Bedding?

[sally]

Hi All ,

Im relativly new to the forum and ive asked a few questions on a different subject, but ive noticed reading through the forum that people tend to use blankets for the bunny to sleep on and hay in like a rack, is this the norm for house rabbits??? As when i was given my new rabbit her cage thing had just sawdust in the litter tray and hay as bedding? Which is the right way or should i say best way ?

 

My new rabbit is already 5mths old and i dont know much about her so any help is welcome!!

[jerseygirl]

hello again (I just replied in your other thread)
It’s generally thought that wood shavings and sawdust can be harmful to rabbit health. Particularly soft woods like pine or cedar. Is the sawdust on the floor as a litter or does your new bun have a litter box. Most of us with house rabbits have solid floor cages or the rabbits housed in pens or condos. Then a litter box and bedding of some sort if the rabbit prefers this. Much easier for the clean up and healthier for the bunny.

You didn’t say in your 1st thread, but as she is just 5 months it is likely she is unspayed. Spaying her will help litter box use, odor, decrease unwanted behaviours and reduce the risk of her getting uterine cancer. You mentioned her being passed to a friend then onto you. Are you able to get more info from the original owner?

[KatnipCrzy]

Bunnies like to poo while they eat- so that is often why hay is in or near the litterbox- to encourage litterbox use. 

I don’t like to fill my bunnies litterbox with hay- I put it in a bin right above it.  If they pull it out and put it in the litterbox I figure that is fine by me- but I feel bad basically serving their hay out of their toilet (litterbox).  Schroeder always immediately digs his out into the box- and I can live with that- but I like to give them the option of “unsoiled” hay- although they do not eat any that is soiled with urine I am sure.

I use fleece blankets for them since fleece is easy to clean and cheap and most bunnies cannot get into too much chewing trouble with it.  Shavings are messier and more expensive in the long run.  And you want their cage bedding to be distinctly different than anything that can be confused for litter/potty area.  My bunnies can tell the difference between their litterbox with woodstove pellets and the pen lined with a fleece blanket.  There have been occasional accidents early in training and there is an occasional what I suspect “overshooting” the edge of the box- but since the blankets are theirs I don’t care if they end up looking a little “moth eaten” (from nibbling) and I change their blankets 1-2 times a week anyway to keep up on any hay mess/dust anyway.

[sally]

well yes she has a box and she does use it which was an attraction to take her in lol
last night i moved the hay from the base and put some old fleece blankets down and just left the hay in a corner , i dnt know if she likes it bcoz she doesnt seem to like the cage full stop and our spare roo is pretty empty so i dont even lock her in at night , just shut the spare room door, and whenever i check in she is just sitting in middle of the floor asleep lol So i think best thing is too save and get her a bigger space to sleep in, I haave no problems with her having that room as no wires no dangers at all just a nice empty room ! I just have visitors coming this sunday who will be sleeping in there so ill have to lock her up : (

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