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A Rabbit's Bedding

A

AprilShower

Warren Veteran
Hi, I was just wondering which is the best type of bedding for a rabbit.
I have a couple of rabbit books and they mention it's best to give them hay.
But my local pet shop owner (who knows a great deal about animals) says that saw dust could be better. At the moment I'm using hay and straw but I'm still slightly doubtful.
 
Yeah, I think I read that from a book as well. That's why I'm so doubtful because some books and people say it's better, others say hay is better. It's all confusing.
 
Chomper is an indoor-bun, and she has a whole bedroom to herself where she can run and play. Because she stays indoors, using straw or hay isn't an option for us because of my husband's allergies.

Though we don't keep her enclosed in it, Chomper does have a cage with a nesting box where she can feel safe and secure. The cage has a solid plastic removable tray on the bottom, and to prevent her from getting sore feet, I line the tray with Carefresh Pet Bedding (http://www.thatpetplace.com/MainPro/Itemdy00.aspx?T1=S07DB+1017+0572) which is both reasonably priced and environmentally friendly. I also use the Carefresh in her litter box, and it does wonders at absorbing the urine and the odor.

Recently, I tried switching to shredded paper from my office. I figured that something both recycled and free could never be a bad way to go... but it was. Chomper promptly tossed all of the shredded paper out of her cage and all over her room. It also didn't absorb the urine nearly as well as the Carefresh does, and instead just turned into an icky goo at the bottom of the litter box.

I haven't tried saw dust (again, because of my husband's allergies), but my gut reaction is to believe that wood shavings would be a better option. Saw dust is, well, dusty, and I can't imagine it'd be good for your bun's lungs. I also haven't tried the corn cob beddings available at the local pet shop, though I'm tempted to give those a whirl at some point.

Bottom line: for me, it's Carefresh all the way.
 
sharongoing said:
Chomper is an indoor-bun, and she has a whole bedroom to herself where she can run and play. Because she stays indoors, using straw or hay isn't an option for us because of my husband's allergies.

Though we don't keep her enclosed in it, Chomper does have a cage with a nesting box where she can feel safe and secure. The cage has a solid plastic removable tray on the bottom, and to prevent her from getting sore feet, I line the tray with Carefresh Pet Bedding (http://www.thatpetplace.com/MainPro/Itemdy00.aspx?T1=S07DB+1017+0572) which is both reasonably priced and environmentally friendly. I also use the Carefresh in her litter box, and it does wonders at absorbing the urine and the odor.

Recently, I tried switching to shredded paper from my office. I figured that something both recycled and free could never be a bad way to go... but it was. Chomper promptly tossed all of the shredded paper out of her cage and all over her room. It also didn't absorb the urine nearly as well as the Carefresh does, and instead just turned into an icky goo at the bottom of the litter box.

I haven't tried saw dust (again, because of my husband's allergies), but my gut reaction is to believe that wood shavings would be a better option. Saw dust is, well, dusty, and I can't imagine it'd be good for your bun's lungs. I also haven't tried the corn cob beddings available at the local pet shop, though I'm tempted to give those a whirl at some point.

Bottom line: for me, it's Carefresh all the way.
Click to expand...

You're right, saw dust is hardly good for rabbits at all.
I wouldn't risk trying paper either, :lol: my rabbit tends to eat paper at times. I've been trying to stop him. :lol:
 
sharongoing said:
Chomper is an indoor-bun, and she has a whole bedroom to herself where she can run and play. Because she stays indoors, using straw or hay isn't an option for us because of my husband's allergies.

Though we don't keep her enclosed in it, Chomper does have a cage with a nesting box where she can feel safe and secure. The cage has a solid plastic removable tray on the bottom, and to prevent her from getting sore feet, I line the tray with Carefresh Pet Bedding (http://www.thatpetplace.com/MainPro/Itemdy00.aspx?T1=S07DB+1017+0572) which is both reasonably priced and environmentally friendly. I also use the Carefresh in her litter box, and it does wonders at absorbing the urine and the odor.

Recently, I tried switching to shredded paper from my office. I figured that something both recycled and free could never be a bad way to go... but it was. Chomper promptly tossed all of the shredded paper out of her cage and all over her room. It also didn't absorb the urine nearly as well as the Carefresh does, and instead just turned into an icky goo at the bottom of the litter box.

I haven't tried saw dust (again, because of my husband's allergies), but my gut reaction is to believe that wood shavings would be a better option. Saw dust is, well, dusty, and I can't imagine it'd be good for your bun's lungs. I also haven't tried the corn cob beddings available at the local pet shop, though I'm tempted to give those a whirl at some point.

Bottom line: for me, it's Carefresh all the way.
Click to expand...
Hiya
does your rabbit get hay to eat?
 
You also wouldn't be able to get a decent depth of sawdust/shavings to keep a bunny warm at this time of year - straw and hay are much better insulators for a bunny to snuggle into. My outdoor buns have mostly barley straw, topped with meadow hay (the hay is a bit softer and also gives them something to munch on). One pair also has a covered cat basket to snuggle into - the other pair had one too but they just chewed theirs and threw it around :lol:
 
AlisonA said:
You also wouldn't be able to get a decent depth of sawdust/shavings to keep a bunny warm at this time of year - straw and hay are much better insulators for a bunny to snuggle into. My outdoor buns have mostly barley straw, topped with meadow hay (the hay is a bit softer and also gives them something to munch on). One pair also has a covered cat basket to snuggle into - the other pair had one too but they just chewed theirs and threw it around :lol:
Click to expand...

My rabbit is never cold at this time of the year. I usually brign his hutch into the kitchen at night. I couldn't make him sleep outside in this weather from where I'm from. But I still keep him in the hutch.
 
my bun is indoor and has vetbed which is washed weekly. he also has a litter tray with biocatolet and hay, with a haymanger above that
Also he has his hammock hanging in his cage which is where he spends most of his time.

When he sleeps, he buries himself under the vetbed like a duvet, its very sweet! :love:
 
AprilShower said:
My rabbit is never cold at this time of the year. I usually brign his hutch into the kitchen at night. I couldn't make him sleep outside in this weather from where I'm from. But I still keep him in the hutch.
Click to expand...

AAaahhh I see...are you putting him outside during the day? The problem with taking him in and out is that his body is not well able to cope with those changes of temperature from indoors to outdoors at this time of year - he hasn't got a coat to take on and off, so he is likely to either have a nice warm winter coat for outdoors, in which case he may get too hot if you bring him in, or he will have lost some of his winter coat and will be cold when you put him out again during the day :cry: It's best to leave them either one or the other during the winter - my 4 are all outside and often choose to sit outdoors all night even in sub-zero temperatures, because that is what they are used to and their coats have grown for. They would be most uncomfortable if I brought them in. But changing the temperature of their environment from day to night doesn't allow them to adjust their coat and so they are likely to either get hot or cold :cry:
 
bluebunny said:
Hiya
does your rabbit get hay to eat?
Click to expand...

Oh yes! Chomper gets fresh timothy hay each and every day. I recently got her a hanging hay keeper, so hopefully she'll stop using her yummy hay as an alternate toilet. Silly bunny.

I recently made an attempt to use shredded paper from the bin at work in place of the Carefresh for Chomper's bedding... worst idea ever. Not only does it not absorb the urine or odor nearly as well as the Carefresh, but Chomper's also taken to throwing the bits of paper all about her room. I'm going to pretend that it's a sign of affection... Back to Carefresh for me!
 
Wood shavings have issues with chemicals they release being harmful to small animals, and therefore many experienced rabbit owners don't use them. More info can be found about it here: http://www.rabbit.org/care/shavings.html

I use a layer of newspaper and a layer of hay or straw. Straw is sometimes better for insulating them from the cold when they're outside I think (Obv. they still need hay to eat). If you clean out twice a week, or even once a week, you shoudn't have a smell with newspaper and hay/straw. Carefresh is really good too, expensive for a small pack though. Megazorb is similar only soooo much cheaper, if you can get it.
 
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