A Couple Questions About My Bunny Set Up

[LauraJean]

I have a young bunny (New Zealand white) that was given to me as a "surprise" gift. I currently have the bunny in my old guinea pig cage, which is about 30" x 18". I've been using Carefresh bedding, which I used for my Guinea Pig and love, but it is expensive. I recently bought a whole bale of hay, because it's so much cheaper than buying those little bags. So now I'm wondering:

1. Can I skip the carefresh altogether and use the hay as bedding since it's cheap and I have so much of it? I searched this topic, but there wasn't a lot of detail about absorption. Does the urine just go to the bottom and stink or does the hay work well as bedding?

2. Also, she's still young now, but only getting bigger. Will this cage be too small for her? I keep her indoors. I have heard that if I litter train her, then a small cage is okay, because she can play outside of the cage a lot.

3. Litter training tips? I've let her out a few times, thought she was doing well, then discovered hidden poop and urine, so I'm not sure what I should be doing to litter train her.

Any advice you can offer is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Hooligan Farm]

I wouldn't use the hay as bedding cause they will eat it and well you don't want them eating dirty hay. I use wood shavings. If you get it at your feed store its real cheap. I just paid $5 for a bag that if you got it at the pet store it would be $15 and up. My cages aren't much bigger but it I let mine out each day. I've never tried litter training.

 

[PureSnowChic]

Personally I would think she needs a larger cage, but I always give my animals the largest cage I can. I used to have indoor rabbits, and the way I potty trained mine was to find out where THEY wanted to "go" and then I put a large flat trashbag down with a little newspaper on top. They all took to it right away! Smart bunnies!

 

[LauraJean]

Thanks for the responses so far, and just a quick note, I'm allergic to wood shavings, so that option is out.

 

[Cargo]

Really the best thing for a pet bunny is a large cage with a litter box.
I like this kind: http://breyfamily.net/bunnycage.html
Also remember they need to be played with all the time to keep them used to it.

 

[BeccaB00]

Ok, well in my opinion, the cage is to small. However if you let her

out daily for a couple hours, the cage is fine. I did use hay for my

bunnies bedding for a while, but it's hard to keep clean, and could

be toxic if your rabbit eats it which they normally do. If you can't

afford carefresh use aspen. It's totally safe and very absorbent. If

you don't want to have to buy bedding all the time, do like I do,

and use fleece for the bedding. Of coarse you have to wash it a

couple times a week, but you don't have to buy it over and over

again! And if you going to litter train her, first start with buying a

litter box. It MUST be nice and OPEN. inclosed litter boxes should

NEVER be used. Next fill it with bedding ( newspaper is good as

long as you use black and white parts ONLY) Then watch where

your bunny goes potty in her cage, as rabbits tend to have a

special corner they potty in. Wherever that special place is place

the litter pan there. Next, watch your bunny and anytime she

potties OUTSIDE of her litter box, take a paper towel, pick up the

poo and place it in the litter box. And if she peed outside of her

litter box, scoop up the bedding that she peed on and place it in

her litter box. Rabbits are kinda like dogs. If they smell where they

have been before, they're likely to go there again. Next thing that

you should do is place food in the litter box so that she can sit in

her litter pan and eat, as rabbits normally go potty where they

eat I know thats alot but trying to cover everything!