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Advice on the correct bedding please!

Meganb

New Kit
Hi everyone,

We've recently become rabbit parents for the first time and are learning as we go. When we got them, we were recommended to lay their cage with wood shavings (http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/woodshavings-p385--1) so I tend to put a level spreading of wood shavings on the bottom of the cage and then cover it with hay. They dont spend that much time in their cage as they're very much free range rabbits so have full access to the house. I just wanted to check whether wood shavings (the ones that I have mentioned in the link ^) are not harmful to rabbits as I have read conflicting articles about it. Would anyone be able to recommend an alternative for them if wood shavings are not the correct bedding to use?

Many thanks!
 
If your rabbits are free range they don’t really need a cage but if they are using it as a base you could line the floor with Lino or non slip vynil to make it easier to clean, and also use litter trays for them to use as a toilet area. I use wood pellet cat litter in the trays in my bunny room, with hay on top and in racks, as they like to eat and poop at the same time. some people use newspaper and hay too. Shavings aren’t recommended due to the phenols that are given off from them which can cause respiratory problems. Having the floor bare with litter trays helps to litter train them as they can easily see where to go to the toilet and you can mop up any accidents elsewhere easily, and neutralise the spots with vinegar/water mix to discourage them using that spot again.
 
We don't advise the use of wood shavings as it can cause respiratory problems in rabbits, also when wet it can give off Phenols which can cause liver disease. A lot of folk, not me as I use newspaper, use Cat litter, non-clumping or Megazorb for instance. You only need to put it in their litter tray or otherwise they might get confused and go to the toilet anywhere you have the litter. You can put fleece down once they are litter trained if you so wish. If you put some hay on top of the litter (substrate) in the litter tray, this will encourage them to use it as a toilet.
 
Hi :wave:
I also use Megazorb for bedding for my rabbits, I find reasonably priced, very absorbent and more importantly does not cause any irritation for the rabbits :)
 
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I agree with Tonibun and Olices regarding the use of megazorb. I have used it for years for my buns and it does the job very nicely. Woodshavings are not really recomended for use as per Tonibun's advice. Megazorb is about 11-12 quid a bag if I recall, and we usually use abuot 2 bags per month for our 2 rabbits.
Hope this helps
 
Hi everyone,

We've recently become rabbit parents for the first time and are learning as we go. When we got them, we were recommended to lay their cage with wood shavings (http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/woodshavings-p385--1) so I tend to put a level spreading of wood shavings on the bottom of the cage and then cover it with hay. They dont spend that much time in their cage as they're very much free range rabbits so have full access to the house. I just wanted to check whether wood shavings (the ones that I have mentioned in the link ^) are not harmful to rabbits as I have read conflicting articles about it. Would anyone be able to recommend an alternative for them if wood shavings are not the correct bedding to use?

Many thanks!

I use hay with newspaper underneath. How ever hay is not very absorbant and does not controll odour that well

I agree with Tonibun and Olices regarding the use of megazorb. I have used it for years for my buns and it does the job very nicely. Woodshavings are not really recomended for use as per Tonibun's advice. Megazorb is about 11-12 quid a bag if I recall, and we usually use abuot 2 bags per month for our 2 rabbits.
Hope this helps

Do you put hay on top of the megazorb? Iv been thinking about changing from hay for a while as it’s not very absobant and the girls will be free roaming (sepratly) soon.
 
I use hay with newspaper underneath. How ever hay is not very absorbant and does not controll odour that well



Do you put hay on top of the megazorb? Iv been thinking about changing from hay for a while as it’s not very absobant and the girls will be free roaming (sepratly) soon.

No, the hay is not absorbant but the litter tray needs cleaning out each day if there are 2 rabbits using it.
 
I use PAH wood pellet cat litter, I find it controls odour well, its not dusty either. I have hay in a bowl which works well. mine have an underbed storage box.
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/pets-at-home-wood-pellet-non-clumping-cat-litter-30l

some people use back to nature:
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/back-2-nature-small-animal-bedding-30l

and others megazorb, I get mine from here, cheapest place I have found. I use it for my gerbils :)
https://www.millbryhill.co.uk/equestrian-c4/megazorb-p744

usually its best to litter train buns, so you could remove the shavings from their cage, or you could use it as one huge litter box depending on the type of cage, especially as they're free roam. a lot of people just use cages as bases, so water bowl, litter, hay in there :)

personally I changed from wood shavings as I found it made an awful mess, it didn't control odour well at all and I am worried about the risks. I say risks as I often found many sharp pieces that could have caused a splinter in the wood shavings, I often ended up with smaller splinters in my hand after touching it. I'd worry about the rabbit getting splinters too, and that was from the PAH shavings. plus, it was rather dusty, I have allergies and always reacted to it but I'd worry about the dust for the bunnies. they've also been linked to causing respiratory infections (from the dust or the chemical they give off when peed on). the product doesn't actually state which wood it is, which is the concerning part (to me).

https://rabbit.org/care/shavings.html
 
Yes I put hay/straw on top of the megazorb. I put newspapers underneath, then magazorb, then straw and or hay. Works a treat for me and the bunnies.
 
Hi there, I’ve used megazorb on newspaper with hay, puppy training pad with hay, which all work well. These days I just use a few sheets of newspaper with hay on, as daily change means I don’t tend to notice odours.
At the moment we have a new bun indoors, waiting to be bonded with our outdoor bun and she exclusively uses newspaper and hay to poo on (phew!) and there is another tray with newspaper and some of the soft paper bedding left over from after her op, which she likes to sit in and shred! She has a non slip lino floor in her pen, which is so easy to clean and a couple of cheap rubber backed mats as well and then a pet blanket, which what she sleeps on over the soft bedding.

She’ll sleep in various places in the lounge, the rug, the tiled hearth and she’s rather taken with a toddlers wicker chair with a cushion that gives her a lovely vantage point for keeping an eye on the hall :)
 
I use newspaper and hay in 32litre underbed storage boxes. One box for every two rabbits.

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these two are indoors and have a tray each. The four outdoor rabbits have a tray per pair cos they use the run as well.

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They used to have three trays but I cut back to two which works fine.

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