Toys, bedding, feeding

[Becky]

I am on a limited budget, but I want to care for my babies ( they are my kid’s bunnies )the best  I can. I know they need hay, what is the least expensive route to go? How much do they need? Also, can they have bass wood (I have an extra piece I was going to make toys out of)?. Also, im working on training them to use the potty box in the cage, I tried torn newspaper, but they throw it everywhere, again what is the least expensive yet “user friendly” litter to use? Thanks

[Sarita]

Hi Becky – I would also post this question on the general board as well – I think you would get more responses – I would move it for you but I’m afraid you will be looking here for your answers.

For bedding alot might depend on your location and what is available. I like the pelleted sawdust litter and you can get that very inexpensively – approx. $6.00 for a 35 pound bag. If you do not have something like this available, then ASPEN shavings are inexpensive and control odor well – I emphasize ASPEN because pine and chlorophyll are not safe for rabbits even though pet stores sell them and the companies advertise them as such.

They need unlimited hay – it is the largest part of their diet – you want to get a grass hay such as timothy or orchard (just to name a few). Not certain again your location but many times you can find a bale for cheap. I order mine on-line because I know it will be good quality from where I order it from but it’s not the least expensive since shipping can cost as much as the hay.

[Becky]

Im new at this, how do I get to tthe general forum, and can you transfer this question. Also, I live in St louis, Mo

[Sarita]

Hi Becky, I’ve moved it to Diet and Care for you.

[Sarita]

http://www.hrsmostl.org/

Becky here is a link to the House Rabbit Society in St. Louis and up at the top is an email to contact them.  I bet they can give you ideas on where to purchase hay locally and what type of bedding you can get locally that is safe and inexpensive as well as an affordable vet.

There website is a little awkward to me but I bet if you email them they can help you out with some local resources. 

[Sarita]

http://www.hrsmostl.org/ShopTilYouHop.html

They do sell stuff locally – here’s the link.  I would definitely contact them!

[MooBunnay]

I also buy hay by the bale from a local feed store – but you have to make sure that it is a high quality hay, and does not have sticks, stones or weeds in it. Here in Texas they call the good hay “horse quality” but I’m not sure if that is the same everywhere. For the litterboxes, I use “Equine Fresh” or “Lonestar Bedding” which is like pelleted sawdust. This is very cheap, and is the same thing as woodstove pellets. The reason the bunnies throw the paper all over is that they like to tear and shred things. A cheap and fun toy for them is to find a box and put some crumpled packing paper in it (the paper that doesn’t have any print on it). The cut a tunnel into one side so that the bunnies can hop in and out of it and burrow in it!

[BunnyLiz]

Free toy- laundry cap lid. It was one of my rabbits favorite toys, and they still enjoy them. Of course just wash them about a hundred times before you give it to them lol.

[KatnipCrzy]

I use woodstove pellets as litter- they are cheap and work great.  I also buy quality hay by the bale- but I do buy what I call “treat” hay- I buy oat, meadow, orchard grass, etc hay and give my bunnies a handful now and then so they get some variety , as a bale of hay lasts me about 5 months or so.  It is nice to have a cheap hay that I give in large quantities and I don’t stress about throwing a lot away in the litterbox- but they also have other hay as a treat for variety and the don’t get used to eating just one type of hay.

  For toys I have used clean, ink-free packing paper.shipping paper that I have gotten in a package- I put a couple raisins in the paper and squish the paper into a ball.  The bunnies smell the raisins and tear up the paper ball to find them- it makes a mess in their pen but it keeps them occupied and happy and picking up paper pieces when I clean their pen is a small price to pay for their happiness.

  If you know someone that has apples trees and does NOT treat with any pesticides or chemicals- bunnies LOVE the branches.  It is best to let the branches dry and to remove the leaves.  My grandmother has an orchard at her farm that is untreated and whenever I am there visiting I fill pillowcases with branches cut from the trees.  The pillowcases make the branches easier to transport and lets the wood/leaves dry.  Usually a few weeks later I will take them outside and cut them into 6 inch pieces and then put them in a box- they are dry and the leaves have all fallen off to the bottom of the bag.

Julie

[Hedi]

Dont forget to check out the Forum – TOY BOX for extra suggestions for help w/ toys….

You can save empty toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls. Buns love to play and shred these-just make sure they dont have a lot of glue/gunt on them.
Sounds silly bun my buns love to play with medicine bottles w/ pills in them-so if you took an empty medicine bottle and put a rock in it w a locking cap and gave it to your bun-it would be a nice play toy that rattles.

I think we had a ton more listed in the TOY section…

[bunnycutie]

free toys:
cardboard boxes
old phone books
toilet paper tubes
pile of dirt to dig in

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