• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Keeping warm - rabbits that wee in their bed area

nessar

Warren Veteran
My buns have chosen their 'bed' area as their litter area, and I cant convince them otherwise. So currently they dont have a nice warm bed, and it worries me particularly as Barney has a shaved tummy from having an ultra sound recently, and has a weight-loss problem so very little body fat. I cant give them fleecy blankets etc either, as when I washed them last, I blocked the filter on the washing machine, and put rabbit hairs on everyones clothes even after an empty wash - and this is not my washing machine!

The way I see it I have 2 options -
1. get a litter tray the size of the bed area (2ftx2ft) and use it as a litter tray/bed. Pros - easiest option, and simple. Cons- bed might get damp as Barney wees a lot, would have to use more litter and way more hay as it would need changing often so costly in the long run. If they sit on top of the hay and wee, they may get wee on the walls.
2. Get a small corner litter tray, and then get a bed box. Pros - loads cheaper for bedding, might stay dry if they dont wee in it. Cons- They prefer a big litter tray - they like to get in together to eat, and Barney is a large bunny. I cant find a bed box so would have to have one made as my DIY skills are nil. Bed box might not be able to be big enough to get both buns in without them being a bit squished.


I cant decide :? I also dont know how often I should change the bed area if I go with option 1...
 
I wash blankets in the washing machine. I use a laundry bag for horse tack and don't have any problems with fur now. :thumb: would that be an option?
 
I wash blankets in the washing machine. I use a laundry bag for horse tack and don't have any problems with fur now. :thumb: would that be an option?

Thanks for this suggestion Elena, Im going to buy one of these bags seen as Ive just forked out for a new washing machine :thumb:
 
Some of my pairs wee in their bed but I am now using those underbed storage boxes (3 for £10 at Poundstretcher) I put a good layer of newspaper in topped up with hay and change every day. Works fine here.
 
I have never been able to convince mine otherwise...they will always choose a large litter tray with hay over a blanket. I just make sure I have something absorbent (I use megazorb) in the bottom topped with hay and they sit there in all weathers. Even in the winter the trays can frost up and they won't go anywhere else....Sometimes they just won't be told! ;)
 
It depends on what your set up is like, but we have found that generally rabbits tend to use enclosed bed areas as latrines, instead of the warm cosy space we wish it to be:roll:

We no longer have the divided area in our hutches, but instead have taller hutches (24"), and we put shelves in at either end of the top part of the hutch, as the rabbits tend to like sitting up high, but also like to be able to see what is going on.

I need to take a photo of them next chance I get, as it works really well, gives the rabbits more space, and reduces the incidents of bed areas being used to wee in.
 
I was about to post the same as BB mommy - I think the trick is to not think of the bed area as the bed area, but instead think of where else you can create a cosy bed in the accommodation. I have one of those Trixie run shelters in the 'day' part of the hutch and I keep that stuffed with hay, and they cosy up in there when its cold. The bit that we think should be the 'bed' area is just a giant toilet, and no doubt always will be!

21F1B6E5-7BF2-4D4C-BB18-6C635CDF8222-3384-000005D9036E5A00.jpg


4247AC9E-C454-48B5-9EFF-CABE3FA06C24-3384-000005D8F91D8921.jpg
 
Last edited:
I bought a plastic dog bed which fits snuggly in the bedroom compartment of the hutch...I put newspaper on the bottom, then a thick layer of megazorb and then lots and lots of hay...they have been making their little tunnels into it the last could of nights!! :love:
 
Not sure if I have the space for another 'bed' bit in the hutch, unless I take it apart and remove the divider.

This is a pic of how it is set out... roughly... its an old photo - no blankets anymore. Because of where the entrance to the ramp and the entrance to the bed area are, it makes it difficult as they have to be able to easily access both. The hole through to the bedroom bit is against the back wall, so they have to go around the ramp hole. As you can see, Barney isnt exactly going to fit into a small space either, and he is also very clumsy. (For perspective, the hutch is 6x2x2, but the overall length including overhang is 6ft5)
SAM_3560.jpg
 
My rabbits toilet in their bed area, so I just clean it daily. They always have thick hay everywhere but in the bed area, it is piled high. It does mean you get through a lot of hay, but I get bales of hay so it's fairly cheap for me.
 
Do they have permanent access to the run? You could try and create some kind of cosy straw/hay stuffed box in a sheltered part of the run so they could snuggle up in that if they really want to. Ideally I'd try and create it somehow so that the entrance is protected from draughts, either by double walling it, by careful positioning or by making sure there is only a small entrance hole compared to the nice cosy area inside. How about something like a covered cat toilet, that would be plastic so ok for being outside and you may be able to double wall it with some insulation/plywood cover to make it much cosier. Or one of those trixie run shelters stuffed with hay. Maybe not so ideal being on the ground outside, but if there isn't any room to reconfigure the hutch, it would at least give them somewhere cosy to snuggle up in.

Perhaps also cover over the majority of the upstairs mesh to protect it from the weather (but not sealing it, leave ventilation and air flow) and just put an enormous pile of hay in that open section, at least then they can get some insulation from sitting in and around the hay up there.
 
You have a similar hutch/run that we have at Hopper, but we get them 30" deep instead of 24".

You could put a shelf in over the "jump hole" - that will cut down the draught in the hutch, and will give bunnies a shelf to sit on.

It would be easier if I'd got a photo, but can't get that til Friday, but basically you could put a 12"support on the RH side of the hole, and fix a 24" deep shelf over the top of it. You can then get your top shelf all snuggly with hay.

I will get you a photo to see if that helps
 
Back
Top