bedding

[sharonb1515]

I was wondering what everyone recommends for bedding. I use the care fresh ultra but my husband hates the smell of it..I got it because it said it was extra odor absorbent...I clean the cage once a week and spot clean every day...

 

[agnesthelion]

Are you going to litter train your bun? If so I advise to NOT use bedding. Bedding confuses bunny into thinking the entire cage is a litterbox. Plus bedding is expensive and messy. Sticks to fur and gets all over.

I use baby blankets for the cage and then wood stove pellets (with no accelerant, $5 for a 40lb bag) in their litterbox. Controls odor well and turns to a saw dust type material for easy scooping.

 

[missyscove]

Agreed. I use a solid-bottom cage and a litterbox. Putting bedding only in the litterbox and then putting the litterbox wherever your rabbit has already chosen to pee seems to be the most effective way to litter train in my experience.
I use feline pine pellets which are kiln dried pine so they don't have the oils that pine shavings can have which can damage their respiratory system.

 

[Blue eyes]

I'm another one who never uses bedding. We use wood pellets in the litterbox topped with hay. For the rest of the cage, the floors have no loose bedding.

I like to have a couple solid flooring options in each of my cages so the bunny can choose what he wants to be on. I have used porcelein tile, linoleum, rubber mat, carpet, rug, bath mats, woven fabric rug, fleece blanket, seagrass mats.

 

[agnesthelion]

I like to have a couple solid flooring options in each of my cages so the bunny can choose what he wants to be on. I have used porcelein tile, linoleum, rubber mat, carpet, rug, bath mats, woven fabric rug, fleece blanket, seagrass mats.

^^^i want to do a condo redecorate before Archie and Agnes are bonded and moved in together. I love the idea of different floor types so they can choose their surface. Great concept Suzette!

 

[ldoerr]

I use this stuff http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JLPIWU/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20. My rabbits LOVE it and I LOVE it. I have ZERO complaints about using it. I personally do not like using the wood stove pellets. My rabbits do not like them either. A single 27.5liter bag of this stuff will last both of my rabbits a little over 1 month if I use a lot of it. If I use less and change it less (you can easily get 1 week out of a pan of it before tossing) you could get multiple months from 1 bag. I use a cat litter scoop on it each day and that gets rid of the poop and a lot of the pee. Petco often has it cheeper than on amazon.

 

[Samara]

Wood stove pellets! Less than 5 dollars for 40 pounds

 

[JBun]

I used to use the care fresh but found that it was hard to keep it from smelling. It was hard to clean out a pee spot without also having to dump a whole buch of clean litter as well, so it got to be kind of expensive. So I use either aspen shavings or wood pellets. It's much easier to keep clean and less expensive. But even then I find if I leave the pee more than 2 days, it starts to get really smelly. So I spot clean litter boxes every other day for my fixed buns and every day for the buns that aren't fixed yet, because their pee smells a lot worse.

 

[Imbrium]

ldoerr wrote:

I use this stuff http://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Granule-Blend-Bedding-2-Liter/dp/B000JLPIWU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349663918&sr=8-1&keywords=kaytee+soft+granule+blend. My rabbits LOVE it and I LOVE it. I have ZERO complaints about using it. I personally do not like using the wood stove pellets. My rabbits do not like them either. A single 27.5liter bag of this stuff will last both of my rabbits a little over 1 month if I use a lot of it. If I use less and change it less (you can easily get 1 week out of a pan of it before tossing) you could get multiple months from 1 bag. I use a cat litter scoop on it each day and that gets rid of the poop and a lot of the pee. Petco often has it cheeper than on amazon.

petco link, currently 36% off on the big bag - http://www.petco.com/product/100574/Kaytee-Soft-Granule-Pet-Bedding.aspx

it really does absorb well and the box takes a long time to start smelling (even with unspayed bunnies). I stocked up on it while it's on sale

 

[sharonb1515]

We have a litter box in the cage..She occasionally used it ...I have a wire bottom cage with a linoleum tile on one end for her to stand on and the litter box in the other end...she seems to drop pellets on the small open wire section so they are caught in the tray below...She pees anywhere and everywhere...Hoping it gets better after she is fixed but she is too young now..

 

[agnesthelion]

sharonb1515 wrote:

We have a litter box in the cage..She occasionally used it ...I have a wire bottom cage with a linoleum tile on one end for her to stand on and the litter box in the other end...she seems to drop pellets on the small open wire section so they are caught in the tray below...She pees anywhere and everywhere...Hoping it gets better after she is fixed but she is too young now..

Soak some pee up with the litter so she smells her pee in the litter box. Also put pellets in the litter box and avoid cleaning it all the way out so she always smells to go there. She may eventually choose a corner. Don't fight that, move the litterbox to where she picks.

 

[iLuvMyLilBuns]

I used to use carefresh bedding but I just recently started using the Kaytee Granule Blend Bedding and I love it! It's not as expensive as the Carefresh bedding and it works just as great!

 

[sharonb1515]

I have moved the litter box and put some pellets and pee in the litter box...Doesnt seem to catch on..

 

[agnesthelion]

It sometimes just takes time. Baby buns have alot to learn amd keeping their area clean is something that might take them a while to realize is a good thing.

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

I use Carefresh, but it is expensive over time so that's the one thing that bothers me.

My problem is Ripley has allergies to ALOT of things. He'll get a really runny nose and runny eyes with most of the compressed paper litters (things Yesterday's new). Maybe it's worth trying the wood stove pellets-have any of you noticed those causing allergic reations?

 

[PipkinbunRibb]

Well I use carefresh ultra as well, and I understand what you mean about the smell (still 10x better than rabbit pee though! :vomit: )

But My rabbit doesn't even like bedding in his cage! He literally pushes every piece of bedding into the corner and never goes near it again! I actually use bedding just for his litterbox and it works pretty well. I am worried that he will get cold in winter though so I am probably going to get him a big bunny bed :biggrin2:
If you are talking about litter, my friend uses some sort of kitty litter that works REALLY well, it almost makes the litter box smell good :?:?:? but most beddings are good but beware of some with strong fragrances or some wood shavings can irritate the rabbits skin/affect the respiratory system.
Good luck :big wink:

 

[Imbrium]

if it's regular (clay) kitty litter, whether it's clumping or non, that stuff's *really* bad for bunnies. the clumping stuff, if eaten, can actually be fatal and both kinds are way too dusty for bunnies.

 

[agnesthelion]

Bunnylova4eva wrote:

I use Carefresh, but it is expensive over time so that's the one thing that bothers me.

My problem is Ripley has allergies to ALOT of things. He'll get a really runny nose and runny eyes with most of the compressed paper litters (things Yesterday's new). Maybe it's worth trying the wood stove pellets-have any of you noticed those causing allergic reations?

I use wood stove pellets and haven't noticed any reaction at all. They are the least dusty that I have seen. Once wet they turn to a wet type crumbly material that's easy to scoop. It controls odor very well.

 

[agnesthelion]

PipkinbunRibb wrote:

Well I use carefresh ultra as well, and I understand what you mean about the smell (still 10x better than rabbit pee though! :vomit: )

But My rabbit doesn't even like bedding in his cage! He literally pushes every piece of bedding into the corner and never goes near it again! I actually use bedding just for his litterbox and it works pretty well. I am worried that he will get cold in winter though so I am probably going to get him a big bunny bed :biggrin2:
If you are talking about litter, my friend uses some sort of kitty litter that works REALLY well, it almost makes the litter box smell good :?:?:? but most beddings are good but beware of some with strong fragrances or some wood shavings can irritate the rabbits skin/affect the respiratory system.
Good luck :big wink:

Yes bedding in the actual cage is not usually recommended. It's messy and hinders litter training skills.

As far as bunny getting cold, is he housed inside? If so, don't worry about that. Bunnies tolerate cooler temps very well.

Ditto to what Jennifer said about cat litter. Most brands are clumping clay type litters which are very detrimental, can be fatal, to buns.