Mari wrote:
Ournew minilop...does not move aropund very much in her newcage. Her cage is a large dog crate with all thenecessities plus a few toys, high quality hay and pellets, asolid floor, soft litter,the works....The bunny rarely leaves oneparticular corner of her cage....Her favorite place is the barearea.... Any advice on her strange cage behavior would beappreciated.
Mari
Perhaps, she is telling you something by staying on the barearea. She might not be used to wallowing in "softlitter." I use dogcrates for most of our indoorhouse bunnies, but I construct a simple wooden frame to which I attach1/2" x 1/2" vinyl covered hardware cloth to function asflooring. I suspend this frame with wire floor a couple ofinches above the crate tray with small lengths of chain and line thetray with newspaper to catch any stray refuse that passesthrough. I provide a corner litter box filled with anappropriate litter. End result is that the buns are alwayshigh and dry above any feces or urine that might not be deposited inthe litter box for whatever reasons.
I, myself, cannot understand why pet owners would allow their pets towallow in the very same litter they might pee and poop in. Itseems many pet stores follow that practice as well, but I'm at a lossto understand why. A wire floor seems so much more hygienicand healthy and a specialized litter box utilizes so much less litter,and is, therefore, more economical.
Some people are adverse to wire floors for the risk they perceive theirrabbits will endure sore hocks as a result. Sore hocksusually occur amongst rabbits who genetically don't have enough fur ontheir feet to begin with, such as some rexes, for example; oramongst the larger breeds like the giants. If there was aninherent risk involved in its use, one could provide plasticwaffle resting boards which are sold for exactly thosepurposes. In truth, though, most sore hocks occuron 1/2" x 1" wire floors, and not the 1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth Irecommend. I believe the smaller size of the grid reduces theprobability of sore hocks for any reason(s).
Be careful in your use of "soft litter." Cedar shavings havebeen suggested as the source of some respiratory infections and skinproblems for rabbits kept in close contact with thesubstance. It appears rabbit urine combines chemically withthe cedar shavings to produce toxic fumes strong enough to affect theskin and lungs. If you believe you must use shavings of somesort, pine would be a better alternative.
Buck