What do you use?

stacy · Oct 4, 2005

underneath your hay in the hutches. I have tried newspaper and Kitty manages to tear it all up and hides out underneath it and when I use sawdust Hector claws the hay away and lies directly on the sawdust. They have a brilliant time 'trashing' their hutch, but it looks such a mess!

are there any alternatives I could use?

Bunster · Oct 4, 2005

I am not sure that you can get away with this 'problem'. I tend to find that my Douglas will tear up the newspaper anyway, but even moreso, when he wants out of the hutch in the morning. Sometimes I think he thinks it's fun and I put a catalogue, whole newspaper or yellow pages in his run so that he has something fun to do.

Stephanie : )

Dawn&Leila · Oct 4, 2005

Rabbits will probably always trash their houses :roll:

I was going to make a topic asking everybody their advise on what bedding i should use, but since this is so similar i thought i'd ask here. I hope you don't mind Stacy.

At the moment Leila lives in an indoor cage, she has sawdust on the floor of the cage, and timothy hay (which she eats) in her little bed. In her litter tray I have tried a variety of litters, i think i will now be using a wood-based cat litter as this is what everyone seems to recommend on here.

I want to stop using sawdust altogether as I've heard it contains phenols that can put strain on the liver and respiratory system, also I do catch her eating it! :roll: The sawdust I currently have doesn't say it is pine or cedar but it stinks, and i wouldn't like to sit on it all day.

As some of you may have read, Leila is a chewer, she eats anything and everything. That means newspaper, straw, and probably carefresh are a no. The only thing I think of is buying a cheaper hay and just using that as bedding, it wont matter that it isn't absorbant as she's a good bun, and uses her toilet

Was just wondering if you guys thought this was a good idea? Or if you can think of any other edible and safe bedding alternatives?

Sorry it's so long, I thought i better give you a picture of everything first.

rabshan · Oct 4, 2005

bedding

HI

you could try aubiose, its horse bedding (used for thoroughbreds) & is very absorbent, it smells nice too

or chopped straw

I use this covered with hay for my hutches

KerinTravis · Oct 4, 2005

Dawn&Leila said:
Rabbits will probably always trash their houses :roll:

I was going to make a topic asking everybody their advise on what bedding i should use, but since this is so similar i thought i'd ask here. I hope you don't mind Stacy.

At the moment Leila lives in an indoor cage, she has sawdust on the floor of the cage, and timothy hay (which she eats) in her little bed. In her litter tray I have tried a variety of litters, i think i will now be using a wood-based cat litter as this is what everyone seems to recommend on here.

I want to stop using sawdust altogether as I've heard it contains phenols that can put strain on the liver and respiratory system, also I do catch her eating it! :roll: The sawdust I currently have doesn't say it is pine or cedar but it stinks, and i wouldn't like to sit on it all day.

As some of you may have read, Leila is a chewer, she eats anything and everything. That means newspaper, straw, and probably carefresh are a no. The only thing I think of is buying a cheaper hay and just using that as bedding, it wont matter that it isn't absorbant as she's a good bun, and uses her toilet

Was just wondering if you guys thought this was a good idea? Or if you can think of any other edible and safe bedding alternatives?

Sorry it's so long, I thought i better give you a picture of everything first.

I had a similar problem with Travis, he refused to sleep on anything other than the plastic tray in the bottom of his cage - which I felt quite guilty about

But now he has vet bed. It's warm, comfy and highly absorbant if there are any accidents. It's also great for keeping any infections under wraps after a bun os spayed etc.

He tried to chew at it and pull it up, so I stuck it to the base of the cage with some sticky velcro pads (you can get them from Wilkinsons) stick 1 to the base of the cage and one to the base of the vet bed in the same place then stick them together! easy enough to remove to wash, yet strong enough to stop bun pulling it up!!!

Dawn&Leila · Oct 4, 2005

Thanks for the advise, I had a look at some vet beds online, but she would just rip out the fur and swallow it :roll:

kim 106 · Oct 5, 2005

i give mine abit of hay in there bedroom areas and wood based catlitter in there trays with hay and nothing on the rest of the hutch they are happy with this arangement and it dosent mean we have wood chips all over the house

Tamsin · Oct 5, 2005

If she's indoors and uses her tray then I'd go with no litter and a box of hay for a bed/hay rack.

Indoors she doesn't need anything really for keeping warm and if she's using her tray there doesn't need to be anything absorbent. With an indoor cage it's easy enough to wipe up any accidents anyway.

Tam

stacy · Oct 5, 2005

I don't put the rabbits directly on the sawdust, just a thin layer with lots of hay on top. I seem to make less mess with the sawdust than the newspaper!

HS · Oct 5, 2005

Instead of my usual shavings, I now use a layer of newpaper with straw on top, they all seem to prefer this. Ruby likes to dig up the newpaper though, but at tleast it just about stays where it's supposed to!

Dawn&Leila · Oct 5, 2005

Thanks for all your helpful replies, I will probably just be using hay and getting rid of the sawdust altogether, i found a natural litter called russel rabbit bedding, and will try that in her litter tray, perhaps with a bit of cat litter underneath.

You've been really helpful, thank so much, I'll let you know how we get on!

What do you use?

stacy

Warren Scout

Bunster

Young Bun

Dawn&Leila

Warren Scout

rabshan

Mama Doe

KerinTravis

Mama Doe

Dawn&Leila

Warren Scout

kim 106

Mama Doe

Tamsin

Administrator

stacy

Warren Scout

HS

Wise Old Thumper

Dawn&Leila

Warren Scout

Similar threads