Keeping hutch floors dry

Hi all

Despite Princess Peach and Princess Daisy being very well litter trained whilst inside they are very naughty when in their hutches and although use their litter trays they also use the area around them!!!

The each have a 5x2x2 hutch (due to massive bonding issues they had to be seperated on direction of two vets) each with a bedroom. They each have a litter tray in the bedroom but Daisy's hutch floor is especially getting wet and now it is colder it is taking longer to dry. Since she had some odd breathing yesterday I'm thinking the damp hutch floor is related and if not can't be helping.

I have read though a lot of threads on here and notice people use vinyl tiles. However both Peach and Daisy chew so am a bit worried about using this.

I use newspaper, straw and hay in their hutches and am thinking of putting two litter trays in their bedrooms so that the whole area is covered by a litter tray, however not sure if this is ok to do.

Also I plan to waterproof the hutch floors so if anyone knows of animal save varnish I would be very grateful

Thank you

I first came across 'Correx' when I made my Guinea Pig cage. Then when I got my rabbits and came across the same situation. They used a litter tray but sometimes missed and it would soak into the wood. So I dug out some spare correx and lined their hutch with it. I scored the Correx then bent it to make about a 6inch skirting and taped the corners up with duck tape which is waterproof. Fantastic job. it only every needed a wipe down. Its wonderful stuff. You buy Correx from sign writing shops. I bought my last piece (as I'm always extending the piggies C&C cage) 8ft by 4ft for £8.00. It has so many useful uses. Its very much like thin corrogated cardboard - but plastic :wave:

I can't see any problem with using 2 litter trays or one larger one if you can get one to fit. I have some storage boxes, low sided ones, from Wilkinsons that I use for litter trays - nice and large. Careful use of a hack saw could create an opening if there isn't so much headroom for hopping in at the bedroom door, smoothe off with some sandpaper after. Gravel trays from Wilkos garden section or most garden centres are useful too - they come in various shapes and sizes and have low sides - I have one of those for the guinea pigs.

You can use a lino offcut to line the hutch but ensure that they can't get to the edges to chew. We were able to lift our coops off their bases, line the base and then pop the coops back on soo the edge of the lino is out of reach. Otherwise an edging strip of safe to chew wood could be used.

There have been other threads discussing safe wood preservers, have a search - I think P@H do one but personally I wouldn't want to use one inside the hutch.

thats such a good idea bout the correx - may steal that myself

Hi - I use puppy training pads in my outdoor bunny hutch and guinea pig hutches, they help soak up the wee a treat and keep the hutch from getting damp. Hope this helps! :wave: