What should I use in my cage?

Hi there

Please can you give me your opinions on what I should have in my bunny's cage. At the moment there is wood shavings but Toki is quite fluffy and it gets stuck in her (maybe his!) hair. My friend has sawdust and thick straw stuff in his hutch, but it doesn't look that snuggly to me. The straw stuff is really golden and kind of flat - do bunnies like that?

I was thinking of using a thin layer of sawdust/wood shavings on the bottom, with meadow hay on top and some "paper wool" (paper bedding) on one half. What do you think? I am open to suggestions as I honestly have no idea really, I would really appreciate the help.

Thanks so much

Rabbits only need a 'snuggly' area to sleep in, especially in the winter when it's cold. Hay is usually favourite, because it does not have such sharp ends as straw.
Then you can have a litter tray with paper or straw in, so cleaning out becomes easier. If an indoor bun, then use wood-based litter to absorb wee.
The rest of the floor can be bare if you like, buns like to flop out in a bare patch. I line my hutch with cardboard, so I can clean it out easily.

Shavings or sawdust are not usually very good for buns, especially fluffy ones, because it does get stuck in their fur.

You might find your buns will rearrange whatever you put in there to their own liking!

Thats really helpful thank you

Bunny is an indoor bunny, but with her own cage too, so I will have litter trays around (our) home with wood litter in as suggested and also one in her home.

So is it okay to use meadow hay (as well as a cardboard lining) to 'line' her cage AND give her meadow hay in her hay holder to eat? Or should I mix it up with Timothy Hay as food?

Where will I get Timothy Hay and is it sometimes known by any other names?

Sorry for so many questions, I just want to ensure she is as comfy and happy as possible.

Thanks again!

I use blankets, the buns like them cause they're snuggly and they can rearrange them however they want.

I lined his area with meadow hay and used it for food but the vet said is he actually eating the hay cos he may think it's just for bedding, and to try to wean him onto Timothy hay for food, putting it in the hay rack. He's getting used to it but has runny poos a bit at the mo. so I'm cutting back the Timothy hay and mixing it with Meadow Hay.

Cornishlass said:

I lined his area with meadow hay and used it for food but the vet said is he actually eating the hay cos he may think it's just for bedding, and to try to wean him onto Timothy hay for food, putting it in the hay rack. He's getting used to it but has runny poos a bit at the mo. so I'm cutting back the Timothy hay and mixing it with Meadow Hay.

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Good quality meadow hay is fine for bunnies to eat. My lot prefer it to Timothy hay, so I shouldn't worry if he likes eating it. Rabbits are fairly clean, so he won't eat soiled stuff and he'll like having a nibble when he is sitting around.

Any good quality hay is fine for buns as long as they eat it. Hay is a vital part of a rabbit's diet, as their teeth are always growing, and rabbits need to be nibbling for long periods of the day in order to keep them worn down. So give them a constant supply.
Timothy hay is more expensive, and can be used as a treat. Most bunny-owners, (if they can find it and have room to store it) buy their hay by the bale from a local farmer. The stuff that is good for horses is just as good for bunnies and usually costs about £3-£4 each and lasts ages.
You can add to their diet, a small amount of veggies, dandelion leaves etc, and some bunny pellets - about a handful a day, which you can feed by hand, and are useful to get your bun to go where you want it, 'cos they will usually follow you anywhere once they know you have pellets.

Some Buns also like to have a little hay in their litter trays - they like to nibble whilst they loo! (Beats reading the newspaper!)

:lol: Thanks. I'll try that again then.