# What animals can be housebroken/litterbox trained? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 21, 2004, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157 "2004-07-21T08:03:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/1 "2004-07-21T08:03:55Z")
I love all animals but it’s kind of hard for me to imagine having a pet that could crap on me or on my floor at any given moment. I’m just wondering what animals can be fairly well counted on to be housebroken. Not the one in a million horse that craps in one corner of its stall, but a _species_ (or breed) that can be housebroken. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/2 "2004-07-21T10:39:12Z")
Rats. Hmm… cite… [here one is](http://dapper.com.au/articles.htm#litter). ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/3 "2004-07-21T11:52:47Z")
Rabbits can be. I had one as kid he was very well behaved in the toliet department but he did chew EVERYTHING. ---
**Author:** ![Gravity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gravity/32/14322_2.png) [@Gravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gravity)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/4 "2004-07-21T12:30:31Z")
the usual of dogs, cats, ferrets. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/5 "2004-07-21T13:19:09Z")
I’ve heard pigs do very well at being box-trained. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/6 "2004-07-21T14:02:21Z")
Horses can inded be house trained, although I’d think only a mini would be IN the house. Cite: [http://www.theminiaturehorse.com/article/guidehorse.htm](http://www.theminiaturehorse.com/article/guidehorse.htm) > [@](#): > > She is house trained and will tap on the door with her hoof when she needs to go outside. (BTW…minis as a guide horse are fairly controversial in the miniature horse world, as well as in the guide animal industry. I’ll provide links for those interested…I’m still reading and forming an opinion.) ---
**Author:** ![TarantulaGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@TarantulaGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TarantulaGirl)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/7 "2004-07-21T18:29:19Z")
Iguanas are definitely toilet trainable and most leopard geckos do so naturally in their enclosures dedicating a specific area as their bathroom. If you’re thinking about an iguana as a pet, do a LOT of research first as they are very difficult to keep and are an extremely demanding pet space wise and time wise. That said, they can be a very interesting animal to have around if you know what to expect. Leopard geckos are very easy to care for, very low maintenance and quite docile. Not as impressive as a big lizard like an iguana but very entertaining and cute. If you’re looking for low maintenance pets, most snakes and tarantulas fit the bill perfectly and make an interestic display as well as an interesting topic of conversation. It’s also the BEST way to cut down on visitors to your home if that is your problem, I have yet to find an easier way to keep the mother-in-law at bay. LOL TarantulaGirl ---
**Author:** ![richardb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/96bed5/32.png) [@richardb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/richardb)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/8 "2004-07-22T11:15:24Z")
Just in case anyone wanted a link to a Dog litter training system: [secondnature Dog Litter](http://www.doglitter.com/welcome.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/9 "2004-07-22T12:05:52Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > Rats. > Hmm… cite… [here one is](http://dapper.com.au/articles.htm#litter). Mum’s pet first rat was easily litter trained in a very short period of time. Following the rat’s untimely demise, Mum adopted two more, and despite the fact that they are a good three or four months old, they still don’t seem to be completely litter trained. They are pretty good about holding back when they’re sitting on you, but too lazy to use the downstairs litter pan when they’re napping upstairs in their rat house. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/10 "2004-07-22T12:25:49Z")
I am pretty sure elephants can, but you may want to strengthen the floor first ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/11 "2004-07-22T13:50:28Z")
Parrots can be - but it takes patience. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/12 "2004-07-22T22:59:12Z")
What about full grown tigers in zoos? I know that household cats can be litter-box trained; would a tiger just require a much larger litter box? Or would he/she go wherever they felt like it? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/13 "2004-07-23T23:14:35Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > Parrots can be - but it takes patience. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/14 "2004-07-24T00:01:37Z")
[Parrot](http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww71eii.htm) [poop](http://www.petplace.com/articles/artShow.asp?artID=194). ---
**Author:** ![dre2xl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/34f0e0/32.png) [@dre2xl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dre2xl)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/15 "2004-07-24T00:54:06Z")
[http://www.easthants.gov.uk/allservices.nsf/servicesFAQView2/Pest+Control?OpenDocument](http://www.easthants.gov.uk/allservices.nsf/servicesFAQView2/Pest+Control?OpenDocument) : this site says that rats cannot control their bowels or bladders. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/16 "2004-07-24T10:23:26Z")
> [@dre2xl](#): > > [http://www.easthants.gov.uk/allservices.nsf/servicesFAQView2/Pest+Control?OpenDocument](http://www.easthants.gov.uk/allservices.nsf/servicesFAQView2/Pest+Control?OpenDocument) : this site says that rats cannot control their bowels or bladders. And what cite do they have for that? None. They’re pest control people, they only see the droppings of untamed rats, which is completely irrelevant to the topic here. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/17 "2004-07-24T17:44:29Z")
The easiest animals to housetrain are cats and dogs; it goes downhill from there. Most of the ones already mentioned in this thread can learn, with lots of time and attention on your part, to go where you want them too. Foxes also. And most tortoises like to poop when they’re in water, so if you give them a shallow warm bath regularly, you can schedule their poop. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/18 "2004-07-24T19:40:14Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Foxes People have kept foxes as pets? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/19 "2004-07-25T04:55:15Z")
Yes; you can buy silver fox kits from the fur trade. They’re best in a cage though because they’re not as easily domesticated into a home situation as dogs and cats. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2004, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157/20 "2004-07-25T12:03:13Z")
> [@dre2xl](#): > > [http://www.easthants.gov.uk/allservices.nsf/servicesFAQView2/Pest+Control?OpenDocument](http://www.easthants.gov.uk/allservices.nsf/servicesFAQView2/Pest+Control?OpenDocument) : this site says that rats cannot control their bowels or bladders. Mum’s rat would occasionally lose some bladder control when she was very excited, but generally displayed good control over her bodily fuctions. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-animals-can-be-housebroken-litterbox-trained/256157.md?page=2)