Baby bunnies and wood pellets

[whitelop]

I just got a new baby bun. She is, I think about 5-7 weeks old.
I use the wood pellets, what I call "equine pine", its for horse stalls.
Foo can't touch the litter because of her grid, but I didn't want to put a grid in the babies litter box yet.

Are the pellets okay for babies? She doesn't seem to mind them under her feet. I put a bunch of hay in the box so she's eating and pottying in there. But will she eat the wood pellets? Or will she know they're not food?
If I have to take the pellets out, should I just use hay as litter, until she's older?

Thanks!

PS. I'm new to baby buns, so I may need a little help!

 

[JBun]

They are supposed to be safe for rabbits, even to nibble on a bit, which is why a lot of us use them(plus they're cheap!). I doubt she'll do much more than nibbling, especially with you putting hay on top. Hay alone doesn't really do anything for the smell and doesn't absorb pee very well.

 

[whitelop]

Oh, hay does nothing for the smell or any of the potty things. Its horrible for anything other than eating and getting everywhere.
I just wanted to make sure, if she snacked on a pellet or two she wouldn't be harmed. Foo has never tried to eat them or anything. From what I can tell, Elvira hasn't eaten any either, only the hay. She has made an Elvira sized hole in the pellets, to sit in and eat the hay. lol

 

[majorv]

Just curious...why don't you want a grid over the baby's litter box? You could probably find a finer screen to use for her feet. That way you wouldn't have to worry about whether she's eating the pellets.

 

[whitelop]

I have a hard time finding the "right" grid, like the light defuser or eggcrate. I had to get my big bunny a cookie cooling rack and zip tie it to the litter box. lol it works wonders though. She has a hard time with cleaning and she stains like crazy, so it works out wonderfully that she never touches the litter.

For the baby, I will use a grid, but I don't have one right now for her. Thats part of the reason I wanted to know about the wood pellets.
Will she still understand what the litter box is, even when there is a grid over it? I know they can smell where they go potty, but she is very young. I also know that her litter box habits won't be 100% until she's older and spayed, but I want to start early! With the big bun, I started when she was 2 and she's done very well. lol

 

[Imbrium]

you're not using bedding in the cage, right (doesn't look like it in the pics you just posted to your blog)? she'll probably pretty much pee-train herself but have a lot of stray poops. they seem to figure it out pretty quickly at any age.

 

[whitelop]

Correct, no bedding in the cage, just a velvet blanket. Wood pellets in the litter box with a lot of hay. She has peed in the litter box several times and there are poops in there and strays around the cage. Which is normal for me, since Foo doesn't poop strictly in the box either. lol Constant poop!

 

[Imbrium]

hooray for pee going where it belongs!

 

[majorv]

Rabbits just sort of naturally know where to go...I watch our kits as they grow and they always pick a corner to pee in, and it may not be the same corner as Mom. As long as the litter box is there then you should be good. Hardware cloth would work while the baby is young. It is a finer screen, but even 1/2" square grids would work, too.

 

[whitelop]

Thanks Vicki i didn't even think of using hardware cloth. I bet i have some hidden in the shed.

 

[JBun]

Remember to fold down the edges or protect them in some way, as they can be pretty sharp when cut. If putting a grate in there confuses her about where to pee, you may have to pull it back out until her litter box habits are better. Having the hay in there also helps in the litter training process, so your current set up may work the best, but I guess you can try both and see. I hate the litter training process, especially when they are slow to pick it up, or inconsistant. My little guy is horrible! Oh, he pees in the litter box alright, but he pees everywhere else too. Ugh!

 

[Imbrium]

it's harder to work with than the eggcrate, but definitely a viable option

 

[majorv]

Just a second thought - if your little girl is pooping in the litter box, make sure her poop is smaller than the holes in the hardware cloth before you go to all that trouble!

 

[Imbrium]

1/4'' hardware cloth, they might not be... but if it's the 1/2'' stuff, it'll go through easily