Flooring Opinions Please!

[Starah]

Hi!
I just wondered what you guys think about my buns flooring arrangements;
A bit of a back story…
Pascal got neutered last week so I haven’t been putting woodshavings down to help keep him clean. I have only been using hay in the litter area since it is bigger and easier to remove should it stick to him.
In the week or so prior to his neuter Pascal’s litter habits slipped a little, but as soon as he came home post op they havd become almost perfect. Obviously still some poos floating around but he hasn’t peed outside the litter box all week.
I decided to try the same thing with Patsy (who basically sees the world as her litter tray) and she has also stopped peeing outside the litter box.

At the moment I don’t mind not giving the woodshavings as they have towel and fleece in their bed areas to keep them warm and their play space is carpeted.
BUT!
In two weeks I am moving house, since I’m expecting them to establish what is theirs in the new house I’ve decided to start them off in the kitchen and increase their freedom gradually. I’ve chosen to do this as the kitchen is tiled flooring so and territorial pees can easily be cleaned up.
I was wondering, will they be ok with this much solid flooring, or would it be best o re-introduce te woodshavings in their hutch? AND, if I do re-introduce woodshavings, how likely is it that their litter habits suffer?
Thanks for any advice!

[njbunny]

If you are doing tile you should have some low pile carpets or something a bit softer for him to rest/move around on if he likes. I personally would not do tile as the main flooring (or anything slippery) because your bun will alter his natural position to accommodate for the slick surface which can result in injured joints/hips. I think most buns will pick carpet or some sort of surface with traction over tile/linoleum/finished wood. I have a lot of slick surfaces downstairs so I have a bunch of area rugs and runners so Spot can get around by hopping from mat to mat.

When you say reintroduce the wood shavings do you mean to cover all the floor? That may be very confusing to a bunny if the whole cage looks like a litter box.

[Starah]

Thanks for your advice!
I’d like to give them more freedom around the house eventually but thought a whole new house all at once might be a tad overwhelming for them! So eventually they will have carpeted floors to play on. Perhaps in the meantime I should invest in a couple of rugs for them to have in the kitchen?

Yeah, I thought the same thing about too many woodshavings confusing their litter habits, I was just concerned about their feet getting sore with too many rough surfaces. Possibly the best solution is to stick with no woodshavings in the hutch (except in the litter area once Pascal is healed – hay isn’t particularly absorbent!) and add rugs to the play space!

[njbunny]

Yes, I would start the space pretty small and slowly expand it. I gave my bun too much space too quick and he started to have accidents. I started over and very slowly increased his space and he did much better. I still cannot leave him unattended when he is free roaming but he is great in his pen.

I would get something to put on the tile. For a little bit of cushion and traction. Walmart has really cheap area rugs/runners. That is usually what I get. As far as the hutch flooring I personally would get those rubber mats that lock together covered with a incontinence pad, towel or fleece. If your bunny may have accidents then I would go for the incontinence pad (if he wont chew it).

I use these in both my buns pen and cage and LOVE them – http://www.amazon.com/EZwhelp-Washable-Whelping-Puppy-Pad/dp/B003B3W6C8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386708596&sr=8-1&keywords=whelp+pad.

They are a quilted material so you can’t just brush them off like a sheet but they wash really well and are very absorbent. I was using disposable puppy pads and it was costing me a fortune. For the cage I have the plastic bottom, a couple towels for cushion then the whelp pad on top. For the pen I have carpet, a heavy duty shower curtain (2) and the whelp pad on top.

For the litter box I am using newspaper to cover the bottom, then shredded newspaper then wood stove pellets sprinkled around to help with odor and to absorb the pee. I change the boxes (2) every 3rd day so it is working well for me and it is cheap.

[Cupcakesmom]

Something I have found that works well is those interlocking foam/rubber squares that are made for kids. I’ve seen them in kid playrooms and someone on here posted a pic of them for their bunny enclosure. I thought it was a really good and cute idea, so I tried it. I bought some cheap one’s from Walmart just to try them out and they worked really well, except over time, the cheap ones started to pull apart from each other. I found a website online and bought (for $50 with free shipping) a custom (I told them the measurements of my room) set of the flooring. Its really cute! I picked pink and gray for my little princess and it works out so well! Its not slippery so shes not sliding all over and its super easy to clean. I use pet friendly wipes on them and messes clean right up. Dizzie hasnt chewed on them at all and I have had them for almost 2 years now. Plus, as an added bonus, they make her room look really cute!

[Starah]

Thanks for the tips! Those interlocking mats look like a great idea, easy to rearrarange too which is perfect for while I’m gradually expanding their space!
I think ill have to watch mine closely to statt with though – Patsy is a bit of a devil for cheeing anythig new!
Thanks for your help!

[Svandis]

I used to have those puzzle mats, and it worked great for a while, but once he realized he could chew it, that’s all he ever wanted to do. Had to replace it with just a normal rug.

[Baby Daly]

I put fleece material from the fabric store on the floor of my buns pen. It’s cheap and easy to clean. It also keeps him from slipping on the linoleum flooring.

[Zombie-Sue]

I bought a hard plastic mat you’d use to protect the floor from an office chair. One side of it is textured, but it’s still easy to sweep.

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