Anyone resigned to their white buns never having clean white feet?

[Sweet Potato rabbit]

My white bun stains her feet pretty often, till I'm starting to wonder if I should just resign to her feet being that way. Lesser stress for both him and me I suppose.

When I first adopted him, I used Oxbow paper bedding in the litter box, and hay in the other end, The bedding would get damp and stain his feet.
Next (as a temporal attempt till his feet are white again), I tried putting a really solid wire cooling rack on the litter box and his hay in a hay bag. Most of the time he would move outside the litter box to eat his cecos. But there were also times he decided not to eat them and steps all over them instead. Also, I caught him sneezing several times while eating from the hay bag so I'm guessing it's not a suitable arrangement.
Then, I went back to the first system. But this time I line his litter box with a pee pad and Yesterday News paper pellets, and then hay on top. He digs the hay all around the litter box and pees wherever his butt is. Sometimes the hay is still wet with pee on top and he steps on it. I know he stepped in his pee because I have a bed with white sheets in his room, and he sometimes leaves little footprints on it. Luckily I decided to use waterproof sheets for that bed when I got him!

I change his litter box daily and don't mind wiping his feet every morning but the daily grooming might be stressful for him. Should I just resign to white feet being a myth for my bun or continue the quest for a system that will grant him white feet? Any bun owners feeling the same way or have tips on a system that might work? Thanks in advance!

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

It might be worth switching your litter - i think wood pelleted litter might be more absorbent. You will also only need to change his litterbox 1-2 times a week. I have a bun with partially white feet (the back ones are white on the top, and the front ones are white on the bottom), and he doesn't have any issues the this set-up. I'm not sure if this'll work for you, but it might be worth the try x

 

[Preitler]

In my eyes there is no point in worrying about a cosmetical issue unless it's a show rabbit.

 

[Sweet Potato rabbit]

It might be worth switching your litter - i think wood pelleted litter might be more absorbent. You will also only need to change his litterbox 1-2 times a week. I have a bun with partially white feet (the back ones are white on the top, and the front ones are white on the bottom), and he doesn't have any issues the this set-up. I'm not sure if this'll work for you, but it might be worth the try x

Thank you for the suggestion! I've heard that wood pelleted litter and the pine pellets bedding from Tractor Supply Co works extremely well. I just checked and there isn't one near me. Thinking if it's worth paying $19.99 shipping for a $5.99 bag of pellets. WIll also look for other wood pelleted litter which are more easily accessible to me. Do the wood pellets disintegrate when damp?

I actually change it daily not because of smell or anything, but because I find it hard not to. There are days where I tell myself 'ok just add hay on top or spot clean the litter because only 20% has absorbed pee' but a few hours in I'll give up resisting and will change his litter box again. I know I'm wasting a lot of litter and hay though...

 

[Sweet Potato rabbit]

In my eyes there is no point in worrying about a cosmetical issue unless it's a show rabbit.

This is what my husband said too!

 

[Preitler]

See, we have sympathy for all the other creatures that aren't destined for the catwalk either

 

[SirLawrence]

Yeah, Lawrence has perpetually dirty white feet, even though he lives indoors. I've never worried about it. Heck, my feet get pretty dirty just walking around barefoot.

 

[zuppa]

Hi, none of my rabbits have yellow feet, it's just your setup needs to be improved.
You don't have to buy in bulk from tractor supply, with just one rabbit you can buy wood pellet cat litter like 5-10 kg bag and it will last a few months so won't be expensive.
I like to keep my rabbits clean and they love to be clean, and it is absolutely not difficult when you set up your toilet properly.

Just make sure it is WOOD Pellets, not like clusters of shavings or something.
I change my toilets twice a week in winter and every other day in summer, except of Smokey drinks so much I refill her toilet every evening because I don't want any smell here. My rabbits are all home pets, sure if you have them outdoors and breeding for meat you don't worry about yellow feet. It's just up to your standards but if you want to keep them spotless it is totally possible.

 

[zuppa]

Here's Fred's toilet after one week (it was winter and he's not a big drinker)
As you can see he only goes into one corner and doesn't even step on wet.

Here's his feet, he's not white but you can see that they are spotless, and it is not just for the pics but always the same.

Over the years I know my rabbits and their habits, they have different setups, but if you are new to that you can follow advice and set up it like showed here, in my opinion there's too much pellets used but you will see in one week if you will need to use less or if you don't need toilet of that size (smaller toilets are easier to clean and I prefer cleaning more often rather than keeping for one week, because especially in hot weather hay will start stinking and can get moldy anyways so I am happy with much smaller toilets, but mostly high-sided)

I also don't have much hay in the toilets because I don't like it, just a little to cover pellets is fine, if you put more they will pee on hay and you will need to replace it every day.

 

[zuppa]

Also my rabbits love small toilet boxes, they use them so well and it is really easy to refill even if every day, wood pellets with pee and poo can be added to your compost bin if you have one.

Here's a very nice box, I was surprised that my largest girl Smokey uses it precisely, she was horrible with her toilet previously, now she only pees into it. And she is a really large girl. In the pics it's not she, it's a mini lop but she manages to use same size toilet, she fits her butt into corner firmly and she is very proud of herself.

This is Rollin and his toilet on day 3, but with Smokey it looks same in 24 hours. I don't mind refilling once a day.

 

[Dandy&Tuli4693]

Woah guys a whole week?
I change their litter every other day (my bunnys kick the litter out)

I think you could just put a little bit of litter and hay in and change it every day or every other day cause then you dont waste a bunch of litter but you also dont have to deal with super dirty feet.

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

Thank you for the suggestion! I've heard that wood pelleted litter and the pine pellets bedding from Tractor Supply Co works extremely well. I just checked and there isn't one near me. Thinking if it's worth paying $19.99 shipping for a $5.99 bag of pellets. WIll also look for other wood pelleted litter which are more easily accessible to me. Do the wood pellets disintegrate when damp?

I actually change it daily not because of smell or anything, but because I find it hard not to. There are days where I tell myself 'ok just add hay on top or spot clean the litter because only 20% has absorbed pee' but a few hours in I'll give up resisting and will change his litter box again. I know I'm wasting a lot of litter and hay though...

I just buy mine at my local pet shop - I've currently got a single bunny, and a 15l bag lasts like three months! It's often labeled as cat litter (just make sure that it's pelleted wood non-clumping cat litter as Zuppa said). The wood pellets don't disintegrate but they expand and absorb urine really well. I could never change apollos litterbox once a week haha, it's my least favourite thing to do

 

[Blue eyes]

No need for dirty feet. With one rabbit, litter box cleanings can be done once per week (twice per week for 2 rabbits) -- with the right setup.

Here are my rabbits' paws (and bellies) -- those that had white paws or bellies -- with the setup I use ( @zuppa already posted the photo with the tan background). Here's the link to more detail that shows how to maintain it to go longer between cleanings:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/litter-training.html

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

I just buy mine at my local pet shop - I've currently got a single bunny, and a 15l bag lasts like three months! It's often labeled as cat litter (just make sure that it's pelleted wood non-clumping cat litter as Zuppa said). The wood pellets don't disintegrate but they expand and absorb urine really well. I could never change apollos litterbox once a week haha, it's my least favourite thing to do

oops meant to say *once a day*

 

[JBun]

If you have problems with your rabbit digging in the litter box, you can find some places that sell litter box screens to go over the litter, or you can make one. Some people use metal mesh. I prefer soft screens. Using plastic cross stitch canvas(7 hole) is the easiest as you just cut it to size. But I use plastic pet window screening zip tied to frp end cap trim as a frame for the screen.

 

[Bunnygreen]

Yeah I have 2 large cat litterboxes for Dr. Cheese (one in his cage and one for when he's free roaming)and the large amounts of hay and bedding make it wasteful/pointless to change the litter more than 2 times a week. My last bun was much smaller and only had the one litterbox which was definitely a 1-2 day change so it definitely depends on the bunny and setup. His feet are pretty much always "dirty" despite his grooming of it and my attempts of cleaning them to his disapproval. He is also a rescue and was already a lost cause with the stains on his feet. However, my last rabbit had white feet too and his feet were always either a shade of yellow or gray. Like was mentioned before, as long as they're healthy and happy it shouldn't really be a major concern I find it kind of goofy when I see his feet to be honest. My favorite is when they do the big toe stretch after a good grooming

 

[SableSteel]

No point in worrying about it, it's just a cosmetic thing
But I do have to say, that's one thing I like about my wire cages - my rabbits' feet are always clean and fluffy because they never even have the chance to step in their urine

 

[Sweet Potato rabbit]

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions! I will change to wood pelleted litter after I'm done with my current stash of litter. It'll probably take a few months for the yellow fur on his feet to molt/shed but now I have renewed hope! Thank you!

Pic of his current stained feet :

 

[Sweet Potato rabbit]

You don't have to buy in bulk from tractor supply, with just one rabbit you can buy wood pellet cat litter like 5-10 kg bag and it will last a few months so won't be expensive.

Would that be the Arm & Hammer Feline Pine non-clumping litter?

 

[JBun]

Would that be the Arm & Hammer Feline Pine non-clumping litter?

As long as it's the one without baking soda in it. You just want 100% plain wood pellets with no additives.