Newspaper as the flooring with wood shavings?

[Laurenjade95]

I have been using wood shavings as a base in my rabbit hutch but its so messy and a nightmare to clean! I am having to clean them once a day as well because they are not litter trained yet, last night i put newspaper down with some shavings on the top but this morning they had been nibbling at it, not loads but just wondering if this is safe? It seems loads better then no poo will get stuck to the wood! Only had them 3 weeks so only just getting the hang of things

[DanaNM]

Can you describe your cage set up a bit more? Having bedding all over will make litter training difficult, as the rabbit will not know where the litter box is  and will treat the whole cage as it’s litter box.

Wood shavings aren’t great for bunnies. Pine shavings can be dangerous (the aromatics can cause liver issues long term), and the shavings get stuck to their fur.

Pine pellets (sold as cheaply horse stall pellets or expensively as feline pine cat litter) on the other hand are safe because the way they are heat-treated removes the aromatic compounds. I use a layer of pine pellets in the litter box only, with a nice fluffy hay layer on top. You can also only hay, and make a nice fluffy layer of hay in the litter box that you dump out daily. This works great if you are able to get hay cheaply (like from a horse supply or local rabbit rescue). Another safe bedding is carefresh, but it’s more expensive. It is nice for litter training though because it is soft and fluffy, so the rabbits are encouraged to pee on it.

All of that said, nibbling a bit of newspaper is safe (avoid the glossy printed pages though). But do swap out the bedding you are using for something safer. And putting bedding only in the litter box will help a lot with litter training. 🙂

. . . 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.  

[Laurenjade95]

So i have newspaper and shavings all over then a litter tray with cat wood based litter and some hay on top of that then big pile of straw for bedding, i just carried on with this litter as the lady we got them off sent us with all i have said above and told me to do what i have just explained. Thanks for the advice really appreciate it i am so new to this and want to give the little cuties the best life i can

[Laurenjade95]

So if you have the time could you please tell me the best way i should set my outside hutch up! Thanks😊

[DanaNM]

So I would keep the litter tray with the wood pellet litter (sounds like pine pellets? correct?) with the hay on top, then remove everything else. You only want there to be “bedding” (hay) in the litter box. Most bunnies appreciate the option of a solid floor and don’t need or want lots of bedding except in the litter box. What type flooring is the hutch?

Guessing it’s wire flooring since its a hutch? If so, then add some grass mats or pieces of cardboard for them to rest on, as the wire is hard on their feet. They don’t need the whole floor covered, just some bigger parts of it. With the litter box plus the mats they have options of non-wire flooring they can stand on if they choose. You can also make mats out of newspaper for this purpose: http://www.bunssb.org/buns-newsletter/september-2013/make-mat/

They are quick and cheap to make and the buns love them. 🙂

If it’s a wood floor, then you might want to add something to protect the wood from pee soaking in if there are accidents. Peel-and-stick linoleum tiles work well for this, and you could put newspaper over top if you wanted to. Some people like to use fleece fabric in bunny homes but you have to make sure they aren’t chewers, and it can make them confused during litter training, so it’s best to wait till they have their litter box habits down. If you check out the “Housing” section under the bunny info tab at the top you will probably get lots of ideas. 🙂

. . . 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.  

[jerseygirl]

For a hutch outdoors, I find this site has some good guidelines. http://www.therabbithouse.com/outdoor/rabbithutch.asp (see menu to the right for extra advice on hutches). Of course, there will be different considerations depending on where you live. The sort of weather proofing you would need to do and securing the hutch from predators. I read in one of your other posts that the rabbits have time out of the hutch in the garden. Good to know!

[Laurenjade95]

Thanks for that i will have a look now and yes they are in the garden most of the day supervised but if i am busy in the house they have a big x pen so i just leave them in there with toys plenty of hay and water! They are happy little bunnies

[Laurenjade95]

Hi just wanted to check back in, i took all your advice and stopped with the wood shavings. The set up now is pellets and hay in litter tray(a big pile of hay) so they eat and poop in there! They never sleep in there though they seem to sleep in the pile of straw i have for them as it is cold on a night, so now i have put a shoe box in full of straw for the bed at the other side of the hutch! I was thinking this will be a bit more warmer and snug, is this the right thing to do x

[Wick & Fable]

Hi Lauren! Just wanted to check in re: your rabbits. Sorry you didn’t get a reply back. How have things been with the flooring and temperature?

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.

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