Kaytee Critter litter?

[snowbunbun]

I just got my bunny recently, his name is Snow and I am right now working to litter train him, at the moment I am keeping him in a good cage until I can fully bunnyproof and make space for him to free roam my room and get more supplies to make him as happy as possible. Temporarily, I bought one of the litter boxes that has a cover over it so his paws don’t actually touch the litter and just his waste goes in. He’s definitely going to outgrow this, but I don’t intend to use it forever and I know it probably is not the best choice, but it’s only going to be for a few days while I re-organize my room, so I think he’ll be okay for this for a bit, and even then it’s not the end of the world if he doesn’t use it and I just have to clean out the cage normally, I’d be alright with litter training him after I get everything ready if using this type of litter box isn’t a good idea, even for a few days.

Anyways, what my question is, if you have used it, is the Kaytee Critter litter alright to use for him if his paws aren’t actually touching it? I got the litter today, and it says its 99.9% dust free, and I did test it out by putting it into a small bowl to see how much dust came up, and it’s not a lot, but I am still worried even a little bit would be bad for him. If you don’t know, Kaytee critter litter is supposedly clay litter that’s natural I believe and states that it is non-toxic. My mother is the one who bought it and she said it has really good reviews, but I’m still skeptical. I do wish she asked me before she bought it, honestly, I would’ve asked for her to get a paper-based type.

I am not planning for this to be his permanent litter, I’m gonna try and get paper based as soon as I can, but if it’s just not a good idea at all (including the type of litter box that was ordered) for him I’m ok with cleaning up after him for a bit longer. 

[DanaNM]

Clay isn’t good for buns. Even if not touching it, it would still make me nervous. You can just use hay as litter box bedding though, if you don’t want to switch litters.

I really like using compressed pine pellets (as do many others here) a litter. You can find them as horse stall pellets for much cheaper than most other options.

. . . 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.  

[snowbunbun]

Okay, that’s what I thought. I was wondering because my mother said it was pretty ‘vet-approved’ and ‘top-rated’, and does state it can be used for bunnies (even has a picture on the package), but it does make me nervous, would rather avoid the risk.

I sadly can’t run and get any new litter for a few days as I’m a bit low on cash atm, is it alright to possibly just use news paper for a bit? Possibly shredded up, or maybe even just a bit of bedding? I need to get him some more hay soon, I don’t wanna use it for litter unless I absolutely have to.

[DanaNM]

I just looked at some reviews for it, and I think if you are sure the bun cannot get to it, it would be OK to use a small layer under the grate while you have that set-up. Maybe then with newpaper on top as an added barrier? I do see some photos of it turning to mush with urine though, which is what i would worry about if it was ingested (and also seems like a mess to clean up). I did a bit more digging and it seems unclear whether the clay would behave the same was as clumping cat litter (which is a huge no).

Not to bad-mouth Kaytee… but they have a lot of products marketed to bunnies that are not safe or healthy for them. So I don’t really trust their marketing.

Another really popular bedding choice is carefresh. It’s great for litter training because it’s soft and fluffy, but is more pricey than pine pellets.

. . . 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.  

[Amanda]

Newspapers are pretty safe to use around animals. Almost all newspaper inks are soy or water based so they are non-toxic if that is what you are worried about.

“Not to bad-mouth Kaytee… but they have a lot of products marketed to bunnies that are not safe or healthy for them. So I don’t really trust their marketing.”

Not just bunnies, but most small animals! (New bunny owner, but I have rats, guinea pigs, a hedgehog, and a chinchilla.) There are a couple basic items I buy, but I generally avoid that brand completely. I would advise your mom to do the same unless you do a lot a research about a specific product and its contents/ingredients.

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