get one of the big black fuzzy dog mats from pet supplies plus. their floor area is inside a 4×2 NIC grid cage, and it covers all but about 6 inches (the waterbowl and the litterbox are in those corners). then i put a few folded up fleece blankets in the areas she likes to sleep. and the bunbed which Rini spends 10x more time licking that actually sleeping in.

you can never have too many large fleece blankets,, that way you can clean them in rotation

You could try these: http://www.softtiles.com/
I don’t have them but I want them! I got the idea from looking at the habitat pictures here on BB. An xpen had them on the ground and it seems like a great idea! They aren’t too expensive either.

i looked at those foam type floor tiles for my guys. my biggest concern is that puppet is a digger, and i don’t think they would hold up well against that.

My concern with them is chewing… The site says that they are non toxic and the primary component of it (ethylene vinyl acetate) is used in a lot of kid/baby toys. It looks safe, but I’d be curious as to what other members that are more in tune to this kind of thing would say!

I’m not sure they are rabbit safe, unfortunately. We had one member who used interlocking foam tiles initially, but after a couple of months reported back that they were not holding up, they were easily chewed along the edges and it was still uncertain how safe they were, so that member tried a new flooring entirely.

A small area rug that’s 100% cotton can be laid down and if it has very low pile, will not be a chewing temptation. I actually have been buying 100% cotton flannel fabric by the yard at walmart or Joann fabric, and just spreading it over the rug that the xpen sits on. She has a soft ground, it’s very thin so there’s no pile to chew, and it is completely washable. I spend about $3 a sheet. A finished flat sheet would work the same way, only a bit more expensive.

P.S. Check out BB’s webcams to get a great view of the low pile rugs and fleece throws that she uses for Jack and Vivian.

RabbitPam- That’s what I was afraid of! It seems like it would be such a good idea.
Cainan, I also read in a book that you can put moleskin on their feet. My rabbit gets sore hocks too, although his look like little blisters. I have been searching for comfy-er things to put down in his xpen, but until I find something, I’ve been using New Skin. My vet said it was ok as long as you allow it to dry (takes 5-10 minutes). This only helps with them not getting infected though. But moleskin may work! Not sure how to attach though…

Lolli is on a regular area rug. As long as I keep her nails trimmed, her hocks don’t get red. She has worn away the fur and they are a bit calloused, but I’ve never had any major problems with them. They will get red and look a bit irritated (but no broken skin or anything) if her nails are too long. But I know if they got really bad, I’d have to figure out different flooring for her too. So my advice would be not to worry too much about it as long as are flesh colored and not red, etc but keep an eye on them too.

FYI: I had a mini rex, and once he had some sore spots on his hocks due to our 3 day drive to move in the car, which put his feet too long in spilled water, it never completely went away but just healed over. So don’t be alarmed if, once they are treated and better, the hair doesn’t completely grow back. They just are sensitive feet and it’s one of those things about Rexes.

I used to use the rubber tiles and my bunnies chewed on them a little, but they left them alone after that. HOWEVER, if they continued to chew on them, I would have to take them away. Even if the material itself is considered non-toxic, it’s not an easily digestible material, so for rabbits that could be a problem. You could always try and just get one and watch closely.

The other negative thing I found about the tiles is that if my bunnies peed where the connecting parts were, the urine could still seep through, and even if it didn’t reach the bottom, the fact it could get into the cracks didn’t help with smell.

The GOOD thing though is they are cushy and you can use them for a shock absorber underneath something else. We even put sheet vinyl over it becausethe rubber underneath still made it softer than if they were on hard floor (in our other place).

Now I just have my bunnies on a rug because they are pretty good with their litterbox habits

Velvet really likes her fleece blankies, I get them by the yard at Joannes craft store – and just make sure to keep the nails trimmed down well.

Our vet recommends having a variety of surfaces so they can choose what they like best.  I tend to swap out blankies and different cardboard pieces.  I made a good find at a thrift store, a comforter!  Lay that out on the floor and its cozy everywhere!  Our vet also prescribed Arduina this creme to put on her sore hock, but she doesn’t really like it and its more stress trying to flip her over and put it on, so I only use it if they look really bad. She doesn’t seem to be bothered much by the sores..

after several years, i was trying to find replacement pads for my rexes’ floors…
it tuened out pet supplies plus doesnt carry them anymore, but i just found them online.

the brand is called precision pet, and the bed is called a snoozzy,,
they’re thin (not like a filled pillow) , synthetic (really soft and easy to wipe down) , have a non-slip bottoms, and easy to throw right in the washing machine (after you wipe most of the shedded fur and loose hay off). you put a few fleeces on TOP of it and they have supercushiness.

http://www.petco.com/product/11377/Precision-Pet-SnooZZy-Sleeper-Black-Crate-Mat.aspx

My Mini-Rex Stormy hates blankets so it was hard to find a solution for flooring since he has very little fur on his feet. I use a mixture of hay and shredded paper. He’s never had a problem with sore hocks despite his lack of fur.