Wire Bottom Floor....For His Health?

[Butterfinger]

So....I've been having this problem on and off since August. :? I posted about it before, I know.

So, after Butter had wee'd once again where he ought not, and gleefully soaked his bottom and feet with it, I decided.
If he couldn't pee in his box with all this space, I'd just have to make it smaller and see if he'd be better about it then.
So, last week, I remodelled Butter's pen into a house with a roof and a run next to that. (He can't get in the run unless I put him there) The house is 2 x 3 panels, and is 2 panels tall with a roof covering the whole thing (This solved the problem of my kitten peeing in Butter's hay, anyway).
Unfortunately, no luck. He still pees everywhere except his hay box, bathes himself in urine, and his paws are stained a permanent dark yellowish brown. (They WERE pure white).
I've clipped his bum and back legs (I posted about this too), but he still stains them badly, and it's irritating his skin.
I know being like this for so long is bad for him, and I'd much rather put a wire bottom on his cage than try to make him suffer through this longer than that. Having tried and tried from August till' October, I feel I've been patient long enough to give this a reasonable chance, and I'm not willing to compromise his health just to have him pee in a box.

So, is a wire bottom on his cage acceptable....for his health? I'd have to go out and buy the wire (Or have my parents drive down with the cage I already have but didn't use that has a wire bottom), since I can't use NIC for that, but should I do it? He just refuses to go anywhere but where he pleases. (Sometimes it's in the box, most of the time it's on the floor. I don't think he can tell the difference anymore)
When he was on half-wire-half-plastic at my parent's house, his feet and bottom were very clean, and he was happy.....
I feel like I'm failing him by making him try to learn this.
My poor sweet boy He constanly smells terrible, and I worry about him getting respiratory infections, too. (Because of how strong it is)

Help?

~Diana

 

[JimD]

I'd give the wire bottom cage a try.
Make sure thatit's large enough gage wire to support him without hurting his feet.

I use wood shavings in the drop pan to start. Once they pick a corner, I put wood pellets there.

Once he picks a corner of the cage you can put a litter pan there and see if he takes to it.

I've had to retrain one of my buns twice now. Every time I move her or change her setup she has an issue.

 

[cmh9023]

You can also puta fewFoot Relax Pads on top of the wire. Their feet won't get sore and the peep and poop can still fall through.

I have the same problem with my Sherry. In fact, I've "invented" a NIC cage that I can raise slightly and put a pan under. I've been thinking abouthow to build itfor several weeks and have make a number of modifications... so I think I've got it figured out. I'm going to build it next weekend. If it works outas planned, I can send you a picture if you want. I haven't been able to find a wire bottom cage big enough for two so that's how I started thinking about this.

 

[Butterfinger]

JimD:

Yeah, Butter has aspen shavings in his litter box now (He got confused with the compressed newspaper pellets), so I'll probably use those or the pellets in the drop pan. The wire in his cage that I ended up using (The biggest one they had at PetsMart: Wooden 'assemble yourself' hutch with a lift-up roof and a pull out drop pan ) had a good size...I might end up using that cage, but I'm not sure. It's still kinda small. ...And the wire rattles and makes a lot of noise....
Thanks for replying!

cmh9023:

What are 'Foot Relax Pads' ? Are you talking about gel shoe insoles? (<--- Dangerous?? :? ) Or maybe the pads you rest your knees on for gardening? I'm confused.
If that cage you're talking about works out, I'd love to have pictures/plans It sounds awesome.
Thanks for replying, too~!

~Diana

 

[cmh9023]

This is a Foot Relax Pad. I ordered them from www.bunnyrabbit.com.

 

[Butterfinger]

Oh wow, that looks pretty neat :biggrin2: I might have to order some of those

 

[Bunnys_rule63]

Why don't you give this stuff a try? It soaks urine through and thetop stays dry,so Butter wont cover himself in urine, and it is very soft so you wont have to worry about sore hocks. Might be worth a shot.

http://www.palacepet.com/

http://www.vetbedusa.com/

 

[Butterfinger]

Thanks very much for the idea It looks like a perfectly wonderful pet bed....and he does have a large dog bed for comfort, but I had to take it away from him because he kept peeing on it (It was very big, though. I could lie on it) ..... If I were to use something like that as a pee protector,
....I don't think I could do that I have to pay $4 every time I do the wash (I live in an apartment complex) and he pees like four times a day. I can't afford to wash it that much
It's a good idea, though, if circumstances were different

 

[Bo B Bunny]

cmh9023 wrote:

This is a Foot Relax Pad. I ordered them from http://www.bunnyrabbit.com.

I get those at my local TSC. All the bunnies have at least one in their cage. They really like them and they are easy to clean too! Now and then they will nibble an edge but I've never had to replace one. The plastic is very smooth and in the summer it seems to be cool - mine are on those all the time - and I can put blankies over them or grass mats or anything! I will add that I do not put those on a NIC square floor without some of the metal Hardware Cloth stuff. It wouldn't hook down right and I fear paws getting caught in NIC panels if it would fall/break etc.

 

[Butterfinger]

....What's a TSC? (Man, you guys. Full of things I don't know, lately)

They do sound great, though, and I think I'll be getting one (If nota fewto cover the entire floor). I won't be using NIC panelsas any type of floor surface. Like you mentioned, it's dangerous, and toes could get caught, a foot could fall through and break the leg, etc etc.
In Butter's hutch at my parent's house, the wire part was welded 1" x 1/2" wire. It was reccomended to us in a book, and the book also said that hardware cloth was a bad choice because it was hard on their feet (Something about there not being a smooth surface, just two hard and bumpy ones that are all rough. I'd have to check in with my mom. She has the book at her house, and knows why we avoid hardware cloth. ) .... So I'll probably be using the 1" x 1/2" wire again, even though it was kinda hard to find. (Oh well, at least I know who carries it, now)

Thanks for the info

 

[Butterfinger]

UPDATE!!

So, I have a temporary solution until I can get my wire. (I probably won't be able to get it until the weekend after next, and I can't deal with this until then)

After bathing Butter for the fifty thousandth time, I'd had it. Even though I'd be getting him a wire bottom to his cage, this was just too much. The floor of his house was soaked in pee and so was he.
If you don't understand my frustration, I took pictures before I gave him a butt-bath. Yes, his fur is actually that color now. It's not just the photo.

The bottoms of his feet are SUPPOSED to be exactly the same as the white portions of his coat.

So, I bathed him, and instead of putting him back in his house to further dirty himself, I put him in his run, and took out the Aspen (<-- Not pine or cedar. Aspen doesn't have the toxic oils) bedding I'd been using for his litterbox.....and threw it ALL OVER HIS CAGE.
I used up the bag this way, and I know I can't afford to do this all the time, but until he gets his wire.....it works.

(I know I'll just wake up one day to the bedding kicked to the far reaches of my room! Haha! I don't care: it's WAY better than the horrid pee. I would laugh! )

Here's pictures of his new interior decorating.

That's it! Thought you guys would want to know what's going on
Basically, his cage is a gigantic pile of allergy.
But I don't care :biggrin2: No more disgusting pee smell.