What do I put at the bottom of a pen?

[Moonlightbunny66]

I’ve ordered two x pens for my bunnies coming home soon. They’re getting neutered through the animal rescue on August 12 and I can take them home the day after if they’re doing okay. I’d like to know the best things to put at the bottom of the pens! Their litter habits will probably not be great since they will be housed next to each other until they are bonded. My plan is puzzle mats from the dollar store on the bottom, then maybe a plastic shower curtain to catch any pee or water from soaking through, then maybe some memory foam bath mats in sleeping areas, then bed sheets or pet fleece blankets. If anyone has better ideas or suggestions, that would be nice! I have hardwood floors that stain easily if water gets on them. I’m trying to save some money on the materials since I just spent a lot of money on the adoption fees and x pens. Thank you! 🙂

[Louiethebunny]

Puzzle mats are great! As long as the edges arent exposed to be chewed on, they are a great option that many people use. I made my own xpen “mat”, it’s basically a pillowcase for a tarp, I put a folded tarp inside the mat and velcro the edge, so if my bun ever spills water or has an accident, I can toss the mat in the wash and the tarp protects my floor. I used two large pieces of fabric and my sewing machine, but not everybody has the materials. Some people use a sheet, and I’ve even seen people buy rugs to place the xpen on.

[DanaNM]

Some buns (including mine) can’t have foam mats because they will chew them, so it would be good to have a backup plan in case that’s the case for yours. Some people will use a sheet of linoleum as their waterproof base. I recently found that those floor protectors for office chairs work well too in a pinch (but they are kind of expensive and that prob wouldn’t work with your flooring). There is also this cheap indoor/ourdoor carpeting that might work well if you have something waterproof under it. It is very low pile so most buns leave it alone.

Since your boys will be newly neutered, it might be a good idea not to put any blankets or soft things down to make sure they get their litter habits sorted out. Lots of buns actually appreciate a cool hard surface to lay on.

. . . 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.  

[Moonlightbunny66]

Hmmmm I can look into getting some floor tiles. I have heard that you shouldn’t put fabrics in their pens until they’re better with their litter habits. I just wasn’t sure if I should do that since I think they were litter trained until more bunnies arrived at the animal rescue. Would putting down just a tarp or shower curtain on the floor be okay? Maybe some puzzle mats or memory foam mats underneath if they don’t chew on them. I might be concerned about them chewing on the plastic then. Not sure. :/

[DanaNM]

A tarp could work, really just depends on if they chew it. 🙂

. . . 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.  

[Peanutthebunny]

maybe just some towels will work so you can wash the towels and replace them or you could try fleece

[Louiethebunny]

Towels actually sound great, if you want something quick you can cover a tarp with some towels, my family has a collection of old towels in our linen closet, we call them “rag towels”.. we use them for things like painting, wiping up spills, and I put one in Louie’s carrier when we brought him home. I use the towel as a type of bed and he actually really enjoys it because it has his smell. You can always toss em in the wash if they get dirty too.

[Moonlightbunny66]

That’s true! We have towels that have been through a lot and we call them dog towels lol. We use them to wipe up my dog when he gets muddy or wet. I could use some of those until they get better with their litter habits! I was planning on using fleece pet blankets from the dollar store or something, but it might be better to use towels for now and a plastic shower curtain or tarp underneath. Thanks to everyone!

[DanaNM]

I vote fleece over towels if possible. If you do end up with a chewer, fleece is safer.

. . . 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.  

[Peanutthebunny]

@Moonlightbunny66 your welcome make sure to post when you get your buns

[Moonlightbunny66]

@dananm Then fleece it is! Lol many decisions to make. Thanks for the warning! 🙂

@rabbitlover908 I will! I’ll be taking lots of photos, I love my bunnies already and they’re not even in my house yet. ☺️

[poopscoop12]

Sorry to hijak the thread, but what do you guys hold the tarp down with? I plan to get one tomorrow as this sounds like a great idea! Is it slippery for the buns? My boy is a digger and would pull and drag it to a corner if it isn’t held down.
I’ve used playmats, cardboard, fleece and towels but my girl pees all over so would like something easier to clean.
They have a small room to themselves about 5’x5′ in size for 2 buns.

[Moonlightbunny66]

@poopscoop12 Like an actual room or pen? The only thing I can think of is putting down bricks in the corners maybe? Or something heavy. It might be a bit slippery, I haven’t tried it yet. I bought plastic shower curtains from the dollar store to put under my fleece or on top if my bunnies pee everywhere (I haven’t gotten them yet). I also bought waterproof shoe mats which would give them more traction if I decide to have them be the top layer. I plan on just putting those under the water dishes, probably under my fleece.

[poopscoop12]

an actual bedroom, sorry why will the fleece be at the bottom of the plastic? Does it make it more cushiony? @Moonlightbunny66

 

[Moonlightbunny66]

@poopscoop12 Sorry I meant to say I would put it on top of my other layers of things like memory foam bath mats. Fleece might be okay as cushion but it might be more slippery, I’m not sure. But I have hardwood floors, so something underneath would be better for their paws. I also bought waterproof foam shoe mats but they’re kinda smelly like a tire so I’m seeing if I can air them out outside to get rid of the smell. If I can, I’ll probably put those on top of the plastic for traction and more waterproofing. I’m getting male bunnies who are getting neutered soon and going to be housed next to each other and I wanna make sure they’re litter trained. They might also mark around the x pens so I want easy clean up like you.

[PancakeOwner]

For my bun’s setup (I have original hardwood floors from 1939) I first lay down a plastic tarp and secure it to the floor with painter’s tape (for easy removal and to prevent adhesive leaving a mark). My setup is against two walls, so I make sure that the plastic overlaps the baseboard, creating a lip against the wall to prevent any urine damaging the walls.

On top of that, I place layered cardboard, taped together and also with a lip against the walls.

On top of this, I place foam puzzle board, and then on top of that I have layered waterproof blankets!

She has had a couple of accidents, and this setup seems to be the most effective for us! If you’d like for me to link the blankets I use, let me know 🙂

[Moonlightbunny66]

@PancakeOwner Yes, the link would be great, thanks. 🙂 That’s a good idea with the tape on the tarp. I think I’ll try that!

[PancakeOwner]

@moonlightbunny66 I am having trouble linking from Chewy, which is where I buy them, but I am sure if you Google the name you will find them from multiple shops. The blanket is called Simple Solution washable training pad. I get a 2 pack of the XXL on Chewy for $28.66. Two will almost cover our setup, so I use three for extra overlap. Sometimes Pancake will rearrange and pull them up and I have to tidy after her every couple of weeks 😊 If you have a bunny who digs and chews a lot, these may not be best as they are designed as puppy pads and are therefore not heavy-duty. For us they are great though!

 

I like them because the top layer is absorbent and the bottom layer is waterproof, so any accidents are absorbed well enough and don’t spread everywhere. They are also very soft, but beware that the texture of the fabric is such that hay and fur really stick to them! I usually clean this debris off with a window squeegee (little trick I learned to get hair out of carpet and cushions) before tossing in the wash or hosing off. Liquid cleans off of them like a dream though, and they dry quickly.

I hope this info helps! 😊

[Moonlightbunny66]

@PancakeOwner Thank you so much! I’ll look into them! I’m not sure if my bunnies are diggers or chewers yet. I get to pick them up from the shelter in a few days! 😊

[PancakeOwner]

Glad I could help! And congrats on your adoption – let us know how it goes when you pick them up 😊

[ThorBunny]

For Thor’s area, we went to a carpet store and purchased a carpet remnant (cutoffs from other installations). It’s much cheaper than buying a new rug. We put blankets and towels over the carpet, and wash those every week or so.

Not sure if it will work if you’re expecting lots of accidents. There are good cleaning products like Nature’s Miracle, but you don’t want to be shampooing carpet all the time 😛

[Moonlightbunny66]

@ThorBunny That’s a good idea tho. I’ll look into it once I know my buns aren’t going to be peeing everywhere lol. Thanks!

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