Sand boxes

[QueenTwitch]

Like you guys, we’re always searching for new ideas to keep our princess occupied – my other half thinks that a sand box would be a good idea, so she can dig.

I’ve done a bit of research and mostly come up with worried bunny owners concerned with whether sand can harm your bun, and how it can harm them. Some have worried that they could cause cancer.

What are your own thoughts and experiences?

[NewBunnyOwner123]

I am going to tag along this because I have been interested in making a type of dig box for my buns and was thinking of a sand box.

[QueenTwitch]

Tag along very welcome 

[LittlePuffyTail]

Sand causing cancer? That’s new to me. I think my biggest concern would be mites or fleas in the sand, but if you were buying from a toy store as opposed to getting from the beach, you wouldn’t have to worry about that. I would maybe be concerned about it getting up bunnie’s nose while he’s digging.

[Beka27]

Hmm. Sounds very messy. Probably not a good idea for inside the house. I’d also be worried about them getting sand in their eyes… Ouch!

[Monkeybun]

My Moose has the bottom of Monkey’s first cage filled with shredded paper to dig in.. he loves it My mom thought a box filled with clean soil would be a good idea… by I think my carpet would disagree.

[NewBunnyOwner123]

I wasn’t thinking inside. More like outside when I’m working in the garden and have an xpen set up with a big box to dig in. And maybe instead of the fine sand to put in maybe like soil?

[NewBunnyOwner123]

I’ve tried the shredded paper in a box but she peed in it. Was thinking like as a treat hen outside thy can dig to their hearts content in a sandbox

[Beka27]

Soil would dirty their feet and they would ingest some while grooming. You might also end up with dirt tracked on the house.

[Sarita]

Two things – possible impaction and eye irritation.

[QueenTwitch]

All very good points… We were thinking of getting one of those covered cat litter boxes for it, they are quite deep and would help to avoid the mess quite so much. I think she’d definitely pee on shredded paper but it might be worth a shot as the tidier and less messy of the options!

[QueenTwitch]

Another thought… What about gravel?

[Beka27]

Is your rabbit a big digger? I just ask because I’ve tried paper diggy boxes in the past and my buns just napped in there. With domestic rabbits, most of them don’t have the same behaviors/desires as their wild cousins. They might dig a little bit at a blanket, but they know they’re not digging for a purpose. Does she seem like she NEEDS a digging option?

Gravel is dusty when it gets kicked up, and I would think that would irritate her feet and eyes, and possibly cause a respiratory problem.

[QueenTwitch]

She goes through phases – some days she digs on everything and other days she isn’t bothered at all! I’m sure she would just pee in shredded paper, or just eat it.
She does love digging on her fleece blanket though, as it’s really thick and lush. I wondered if cutting that up and putting it in a deep tray would suffice, but that doesn’t really solve the sharp claws issue.
Think maybe I’m snuffling up the wrong haybale!

[mia]

When I took my buns to the beach, my digger LOVED the sand, after some time trying to figure out what it was. It was like heaven for her. The box I have for her with paper wads and her blankets isn’t even close! That said, it was messy coming back from the beach but probably less messy than dirt .

[LizzyBunn]

My rabbits were wild bunns when we got them (4 years ago?) and they are absurd diggers. I cannot find anything to satisfy them and I’ve been wondering about sand as well. We have cats and their litter boxes are the kind you enter form the top and we still have to guard those so closely because if we’re not careful the bunns would spend their whole day digging the kitty litter (all pine but still).

I wondered briefly about the sand you buy for chinchillas and their sand baths. My local pet store caries that, it seems like very fine sand, I don’t know if that makes a difference. I have the same problems as QueenTwitch with paper and blankets- they just move them around and then pee in them.

If anyone has any good digging advice for someone who feels like they’ve tried everything…

[Amara]

Could you use rice for them to dig in or would they try to eat the rice? I saw a picture on pinterest of that

[Sarita]

Hi Amara, this post is from 2013 and we ask that members do not reply to old posts.

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