Do you wet your horse/wood litter or keep it pelleted?

[Sterling]

I know for horses they put water into the bag to turn the litter into a sawdust consistency. Would that be okay for bunnies? If anyone has tried it, is it as absorbent? I just took my bun to the vet yesterday and they said he possibly has arthritis so I’m frantically trying to accommodate for it, and I feel like the litter in pelleted form is probably abrasive on creaky joints. If anyone has any other ideas I’m open to them!

[Borya02]

What I have done is use a grated litter pan, and put the horse stall pellets beneath it (on top of an absorbant pee pad). I have really found a grated litter pan works well for my bun, because 1. it doesn’t hurt her feet and 2. she isn’t walking on her own dirtied litter. I use one called Petmate Arm & Hammer Large sifting litter box – however, it has gotten really expensive in the last few years (they are usually about $18 now which is really costly.) So I’ve been trying to find a decent, less expensive alternative (I recently bought a grated litter pan by Van Ness, but the holes/openings in the grates look a little larger, so I’m skeptical of it, if it will be as comfortable for her). That said, the arm & hammer is a great litter pan and I’ve been buying them for years. (The other pro  is that it has walls, so she doesn’t pee over the side which had been an issue for me with her.)

 

Wetting horse stall pellets: I can’t speak to how effective it would be if they were wetted first – I’ve never done that. They can only absorb so much moisture, as far as I know. I’m not sure how much? I hope someone else can chime in here. P.S. it’s really nice that you’re trying to make things more comfortable for your bun. I know they will appreciate that.

 

By the way, about grated litter pans if you ever decide to go for one, be really sure to clean it well daily. As in, the grated part, whenever I clean her pan, I make sure to wipe off any urine left on the grating, and dry it off. Their urine is very acidic and it will eat through the plastic if you don’t do this. I have read people suggesting to wipe the grating off with vinegar, but I have never done that, because I wasn’t sure if the smell out be too strong for her, or if she’d lick it or something.

[Sterling]

A grated litter box is a good idea! His backside has been getting dirtier than usual lately because he tends to sit/lay in his litter box sometimes. I do want to try something softer first but I’ll keep this in mind if all else fails. I just bought a special litter box with a lower 3” high opening so that he doesn’t have to jump into it and it was 35 dollars haha, so I might have to make my own grate for it. I appreciate the tip about cleaning it though because I wouldn’t have thought about the urine eating through the plastic.

[Borya02]

That was what made me eventually get my bunny a grated box – she would lay in her litter all the time (she was free roam and could go anywhere, yet she just loved to lay in her litter.) I kept having to get her sanitary shaves at the vet, her backside was always getting gunked up, it was a real problem.

One litter that seemed really soft and comfortable for her was the carefresh. I used it for a good while. But I found she wanted to lay in it all the time (probably because it was so comfy lol) which only made the gunked up issue worse. (also the smell was harder to contain, and it was very expensive litter.)

I’m glad you found a litter pan that works well with a lower clearance, especially if your bun has arthritis. I once spent I think $40 on one before I found the arm & hammer, because it was big, grated, and had the walls needed. It took me so long to find a litter pan that worked. I think everyone’s rabbit is different and has their own “perfect litter pan” probably 🙂  I’m glad if you’ve found one that works.

 

And yeah, the urine eating the plastic, it’ll happen quickly if it’s not cleaned. If i don’t wipe off the urine daily it will eventually be a gonner.  It doesn’t take much effort – every morning when I change her litter pan I just give the grating a quick rub down. Better yet would be to do more often than that.

[DanaNM]

I put a very fluffy layer of hay on top of the pellets for my buns to make them easier on their feet. I use a screen as well (under the hay), but that’s more for ease of cleaning.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Author]

Messages