Now there using a massive underbed storage box, how often do I change it?

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for all the advice on hay and underbed storage boxes.

It was really really helpful, and I've finally got a set up where they both seem happy [except at first they seemed to hate the underbed storage - wouldn't use it - and now they love it - not sure what happened there].

I've had to pen them in at night cos Twinkle destroyed a couch, but I bought a second puppy pen, and joined them together, so they basically still have most of the living room, but Ghibli still hates it because he grew up with free run of everything [even though he actually never left the living room which is why I got him a friend - so he wouldn't be alone at night anymore.

OK, so here's the facts.

When I had a small bunny [Ghibli] and a small lit box I'd change him every other day [very occasionally every third day].

One bag of megazorb would last arround 3 to 4 changes, which averaged out at arround a week!

When I got Twinkle [who's twice Ghibli's size] I started changing it every day!

So arround 1 2/3rd to 2 bags of megazorb a week!

Since I've moved them on the underbed storage box their lit doesn't seem to get as wet anymore.

I give them loads of hay, and it seems to absorb most of their pee.

Every morning I go through the top layer in the middle, where they generally don't pee, and take out anything that's not wet! Then go through that and remove any poops.

I then check there lit [there's usually a few spots where it's damp, but it's never soaking, remove any poops that fell through, and mix it back up, and press it all down so it's compacted [it helps make sure all the poop doesn't get mixed up in the megalomaniac when I change them].

Then I take the old hay and cover the megazorb with it, and put loads fresh hay on top of that!

One bail of hay will make up arround 5 to 6 bags of hay when I break it up [depending on the size of the bags I use, and the bail].

A bag of megazorb fills the underbed box, and I change that once a week!

Am I changing them enough?

Their lit never actually feels wet when I change it, or even smells, but I'm always worried about flies. Particularly now it's getting into summers!

Help, advice, comments?

What's everyone else's changing schedule? Am I worrying too much or too little?


P. S. Sorry if this is really really long!







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I think the underbed storage box is a great size and I'm glad they like it. It's great that advice has helped you and your bunnies :thumb: Don't worry about how much or little you post on here, we are all here for each other whenever that happens to be. Some people post more than others. I am an RU addict so post lots :lol:

It sounds like you are doing what you need to do regarding cleaning, depending on the litter you can do spot cleans and then a big empty, I have never used megazorb but it sounds good. I use woodpellet cat litter and that is very absorbent :thumb:

I use newspaper straw and hay in 32 litre underbed storage boxes. My quad (four rabbits) have three boxes between them which I clean out once a week. They are not always wet but I change them anyway. They live in a shed/run combo and have free range time for a couple of hours a day.

When I used to use those boxes I would change them every other day, when it was very hot in summer I'd try and do it every day. And I'd refresh the hay every morning and evening. It sounds like you're using a lot of megazorb, when I used megazorb I just put a thin layer at the bottom. I stopped using that though as I seemed to develop an allergy to it and it got hard to get hold of so I used to put a couple of newspapers at the bottom and that was enough absorbency.

Mackers very kindly gave me her Manor Pet Housing litter tray and hay rack which I'm now using as their main tray and as that is slightly smaller I'm using one newspaper and changing it every day. I fill the hay rack in the morning and change the tray in the evening.

I find it helps to get extra boxes and clean and refill them once a week and then store them inside. Makes it a lot easier for me.

I use underbed storage boxes and megazorb but I don't go through as much as you, as Elena says I just use a thin layer of megazorb. I change 4 underbed storage boxes daily and a bag of megazorb lasts me a couple of weeks. What I've also started doing is using newspaper to make cleaning quicker - a thin layer of megazorb with a few sheets of newspaper on top then hay on top of that (plus a hay feeder above the litter boxes which inevitably means even more hay ends up in the litter box!). I just roll up the newspaper with the hay & poop on top, bin it and scoop out any wet patches of megazorb so only need to top up the megazorb daily not fully replace it. I do a full clean / disinfect once a week so use more megazorb then.