Bunny/Rabbit owners - can you help me out?

[jerseygirl1]

Hi guys,

I'm wondering if it would be alright to put baking soda on the bottom of Dennis Hopper's cage, under the savings and the alfalfa hay? I did it once, but thught better until I found out from bunny owners.
Of course, I do a mini cleaning every day by using a dustpan to scoop out the section he poops in, then add more shavings. But let's face it, it does give off a small odor. I clean religously once a week.
Also, how much hay should he have? I give him a hanful a day, which he either eats or uses for bedding. I'm thinking that may not be enough

 

[stumble_n_mumble]

hey. i wouldn't put baking soda at the bottom of the cage.. my rabbit is a neutered male and the day i rescued him i brought him home and set up a litter pan and now he is litter box trained. this is my best opinion because they do not pee or poop outside the litter box then all you have to do is get the good litter (yesterdays news for rabbits is awesome with smell) and clean the box everyday. no one ever smells my rabbit inside. It is very simple go to the nearest dollar store and buy the bottom pan of a litter box then put the litter in it maybe about an inch or 2 deep. then look in his/her cage and place the pan in the corner where you see the most urine or poop. place it there and pick up some poop and get some of the urine and place it in the litter pan... you will be amazed how fast they use it. if you have any other questions on training let me know. also you can add some alfalfa or hay in the litter box a small amount because the rabbits like to eat and use the bathroom at the same time! if you have an un neutered male make sure you find the corner litter pans because they will spray ( could be the main reason for the horrible smell).

 

[stumble_n_mumble]

btw not sure what kind of shavings you are using but cedar pine shavings most people use for chickens and such... are toxic to rabbits. the dust from the shavings hurt/kill their livers. just an fyi

 

[jerseygirl1]

Wow....................thank y ou!!!! I thought he was too old to be litter trained, he's 2!!I will try that!!! Is it true they eat their poop, too??

 

[stumble_n_mumble]

yes but it is actually somewhat healthey because they never fully digest anything so it is just a bunch of pellets and hay/alfalfa. lol

 

[ack123]

pine is not toxic to rabbits and will not hurt them. Otherwise lots and lots of rabbit breeders, and livestock owners would not use. The one we don't use is cedar because it can cause some sneezing. Though there are those that have also had no problems with that either. Pine is OK. Cedar is not. Google the truth about pine sometime it debunks a lot of the pine is bad for rabbits/animals myths.

 

[chickensioux]

I have pine shavings in my bunny's litter box. She lives on our screened in back patio. She uses her litter box exclusively. Pine has worked great and is safe.

 

[Goat_Walker]

So is the baking soda bad? I have five rabbits and we were considering using som as well.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote:
Yes and no:

Normal Intestinal Products
Anyone who lives with a bunny has seen a fecal pellet. These are the small, brown "cocoa puffs" that (we hope) end up in the litterbox. They should be relatively spherical, somewhat dry and friable, and composed mostly of undigested fiber. Rabbits do not ordinarily re-ingest fecal pellets, though a few bunnies seem to enjoy an occasional fecal pellet hors d'ouevre with no harm.

A normal cecotrope resembles a dark brown mulberry, or tightly bunched grapes. It is composed of small, soft, shiny pellets, each coated with a layer of rubbery mucus, and pressed into an elongate mass. The cecotrope has a rather pungent odor, as it contains a large mass of beneficial cecal bacteria. When the bunny ingests the cecotrope, the mucus coat helps protect the bacteria as they pass through the stomach, then re-establish in the cecum.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html​