Litter Recommendations

[Sir Ollie]

I’m looking for some help with choosing a new litter for my rabbit. I’m currently using a cheaper version of Care Fresh but finds that it sticks to my bunnies fur (he’s a Holland Lop mix with medium length fur) and also gets kicked out of the litter box and ends up all over the place. I’m tired of sweeping up and wasting unused litter and am looking to try something else. I was thinking of trying Yesterday’s news paper pellets but it comes in such a large bag that I don’t want to end up not liking it either. I’ve also read about using wood pellets and that they are cheaper but I thought you weren’t supposed to use wooden litter for rabbits? I’m feeling pretty confused right now about what the best option is and want to avoid buying a whole bunch of different kinds of litter hoping to finally find one I like. Can anyone help me out? I want something with good odour control too.

[bear_the_bunny]

  I use Eco-Straw (Oxbow), and it works great for my bunny.  It does, however, come in a rather large bag.  (A bag lasts around a month for me.) As for odor control, it works good if you change it out every few days.  

[tobyluv]

Compressed pine pellets or aspen pellets are fine for rabbits. They don’t have the dangerous aromatic oils that pine or cedar shavings have. Pellets are heavier and less likely to get caught in fur or be kicked out of the box, unless your rabbit digs them out. The wood stove pellets (make sure they have no accelerants) or horse stall pellets are very economical. They do come in large size bags if you have room for them. There are small bags of some other wood pellets you could try. One is Aspen Supreme. It comes in a couple of sizes, sometimes the stores don’t have the smallest size. That’s one of the litters that I use. It, and other wood pellets do have a distinctive wood smell, but they are good at odor control. Another one that I use is Oxbow Eco-Straw. It’s compressed straw pellets that come in two or three sizes of bags. It does not have a strong smell like the wood pellets.

[Wick & Fable]

I recommend purchasing or making a litter screen. This prevents the litter from having contact with fur, which is very helpful. I made one out of plastic knitting mesh (see the photo album in my user profile), and you can also purchase one custom through the BB store.

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.

[Sir Ollie]

Where did you get the knitting mesh? I checked a couple of stores tonight but didn’t see any. I don’t want to spend too much money on one

[Wick & Fable]

I bought it on Amazon. It’s very affordable, especially because you get a pack so if you cut one wrong, or you need to use a new one, you have plenty to go through.

Fabric stores may have it or craft stores as well.

There are different sizes of them, in terms of how big the holes in the mesh are. Mine are 7-count (7 holes per inch). You could go larger and it’d be fine. I wouldn’t go any higher in count because the pee may not seap through. With 7 count, urine takes some time to seap through sometimes.

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.

[Azerane]

I recommend wood pellet litter as well. It’s the best litter I’ve ever used. I use it for my cat as well, and I soak the pellets to expand them to use in the catch tray of my parrot’s cage. Great odour control, very little mess. Well priced and a bag lasts a long time. Perhaps a company would be willing to send you a sample bag?

[Sir Ollie]

I found a brand called BioNorth Premium Heat pellets at a local store that says that they are suitable for use as animal bedding. Has anyone used this brand for rabbits?

[Azerane]

Hmm, looking on their website they list 4 types of pellets. Premium Soft, Premium Hard, Standard, and Animal Bedding. The only one I’m unsure about is the standard one, as it says made from recycled timber and other materials. What are the other materials? Does that one have additives? You could ask the company. They may just be referring to non-recycled timber. Apart from that, yes they look good

[A Happy Herd of Hares]

I’ve only ever liked carefresh, but it is NOT CHEAP!! Don’t get Katee, it doesn’t control odor at all!

[Boing]

I second the carefresh. Nothing absorbs moisture and odour quite like it!

[Author]

Messages