# What kind of bedding do you like to use and why?



## Remington (Mar 23, 2013)

I'm new to owning rabbits, so obviously I grabbed the first inexpensive bedding i could find for Remmy's cage which was a bag full of gray paper pellets. I'm not sure what to think of it, though as it absorbs water well enough, but it was probably 15 dollars for a medium sized bag which only held one cage full. What do you guys use? Is he going to mistake the paper pellets for food?


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## Katielovesleo3 (Mar 23, 2013)

At first I bought bedding too and found out tht I didn't bed it after all lol. So in the cage I have, litterbox (where I ended up putting the leftover bedding, but now has equine line pellets in it), extra water, fun box, hay, and a hand towel. But you really don't need to have bedding bc they'll confuse it with the litter box. 

But yes Buster has eaten some beddin before but he doesn't munch on it. He just...umm...taste tested it lol!


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## Katielovesleo3 (Mar 23, 2013)

Is Remmy a Californian or a Himalayan?


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## Remington (Mar 23, 2013)

Katielovesleo3 said:


> At first I bought bedding too and found out tht I didn't bed it after all lol. So in the cage I have, litterbox (where I ended up putting the leftover bedding, but now has equine line pellets in it), extra water, fun box, hay, and a hand towel. But you really don't need to have bedding bc they'll confuse it with the litter box.
> 
> But yes Buster has eaten some beddin before but he doesn't munch on it. He just...umm...taste tested it lol!


Remmy is a Californian! I got him from a friend at an FFA sale, they couldn't find anyone to buy him and he was super sweet!! I have him in an elevated wooden pen that i made outside (tin roof to keep the rain out, chicken wire to keep the cats out) and all i've got in there right now is a little shelter that he likes to lay under and some food dishes and a water bottle. i need to clean out the bedding, but i'm not sure what kind to get! The floor of the cage is wooden so i figure he needs some kind of bedding. Or should i just opt for litter-training?


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## JBun (Mar 23, 2013)

It would be a really good idea to litter train. The wood floor will just keep absorbing pee into it, if you just keep bedding on it. Plus you have to use a lot more bedding. Just get a cat litter box, or you can even use a plastic bin of some sort. Make sure it's big enough that your rabbit can comfortably use it. The cheapest litters to use are pine or wood stove pellets. You can get 40 lb bags of pine pellets(for horses) at feed or tractor supply stores, usually for around $7. Wood stove pellets are even cheaper, but I don't know if you can get them in Texas. You can also use the pine shavings, which are also pretty cheap, but you have to make sure to get the kiln dried ones, so that there aren't the oils in them that cause respiratory problems with rabbits.


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## Imbrium (Mar 24, 2013)

most folks opt for litter training and don't use bedding. I use pine pellets from a feed store - you can get 40 lbs for $5-7. pine SHAVINGS are a huge no-no, but pine pellets are kiln-dried, which removes the phenols (the things that make pine toxic).

since he's an outdoor rabbit, if you feel the need to give him bedding for warmth/snuggling in addition to using litter of some sort in the litter box, then I recommend picking up a bale of straw at the feed store - straw is a great insulator. a bale of it is super cheap and will last you a LONG time.


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## Azerane (Mar 24, 2013)

I don't really use bedding either. Bandit is in an outdoor hutch, the bottom of it is part wood, part wire mesh. I lay newspaper over the whole lot to make cleaning easier (and to prevent sore hocks on the wire). He has a litter tray with recycled paper pellets and hay in it. Then I also put large handfuls of hay down in the 'inside' section of his hutch, he seems to build little forts out of the newspaper and hay and structures it how he likes. I was putting a towel in there, but I found he was putting holes in it. As it starts to get colder, I will probably ball up pieces of newspaper and also put more hay down so he's nice and cosy.


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## Remington (Mar 24, 2013)

Awesome, i'll litter train him immediately! thanks everyone!


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## Katielovesleo3 (Mar 24, 2013)

OH! Youre in Houston! Hey buddy!!!! At Tractor supply, that's where I get the "equine horse pellets" and theyre a big bag for $4.99!!!! My dad just went to an FFA auction out in Madisonville, and bought rabbits and brought me one home lol. He's the funniest man. So I was trying to compare the two bc I cant tell a Californian and a Himalayan apart... Remmy sure is a cutie pie!


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## Remington (Mar 24, 2013)

Katielovesleo3 said:


> OH! Youre in Houston! Hey buddy!!!! At Tractor supply, that's where I get the "equine horse pellets" and theyre a big bag for $4.99!!!! My dad just went to an FFA auction out in Madisonville, and bought rabbits and brought me one home lol. He's the funniest man. So I was trying to compare the two bc I cant tell a Californian and a Himalayan apart... Remmy sure is a cutie pie!



Yay, Houston! I'll have to check out Tractor Supply, i didn't even think of it! I got Remmy at the FFA show that i was showing sheep and goats at, had a friend who couldn't get rid of him and I just knew he'd love it at my home! Yeah, i looked up Himalayan rabbits and Californians and it looks like himalayan rabbits are more... hare-like? their faces look longer, but i don't know they look a whole lot alike!


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## Blue eyes (Mar 24, 2013)

Good for you to litter train him. When he's litter trained, have you considered what you will do with him from May through September when temps average over 85F and beyond?

Buns are quite susceptible to heat stroke. (I live near Phoenix so we really get high temps -- no bunnies should live outside where I live)
Anyway, just thought I'd put a bug in your ear. I'm an advocate for indoor bunnies so I am definitely biased on the subject. 

Once he's litter trained, he'll be a breeze to house indoors. :happybunny:

BTW, I don't use bedding at all either. I just use the wood pellets in a storage box that I use for a litter box. You can see the cage below. (This is what having an indoor bunny can be like...)


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## Nancy McClelland (Mar 24, 2013)

We use litter boxes in their hutches and also around the "rabbit room". Some I fill with Kiln Dried pine shavings from WalMart, (PetsPick) and others are full of shredded newspaper--it's absorbent and they love to play with and in it.


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## Katielovesleo3 (Mar 24, 2013)

What part of Houston do you live in? I live in Crosby on the Northeast side of Harris County, well cool we both have FFA rabbits! Mine sure does have a long hare-like face it seems. I used to raise goats as well. Congrats on your new bun, I hope you (or your parents rather) do decide to let him come inside, my lionhead, Buster only stays in one room, rarely ever makes a mess and is not smelly at all! Its really great having a house rabbit. Have you started a blog for Remmy yet?


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## Azerane (Mar 24, 2013)

Blue eyes said:


> Good for you to litter train him. When he's litter trained, have you considered what you will do with him from May through September when temps average over 85F and beyond?
> 
> Buns are quite susceptible to heat stroke. (I live near Phoenix so we really get high temps -- no bunnies should live outside where I live)
> Anyway, just thought I'd put a bug in your ear. I'm an advocate for indoor bunnies so I am definitely biased on the subject.
> ...



I love how your cage blends in with your furniture and serves as a piece of furniture itself! You also seem to have very tidy buns 

It gets super hot here in summer as well. When I can't be home to have him inside I give him frozen water bottles and tiles to lay on, but when I am home, I always bring him inside to the laundry so he doesn't have to be out in it.


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## Troller (Mar 25, 2013)

Like many others answered I don't use bedding and I think my rabbits have done better for it. I like your space set up.


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## Blue eyes (Mar 25, 2013)

Azerane said:


> I love how your cage blends in with your furniture and serves as a piece of furniture itself! You also seem to have very tidy buns
> 
> It gets super hot here in summer as well. When I can't be home to have him inside I give him frozen water bottles and tiles to lay on, but when I am home, I always bring him inside to the laundry so he doesn't have to be out in it.



Thank you so much! The cage only cost me about $25 since I made it using an old kitchen oven cabinet. 

And I must confess that these are the tidiest buns I've had. Only on the rarest occasion do I find a stray poo outside their cage. arty0002:

Even indoors, I still put a frozen bottle in their cage on occasion. Even with A/C, those indoor temps can climb to 85 - 87F in mid-summer.:sunshine:Thankfully we lack the humidity.


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## Wittlewabbit (Mar 28, 2013)

Yup my little bun is litter box trained so i dont use bedding at all....


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## mochajoe (Mar 31, 2013)

I HIGHLY recommend the Equine Pellets from TSC!!!!! That is what I use in my horse's stall as well as all 4 bunnies' litter boxes.....I LOVE IT!!!! Given that all my bunnies are litter box trained I do not use any other bedding in their cages!


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## cheezling (Apr 1, 2013)

My rabbit is free-range in my room (with tiled floors) although he's got a play pen that's always open. I use fleece in the play pen and I put two fleece blankets over the floor of the room just to make it a little more comfy for him.
In the litter box I just use hay. I've been looking for good litter but I can't find anything rabbit-safe in the area I live. Plus I don't mind using the hay. I usually spread the alpine meadow hay (which he doesn't like too much) as the litter and put a whole bunch of timothy hay on the other end for him to munch on.


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