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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Bedding and litter

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    • jackieblue
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        Since bedding and litter seems to be the same thing, I am wondering this:

        Is shredded newspaper or magazines a viable option for bunny bedding?  My first bag came with the cage but looking thru the forum and seeing how often it will probably need to be changed, etc., I came to wonder if shredded paper is okay to save some of the expense.

        The bedding it came with seems to be almost cotton material like and I am also wondering if this can be washed, dried and reused?

         

        Thanks!!


      • jerseygirl
        Moderator
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          The bedding came with a cage?

          If you want to litter train your rabbit, it’s best not to use bedding at all. The rabbits just end up toileting in that and the litter as they don’t really differentiate between the two.

          Besides, if your rabbit is housed indoors they don’t really need bedding and most push it aside in favour of lying on the bare floor.

          You could use shredded paper as litter but it won’t be great for odour control. I do use old newspapers (not shredded) with hay on top for some of my rabbits. It just requires to be changed more often.


        • jackieblue
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          • Beka27
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              I wouldn’t use a shredded cotton litter at all. If the bun eats those pieces, it could cause an intestinal impaction.

              You don’t need to have a loose bedding in the bottom of the cage, just in the litter box. If you want you can get fleece for the bun to lay on and that can be washed and reused.


            • jackieblue
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                I removed a whole lot of it as you can tell in the first picture but I felt sorry for it having just been weaned and taken from its snuggly brothers and sisters!
                I think I will look around for a piece of a blanket/fleece. My son’s room is the warmest in the house so he shouldn’t get too cold. Also considering a house shoe that is open toed that my son got a kick out of seeing it burrow into yesterday until I see it chewing it to smithereens.


              • BB Administrator
                Keymaster
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                  One of my rabbits chewed a favorite shoe of mine. I definitely had to watch out for that in their younger days. Though now my bunny is a senior rabbit (around 9 or 10 years) and she likes to romp around but has less interest in chewing. I found that to be true for most of my rabbits after they reached 5 years old.   But young bunnies in general definitely like to chew because their teeth are constantly growing. Be sure to check out our bunny info pages for great house proofing tips, and wire safety — along with litter training tips etc. https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO…fault.aspx

                  Helloworld!!


                • MoveDiagonally
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                    I would put down an old towel instead of bedding. I have a couple that I rotate for my baby buns. I wash them with vinegar instead of detergent.

                    If you’re looking for a low cost litter solution I would definitely look for untreated wood stove pellets. Bedding on the floor can cause litter confusion so I would only put the wood stove pellets in a littler box (maybe with some hay over them).

                    I would be too worried about my baby bunnies ingesting part of the house shoe and having it result in gut issues. Bunnies have really sensitive digestive tracts.


                  • Elrohwen
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                      Like the others said, definitely only use litter in the litter box rather than the whole cage. Bunnies can’t distinguish between the litter box and other areas unless the surfaces are different, so you won’t be able to litter train him if there is bedding in the whole cage. From my experience, the cheapest litter available is wood stove pellets (also known as horse stall pellets). Shredded newspaper can work, but it doesn’t really absorb pee or odors and will turn your bunny’s feet grey.

                      For the rest of the cage, you can leave it bare – bunnies don’t mine, really. They like to sleep on the plastic floors. Other options would be a piece of cardboard (it would give the bunny something to dig and chew) or a blanket. I like buying fleece in a fabric store and cutting it to the right size.


                    • jackieblue
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                        Dig dug is getting much better at the litter box using!!  So this popped into my head: Is kitty litter a no no? I’m continuing with the bedding stuff only in the litter box now and changing it everyday and he pees in nearly the same spot of the box so I have to use a toilet paper roll tube to pick off that one clump of yellow bedding that doesn’t fall into the trash like the rest of the bedding does and that is what gave me the idea of using clump action kitty litter or not.

                        The house shoe is his favorite place to sit on. I had figured I would have to remove it if he began eating away at it so as not to harm his health with the materials but it shows no sign of being in danger, only in acting as his bed, LOL.

                         


                      • Hazel
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                          Do NOT use clumping cat litter. If he decides to eat some, it will clump in his stomach and cause a blockage. Then he’ll have to have major surgery.

                          I also wouldn’t recommend other clay based cat litter, for the same reasons, even if it doesn’t clump it could cause a blockage.

                          Horse stall pellets are the cheapest option, we pay about $6 for 40 lbs. They are also safe for him to eat. Wood stove pellets are the same thing, but make sure they have no accelerant in them.

                          Paper based cat litter (like Yesterday’s news) is also safe, but more expensive.

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                      Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Bedding and litter