Than Males

I’ve also found that it’s easier to litter train younger and older males than those in their “alpha prime.” Boy rabbits hit their peak mating drive between the ages of 1 and 2. 

If litter training is a top priority, and you aren’t able to spay or neuter your pet, you will have best luck with a female or a male above 2 years old.

What Are the Personality Differences Between Male and Female Rabbits?

Male rabbits are called “bucks” and female rabbits are called “does.” Both can make wonderful pets. 

Every rabbit is an individual, and the personality traits listed below are broad generalizations that don’t apply in every case. But here are some observations I’ve made about the personality differences between male and female rabbits that may help you choose which one to adopt:

Personality Traits of Doe Rabbits

  • More likely to crave food and pettings.
  • More level-headed and practical.
  • More likely to be territorial in a small space like a cage rather than the whole room.
  • Might be more easily frightened.
  • Can be less social – this depends on the individual.
  • Some female rabbits spray urine, too!

You should know that intact bucks that are normally sweet can suddenly turn aggressive in moments when they feel very comfortable and king the room. It’s almost like they forget who you are for a second and want to feel their own power. They usually snap out of it quickly – but sometimes not before biting. I’ve never seen a neutered buck do this.

Personality Traits of Doe Rabbits

  • More likely to crave food and pettings.
  • More level-headed and practical.
  • More likely to be territorial in a small space like a cage rather than the whole room.
  • Might be more easily frightened.
  • Can be less social – this depends on the individual.
  • Some female rabbits spray urine, too!
What Are the Personality Differences Between Male and Female Rabbits

In Sum

With the right indoor setup, most rabbits are easy to potty train. Doe bunnies may be easier to train than bucks of prime breeding age. However, we recommend spaying or neutering your rabbit to protect its health and to make it more responsive to litter training.

Next step: check out our recommendations for a litter box that your rabbit will actually want to use!

Ellyn Eddy

AUTHOR

Ellyn has been rescuing, raising, and writing about rabbits for two decades and loves to help others discover the joy of rabbit care. Her favorite rabbit color is black. She thinks the cutest part of a bunny is the fluffy space right between its ears.

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