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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Do Rabbits Smell?

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    • GizJaz
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        I’m working on getting a rabbit, my parents are agreeing to the idea partly.

        The only problem they are having with the idea is that they think rabbits smell.

        I’ve tried to inform that in fact that they don’t but my dad grew up in a farm where they kept bunnies that did stink because they didn’t care for them right, weren’t neutered/spayed no litter etc.

        So in your experience, do your rabbits smell?


      • Megabunny
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          Sometimes they smell if they have soft stools, but a normal healthy rabbit won’t smell except the males I think, if not neutered. Sounds like you already know that though. And the litter can help control that. And a neutered rabbit that’s litter trained is so easy to clean. Dump, wash, refill. If you want a pet that doesn’t smell, get a chinchilla. But they aren’t nearly as fun as bunnies!!!! Just keep the litter clean and you’re good to go. Unless you get a sickly one with stomach issues. Then you’ve got trouble


        • Monkeybun
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            They only smell if their litter boxes aren’t cleaned. or if they aren’t spayed or neutered. My apartment, with 4 rabbits, only smells like hay


          • Ouisie
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              We have 3 indoor neutered buns and they don’t smell. Their litter tray does a bit if you don’t keep on top of it though We buy lavender scented woodshavings for their litter trays(very safe for buns folks, have looked into it) and also we disinfect their cages with hot water and vinegar regularly.


            • LBJ10
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                Isn’t that what their noses are for? LOL =p


              • Pipje
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                  The smell of hay is more of a problem! (though I love it, most city folk don’t)
                  In terms of their litter tray, it reminds me of horse pee, but it only smells if you stick your head in there lol. When they are hormonal or marking their poops can stink of onions though.
                  The bunnies themselves smell like nothing, just cuteness :3 they spend a lot of time grooming themselves!


                • GuntherBunny
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                    Rabbits don’t smell, it’s their litter boxes that smell. So long as you change and clean the litter box everything will smell fine.


                  • LolaBuns
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                      Ok so my husband thinks I’m weird but I LOVE the way Lola smells! Every morning I stick my nose in her neck and smell her. She then rubs her chin on my nose. It’s our little hello ritual. She smells like summer! (ok so really she just smells like her hay but here where everything is covered in snow 9 months out of the year, anything that reminds us of summer is good) Before Lola was spayed her litter box was kind of smelly, even when I cleaned it everyday, but we switched to wood pellets for litter, got a screen for the litter box, and got her spayed and now it’s not a problem. I empty the screen and scoop out the used pellets every day sometimes every other day and replace her hay and no more stink.


                    • bunnytowne
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                        IF spayed n neutered they don’t.  I change litterbox every few days.   Or yes.  

                        I love bunny breath.  And bunny fur smell.  

                        the reason your dads bunnies smelled is cuz there were a lot and they weren’t fixed.   I know been there done that. 


                      • RabbitPam
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                          The best odor controlling litter is aspen, both pellets and shavings. My bunny is ajacent to our kitchen and there is no odor. Her decals do smell briefly, but she takes care of them soon.


                        • LongEaredLions
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                            Bunnies smell good! (Atleast their fur! Am I weird?)
                            Bunnies themselves don’t smell if they are fixed, however their habitat will smell if not cleaned enough. If you clean regularly, you should be fine!


                          • JackRabbit
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                              Pipje, I’m city folk and I love the smell of hay! I get excited when I receive a new order — can’t wait to open the box and get a good whiff of fresh hay! Weird tho, western hay smells “fresh”, but the north-eastern hay I’ve ordered smells almost sickening sweet.


                            • LBJ10
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                                Geez, you guys are no fun at all. Nobody laughed at my little joke.

                                The only bunnies I have ever known that smelled unpleasantly were not spayed/neutered. My boys don’t really smell, although Leopold will sometimes smell like litter if he’s been lying in it. The litterbox seems to be a good place to lounge for some reason. There isn’t like an odor lingering in the air though or anything.


                              • Megabunny
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                                  Sorry LBJ. I didn’t get the joke.
                                  Lola, it sounds like your bunny is marking you as her own if she’s rubbing her chin on you. You must be very special to get claimed by her like that every day! What a sweet bunny!
                                  If none of you has had a bunny with poopybutt, you haven’t had the pleasure of a seriously stinky rabbit. Lucky you!
                                  Hope you talk your dad into letting you get a rabbit. Tell him we highly recommend it!


                                • Beka27
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                                    I liked your joke, LBJ!!!

                                    Not too much to add here! Are you considering adopting a rabbit that is already fixed? That would be your best bet for getting a “non-stinky” one, lol!

                                    The only thing I smell is the litter box, but that is only while I am physically dumping it out, not when it’s just sitting in the pen. I use woodstove pellets for litter. Great for odor control and very cost-effective!


                                  • LongEaredLions
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                                      I like it LBJ-of course rabbits smell! Duh!


                                    • Megabunny
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                                        Ooooooh. I get it! Now I’m laughing!


                                      • RabbitPam
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                                          LBJ10,
                                          I not only got your joke, I thought if it too, read your post and muttered “darn! She said it first.” Sorry I didn’t tell you. Great minds….


                                        • Chocogrl
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                                            Interesting. Everyone says they shouldn’t be smelly but sometimes I’ll be just sitting and petting my little guy (neutered well over a year now) and suddenly the air will smell like he just let out a really good …. fluff, shall we say? My husband is proud of him. *rolling eyes*.

                                            So, does that mean something’s not right? It happens nearly every day.


                                          • LBJ10
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                                              Chocogrl – Wooly will still let out some stink from his anal glands when he’s upset. It isn’t full-blown spray though. He only does it if he’s really ticked off at me though. I suppose it varies from bunny to bunny.


                                            • JackRabbit
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                                                One of mine (why is it always the boy?!) will open his scent glands if he gets startled or if an unbonded bun sneaks into his room. Doesn’t last but a minute or two.


                                              • Stickerbunny
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                                                  Even if I clean the litterbox daily my partner still says they smell bad. When I asked him how he managed having an indoor cat he said he dumped the whole litterbox after every single use. O.o So, depends on how sensitive your parents are.

                                                  Every day my buns let out a bit of musk ( female mostly) though when they are playing. Kind of smells of skunk. She does it whenever stressed / excited / marking and is high strung so happens often enough. Doesn’t stick around long, but it is noticeable.


                                                • Megabunny
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                                                    Definitely see if his scent glands need cleaning. Gus was stinking up my clothes for awhile when I held him but I finally turned him over(he’s close to 12 pounds) and boy did they need cleaning. My husband was anything less than proud of him. We were outside and when I assured him I could do it myself, he hurried inside! Just standing in the vicinity was nasty!


                                                  • Nora
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                                                      My apartment smells a little. I clean out Pippin’s litterbox frequently (he gets a fresh layer of litter daily and the whole thing gets dumped and refilled every other day) but it still creeps into the air. I think his poops tend to stink, although as far as I can tell they are normal and healthy. I’ve found the occasional pee in the carpet, which I clean up, but it’s possible I’ve missed some because it blends in with the color of the carpet. Also I don’t love the smell of hay, so that took some getting used to.

                                                      But overall, it’s a mild smell, and Pippin himself doesn’t usually smell. (I felt like he was getting stinky a couple weeks ago and was worried it was his scent glands, but the lady who groomed him said they were fine. He is way too ticklish for me to check them myself, I found after much drama.) I have air fresheners throughout my apartment and sometimes I burn some scented candles.

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                                                  Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Do Rabbits Smell?