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Help with rabbit bedding

3K views 15 replies 9 participants last post by  MTS04 
#1 ·
For you folks that have pet (indoor) rabbits,do you use softwood shavings in the cage? I have read online that these should not be used as it can cause problems.I have bought a large bale of these but have yet to use any as I had a bag of bedding from a pet store to use up.The lady at the feed mill where I bought the softwood(pine) shavings from, says that lots of people use them and she hasn't heard of a problem,but still I am worried.The bags from the pet store are sooooo expensive ,but the bale is more cost efficient.Would like any feedback,thanks.
 
#4 ·
We have a pet rabbit and just use crumpled newspaper for bedding (she likes to re-arrange the balls of newspaper, too). I wouldn't use pine shavings. For her litter box we use pine pellets but there is no dust or out-gassing. The pine shavings can cause respiratory problems in rabbits, which they tend toward anyway.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the help,I will not use these shavings,not going to take the chance.Newspaper I can get for free in abundance,so this sounds like a plan.I talked to someone who runs the newspaper through a shredder and uses that.Either way,I will try the paper.Thanks again
 
#6 ·
Like CookieLee said, do not use pine shavings for rabbits. No small animals actually. Pet stores will sell you all kinds of things that are bad for your animals, they just don't know.

I don't use cages anymore, I just house my rabbits in pens and use litter boxes but even when I used a cage I didn't put bedding in the cage. I bought a small litter box for cats and stuck that on one end of the cage and put either wood pellets (just enough to cover the bottom of the litter box) or newspapers with a plastic grid on top. Then stick the timothy hay on one end of the litter box and that will encourage your rabbit to sit in there and eat and poop.
Rabbits should have hay available to them all day.

The plastic grid that I use in my rabbits litter boxes are the plastic grid light covers for florescent lighting in basements. I just cut them to size with wire cutters. Very easy. If you just put newspaper in there, your bunny will just chew it up. It makes for very easy clean up and this way you are not cleaning the whole cage all the time but just the litter box where bunny messes. I dump my litter boxes 3 times a week and spray with vinegar and dry before putting newspaper back in. Vinegar will get any urine stain out.
 
#7 ·
I used to have straw and hay for my indoor rabbit, with wood pellets in his 'bathroom corner'. It made for easy cleaning, left no smell and no dust. My rabbit was 7.5 years old when he died.
 
#8 ·
I tried putting the newspaper through the shredder but my rabbit didn't like that. One of her favorite activities is shredding her newspaper balls just the way she wants. She is very particular that way. I found the smaller strips of newspaper harder to clean up, too.

When we remove the W-to-W carpet in the living room we plan to let the rabbit run. However, when we let her run now she much prefers her cage. We're surprised but she is such a home-body.
 
#10 ·
I've had indoor rabbits for years (1 at a time), and I've always used a regular hutch that I already had and we put it in our walk in basement. In the closed in house part I lay down a large garbage bag with newspaper on top then I have a small cat litter box which I line w/newspaper and put Exquisicat Paper litter which is fragrance free, then in the end I put some timothy hay for him to eat. In the outer cage part of the hutch I put hay. I then just line the bottom pull out tray with a huge garbage bag and newspaper. I used to line the pull out tray with shavings too, but I was also told never use the cedar shavings as they can cause liver disease (that's what I heard). So, when I bought shavings I would buy the huge bale in Walmart for like $5, but not the cedar ones I decided after awhile it was dumb of me to buy shavings bcuz the bottom tray was just to catch droppings - he primarily uses the litter box. Then everynight I go down to the cellar office and let him out to run around for hours. We have those wire covers so he can't chew thru them. He loves running around with his ball, he chews on old phone books I give him, the heavy cardboard tubes like you get in carpet. My son cut windows and a door in a box and he'll chew that run in and lay down and loves climbing on it. He also has willow branches (bought them) that he loves picking up and running around you with. It's funny hearing him grunt as he plays. In the office when he's out I have a full size cat litter box for him to use.
 
#15 ·
#16 ·
Sorry for the delay. House rabbit society has great info on Rabbit bedding and other rabbitty needs. Soft pine or cedar bedding can cause their liver enzymes to go whacky(for lack of a better term) http://www.rabbit.org/care/shavings.html
I have a friend who has a rabbit and she uses wood fuel pellets (ones without accellerant in them) She says the inferno brand is usually the cheapest and works well. 40 lbs of pellets for 3-4 bux. No need to worry about the phenols. the process of making the pellets removes that issue.
 
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