litter types

[MD]

I’ve heard people talk about various types of litter, and I know any aromatic wood product is bad, but I’m still not sure what is the best litter to use.  The shelter I got the bunnies from said I should use Carefresh, but it doesn’t seem to control odor at all, and I heard that other litters are less expensive.  I’ve also heard of Feline Pine but I really don’t know anything about it.  I saw one of my bunnies chewing on a piece of litter, so it has to be something that won’t hurt them if they chew it.  Also, I could use suggestions on where to buy the litter.  I’ve been getting Carefresh from Petco but again, it’s not cheap, and I’m a college student, so I need less expensive options.  Thanks. 

[JamieM]

I use carefresh from PetCo and here’s a trick. I sent them an email to ask where to buy their product and they sent me 4 $2 off coupons! That’s helped A LOT!

[osprey]

Hi MD,

You have several options for safe bunny litters.  Let me start by saying that when you read that pine and other aromatic beddings are bad, they are referring to beddings made from pine shavings.  There are several options available to you that are made from pine, but are safe for your bunny.

Carefresh:  Personally, I hate carefresh.  I think it is appropriate to use for a litter box where tiny babies are present, and maybe for post operative bunnies, but for regular usage it is expensive and does a lousy job of odor control, quickly becoming a sodden mess that reeks of ammonia.

Pelleted pet litters: There are several options here.  I like the Green Pet Aspen Supreme pellets for superior odor control, but these have a very woody smell that you have to like to use it.  Cat Country/Critter Country is also a good choice.  This is made from wheat straw and does a good job with controlling odor and is safe for bunnies.  Feline Pine (sawdust pellets) and Yesterday’s News (recycled newspaper pellets) are good choices too, and are widely available.  Avoid the corn cob litters and anything labelled as a clumping litter, these are supposed to be bad if bunnies ingest them.

Wood Stove Pellets:  Given that you are in Las Vegas, I doubt that you’ll find these, but these are a pellet made for fuel for pellet burning stoves.  They are made from compressed sawdust, and much less expensive than any of the litter pellets, they cost around $8 per 40 pound bag.  Many rescues use these because of the price differential.  I compost all of my bunnies’ soiled litter, and these take a long time to decompose.  If you find them, make sure they have no hydrocarbon accelerants, and are pure 100% sawdust with nothing added.

Horse Stall Bedding: Similar to the wood stove pellets, these are also made from compressed saw dust.  The pellet sizes are smaller and less regular than the stove pellets, and these are made from lower quality sawdust.  This can be found at feed stores and places like Tractor Supply for around $6-$8 for a 40 pound sack.

Newspaper and Hay: If you are willing to change the litter every day, you can go the very inexpensive route of lining the bottom of the litterbox with newpaper, then covering it with a coating of hay.  This setup is very cheap, particularly if you can get baled hay, but offers no odor control at all.  You need to use the hay, or your bunny’s paws will turn black from newsprint.  Many shelters go this route because it is super cheap.

[kimberleyanddarren]

wow i think osprey pretty much gave you all the answers! I have several litter boxes around because their house is quite big, i have a variety of different thigns in each, some are just newspaper with hay (because they dont really pee there they only poop so the smell isnt an issue and this is quite cheap) However in the ones they regularly pee in i use a product that is like carefresh but its in smaller patches and its white (almost like compressed newspaper) im not sure if you can get that over there? Anyway i find that it keeps the oder well and it isnt as easy for them to flick it out the box as the big chunks of carefresh. Hope this helps!

[Moonlight_Wolf]

Hey, if wood stove pellots are good then are these form Amazon ok?

http://www.amazon.com/Northern-Tool-Equipment-Pellets-40-Lb/dp/B000JS5EBI/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1219007625&sr=8-1

And are they safe for your bunnies to eat? Mine munches on litter now and then. Also when they get wet do they poof into sawdust and become all dusty. Are they very dusty to begin with? What kind of wood are they made out of? Hopefully not pine or ceder….

[osprey]

Those look to be OK. The package says “100% wood”

[(dig)x(me)x(now)]

I love Kaytee Total Comfort bedding. It’s kind of like Care Fresh but in smaller pieces. It controls odor better and is very absorbent plus it packs down REALLY well. You can pretty much make it like a carpet.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I like to mix ‘yesterday’s news’ and ‘carefresh’ to get more bulk out of it but also the odour control/liquid absorbtion of both as well.

[TARM]

I am exstatic to report that the Equine Fresh pine pellet litter is AWESOME! They baby bunny boys don’t use the litter box hardly at all (it’s like the poop everywhere BUT in the box) but Rex seems to be getting the hang of it, he at least seems to be peeing in it. But the real test is the ferrets…and I haven’t smelled them once, not even their poop (!) since I switched to the pellets from Yeterday’s News. This makes me very happy. Even though the store isn’t convenient to get to I’ll still save a ton of money every month just on litter alone!

[dmh426]

I have never used anything but Yesterday’s News. It’s recylced paper pellets. very absorbant an there is no odor.

[Author]

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