Litter Box Odor Tips Please?

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Brittany85

Brittany85

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Jun 12, 2011
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Location
Eastern Ontario, Ontario, Canada
HI there,
I have been experimenting with different types of litter and still find my apartment is stinky after a day or two of changing it.
I have heard Carefresh isn't good for odor in rabbits so I will not be buying it again.
I use litter boxes lined in newspaper with Yesterday's News and Carefresh on top mixed. Then I put Timothy Hay on top to encourage them to go in.
This does not cut the smell though so I was wondering what you guys use?
Or any other odor eliminating tips.
Thanks!
(I have two small bunnies, under 2 pounds)
 
I stopped using carefresh last week when I found horse bedding pellets at Tractor Supply. I am thrilled so far. No longer changing the 3 boxes every day but every other or so, we have 5 indoor bunnies, all between 3-4 pounds. I swear I think the urine smells worse before the boys were neutered and rid themselves of hormones.

I put a thin layer of pellets then fill the box with grass, because they love to sleep in it and dig.
 
I found that woodstove pellets and neutering was the successful combo fot me. Also, general good airflow and ventilation cuts down on scent. How is the humidity in your apt? Sometimes humid spaces hold scent moreso than drier spaces,
 
I use "Worlds best Cat Litter - Multi Cat" The multi cat is supposed to have something in it so they dont eat it (being a grain product) and something to help with the smell, I can honestly say I have NEVER been able to complain about the smell of my 2 current brats, or my last brat and I've been using this litter for years. Plus cleaning is a few seconds of scooping the pee/poop out and youre done.

You can always sprinkly a bit of baking soda on the bottom of the pan (if they wont eat it). I have to do this for my rats cage. It would start to reak 2-3 days after cleaning it, and once I started using a sprinkle of baking soda on the bottom I can actually leave her cage until it actually needs cleaning.
 
Brittany85 wrote:
Watermelons: Is this a safe thing for them to eat if they do eat it? It sounds good but I would just worry about my young female eating it.
Click to expand...
100% Digestable 100% flushable 100% safe.

There are a lot of new kitty-litters out there using grain bases. Corn, Wheat, Soy, etc... Some are being produced cheaper then others which isnt always what you want. Worlds best is probably the best out there (from my research and what I can find at the pet stores here) With Swheat Scoops following second. Our cats prefer Swheat Scoops so I buy the Red worlds best just for bunnies. The worlds best has a nicer texture and seems to track less. We Swapped from clay litter for the cats a few years ago after we lost my little guy because he was right there when we were pooring new litter into the bin, it basicly killed his lungs :(. Thegrain based formulas dont have this bad dust. And the dust they do produce is just dusty dust not badness.
http://www.worldsbestcatlitter.com/products/multiple-cat-clumping-formula/
Petsmart seems to have the best prices for these products.

I tried using it for my rat... twice.... had one of those mini litter corners, she would just sit in the litter corner and eat every last peice of the kitty litter, she probably ate more then what she weighed in kitty litter and it didn't do a thing to her.
 
The woodstove / horse stall pellets and hay on top did the trick for me. Much less smell compared to newspaper or shavings. The shavings and paper would never absorb all the urine and it would get smelly very quick. I also find I get much less stain/poo on my buns when I switched. The Hay is to keep my buns from flinging pellets around when they hop out of the box.
 
Wood shaving are always best, but you still need to change their bedding everday. I would strongly caution against using Cat Litter. Cat litter contains "dust" and the lungs of a rabbit are very sensitive and disproportionatly small for their size. Any type of dust for them is very very bad and can cause respiratory issues or even death in extreme cases. Better to be safe than sorry, IMO.

A good thing to try to keep the smell down is to treat the rabbit as well. You can add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to their water bottle (if you use a 32 oz. bottle- for a smaller water bottle add only a teaspoon)and it helps to neutralize the smell of their urine.
 
DandelionHollow wrote:
Wood shaving are always best, but you still need to change their bedding everday. I would strongly caution against using Cat Litter. Cat litter contains "dust" and the lungs of a rabbit are very sensitive and disproportionatly small for their size. Any type of dust for them is very very bad and can cause respiratory issues or even death in extreme cases. Better to be safe than sorry, IMO.
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The dust these cat litters produce is about the same as when you toss a bunch of new shavings into the cage. Research is key before you bash a product. Dust fromthe shavings lingers in the air far longer then thekitty litter dust, and once its in the litter corner thats it, its only when youre pooring it. Your hayhas more harmfull dust in it thenthese litters. Bunnys dont havepea sized little lungs, they need to be able to "flight" when they sence a predator. I guess if dust is that bad, no more hay, no more pellets, no more shavings, poor bunnys are hooped!
 
Watermelons wrote:
DandelionHollow wrote:
Wood shaving are always best, but you still need to change their bedding everday. I would strongly caution against using Cat Litter. Cat litter contains "dust" and the lungs of a rabbit are very sensitive and disproportionatly small for their size. Any type of dust for them is very very bad and can cause respiratory issues or even death in extreme cases. Better to be safe than sorry, IMO.
Click to expand...
The dust these cat litters produce is about the same as when you toss a bunch of new shavings into the cage. Research is key before you bash a product. Dust fromthe shavings lingers in the air far longer then thekitty litter dust, and once its in the litter corner thats it, its only when youre pooring it. Your hayhas more harmfull dust in it thenthese litters. Bunnys dont havepea sized little lungs, they need to be able to "flight" when they sence a predator. I guess if dust is that bad, no more hay, no more pellets, no more shavings, poor bunnys are hooped!
Click to expand...


I hardly "bashed a product"... just offering a word of caution. No need to take it personal. If you want to use cat litter, then use cat litter. Also, the dust produced by cat litter is not the same atall as the fines produced from feed or hay. Also, I never said that a buns lungs were "pea-sized", only disproportionate small (its a common fact)- thats one of the reasonsthey are more prone to respiratory ailments. Please, use whatever you like for your bun, but dont knock my opinion just because its different from your own... we are all friends here trying to help each other.

 
You wouldn't know I had 5lbs of bunny in this apartment by the smell. Our rabbit is fixed which is supposed to help. I use aspen chips for his bedding in a small cat tray. Half is the bedding, and half his hay.

But part of it is likely because I change his pan frequently. I change it every day. Sometimes it's every other day, bu usually every day. I wipe down any excess mess off the box and once a week clean it with rabbit wipes I picked up at our pet store.

I keep a small trash can on our porch where I toss the mess. The mess doesn't stay in the house for long.

I also clean his scent glands every now and then. It seems things get a little stinky if he gets a little bottom funky.

I know it can sound like I am using too much bedding. But I only spend about $10 on bedding every 6-8 weeks. It's the 1250c compressed bags.

I also tend to put a little more chipping in the corner where is pee pools. It soaks it up, and I am left with a nice lump to dump outside.

Totally off note, but I really want a compost bin to put this in to see if I can make use of his "presents".
 
DandelionHollow wrote:
I hardly "bashed a product"... just offering a word of caution. No need to take it personal. If you want to use cat litter, then use cat litter. Also, the dust produced by cat litter is not the same atall as the fines produced from feed or hay. Also, I never said that a buns lungs were "pea-sized", only disproportionate small (its a common fact)- thats one of the reasonsthey are more prone to respiratory ailments. Please, use whatever you like for your bun, but dont knock my opinion just because its different from your own... we are all friends here trying to help each other.
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Dust from grain based cat litters is no different then the dust from your rabbits pellets/hay. Except a bunny typically sticks its bum in a litter corner, and their nose in a food dish,which would make the food dust more harmful. Dust from an item like hay is lighter, and actually lingers in the air much longer before it settles then the dust from these litters or your rabbits pellets.

I know it can sound like I am using too much bedding. But I only spend about $10 on bedding every 6-8 weeks. It's the 1250c compressed bags.
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Shaina - Petsmart sells the 4 cubic foot bags of aspen for $10-$11 Petco has them for $11.50 or something like that (beats the $30 for a bag that size up here)
 
Watermelons wrote:
I know it can sound like I am using too much bedding. But I only spend about $10 on bedding every 6-8 weeks. It's the 1250c compressed bags.
Click to expand...
Shaina - Petsmart sells the 4 cubic foot bags of aspen for $10-$11 Petco has them for $11.50 or something like that (beats the $30 for a bag that size up here)
Click to expand...
That's where I get mine! I admit, I get those "medium" bags instead of the larger ones (which would save myself some money) due to size. I like that the medium bags fit the "bunny box" where I store his food, toys and such. The apartment we had before was tiny and I'm still in the habit of conserving space. :p

Besides, General Bismark doesn't mind the extra trip or two to the store. He likes the attention he gets from the ladies there.
 
Do you have a garage or some other space you can store a larger bag? then just poor what you need into his bunny box? They money you save could be put away in a little fund for him for vet care or something, or more treats :p
Then he can make his regular visits to the store for new treats/toys.

I usually stock up on 4-5 of those 4cubit foot bags when i make a trip down to get some, Between the snakes, rabbits, and rat... thats alot of shavings! (mind you if I re-sell a bag or 2 up here, it pretty much pays for the trip!)

Though aspen is amazing for stinky critters, I still have to use the baking soda for the rat, shes a stinky girl.
 
Alas, we're pretty short on room. I could likely stick a bag in my trunk. But it's not much of a biggie. We have the bunny vet fund in case of emergencies. And he's got a garden all to himself. :D Once I downsize the boxes of stuff in my closet I should have some room (just moved) boxes galore!
 
DandelionHollow wrote:
I would strongly caution against using Cat Litter. Cat litter contains "dust" and the lungs of a rabbit are very sensitive and disproportionatly small for their size. Any type of dust for them is very very bad and can cause respiratory issues or even death in extreme cases. Better to be safe than sorry, IMO.
Click to expand...
I dont post often but wanted to say that Ive heard this same thing, too, about using cat litter from a few breeders. Some say its fine, others say not. Better to just steer clear of things which may potentially be harmful- not willing to take that kind of chance with my rabbit.
 
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