Best flooring for a rabbit cage?

[sammi036]

I use these straw mats ( 3 fit in a 30x15 inch cage ) My bun chews on them so I have to replace them every couple of months but their inexpensive, about $6 at petsmart. She loves them!

 

[DUSTBUNNY-CLYDE]

I went to a glass place and they cut 1/2 inch plexi glass for me!! It's so easy to clean and the bunnies don't seem to be slipping too bad on it!!

 

[JBun]

I haven't tried those flex tiles yet, so I don't know how good they are. They do say that they are slip resistant. Rubber would be the most slip resistant, but I think my rabbit would be able to find a way to chew on it. These tiles don't glue down at all they just lay on top of your existing floor and interconnect to each other. They are resistant to liquids and chemicals, so they would be easy to clean up messes on. Linoleum is much cheaper, but it's so slippery that my rabbit doesn't like it. They also have these slate flex tiles for the same price. They're still on sale and these tiles show that they ship free too.

http://www.rubberflooringinc.com/garage/slate-pattern.html

I've been using this clear vinyl fabric that I got from walmart, that is less slippery than linoleum, and has worked pretty well. It's really cheap, and since I secured the edges with wood strips, my rabbit can't get to the edges to chew the vinyl.

 

[Troller]

Anyone try those foam mats from Lowes or Home Depot? http://m.homedepot.com/p/Best-Step-EVA-Foam-Flooring-BS100-4HDT/202019834/. I'm curious if they're any good for pets.

 

[JBun]

I know a few people on here use them. They would probably be ok as long as your rabbit isn't a chewer or digger, or they wouldn't stay intact very long and could be dangerous if a piece of it was swallowed.

 

[ldoerr]

When I built my new cage I made the floors out of wood panneling covered in the vinyl fabric from walmart. Seems to be working out pretty well so far. It provides lots of traction, cleans up VERY easily, is water proof and is cheep as can be (I got a thing that was 9 feet by 54" for $4.50).

 

[Winston Bishop]

Do the rabbits not pee on the floor, whatever you choose? I'm about to build a new condo for my bun and in the one he has now - he pees outside of his litter box (and in). I've only had him since June and he's about a yr old and is getting neutered in 2 weeks. And then we'll find him a mate. maybe it will be different once he's fixed?? he doesn't pee all over the house - but has peed on the dog's bed and all inside of his cage.

 

[Popsicles]

@Winston Bishop you’re right that litter training is a lot easier when a rabbit is neutered, so hopefully once he has the op he will stick to peeing where he is supposed to

 

[Smudgebunny]

Hi. Lots of replies so forgive me if I am repeating a previous suggestion. I have a 2-storey hutch with attached puppy pen in my garage which leads off our laundry. Our bunny Smudge is free to move in between the two. During the day I usually open one side of the pen to give him access into a portion of the laundry. He goes outside for a good part of the day too. I use seagrass mats on top of newspaper in the bottom of the hutch. He does chew on it but I think that’s a good thing for him to be able to do & they only cost $2 at my local Bunnings. I also use a piece of artificial turf in the puppy pen area. I can sweep it, vacuum up excess hair & even hose it off. He also has a rubber tile to sit on too. He hasn’t shown any desire for blankets, fleece etc despite many offerings from us. Each rabbit to their own I guess. A NIC cage looks & sounds great but I haven’t seen them in Australia so far. Once our hutch needs replacing I’d be keen to try & set one up for our bunny. All the best. Maybe you could post a photo once it’s all finished?

 

[jsjjane]

Khaleesi’s hutch has a wood floor covered with linoleum, I then put a thin carpet on top cut to size. Over that I tuck in a piece of fleece. Each week I replace the fleece with another fleece so I can launder the first. This works really well. She is a chewer but does not chew the fleece. I make sure the fleece is tucked in on all sides of the carpet so she doesn’t chew the carpet.

 

[Jacaroe]

I use these in the hutch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0721QM73D/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

And when he has free time outside the hutch, it's on the linoleum kitchen floor, which he doesn't seem to mind.

I would love to set up something softer, or even use carpet, but he pees on EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE. Yes, he'll pee in his litter box(es), but he always leaves a little extra when he's out also.

 

[jamesewaller]

flooring,?-lets consider first -rabbits are by nature consummate chewers{this is mandatory}-my facility has linoleum flooring,but over that- is cardboard and cloth{old clothing/tee shirt,etc.}-it does add to clean up but remember your in it for the long haul-labor of love?--this does help not generate sore hocks.-my bun b-denium will be 13yrs.on oct 22,2018-yes he has health issues,but that's another subject.--I use grasses timothy/orchard also so he can graze..-I -hope something here helps,--food for thought..--sincerely james waller--in memory of the jojobeez

 

[Tara Parker]

We use Fleece liners & pee pads in our cage. We have a separate litter box too. We use pellets in there, which work lovely.
***Please make sure if you use fleece that you watch for chewing. We’ve been lucky that our two buns don’t chew on their liners, but I know many people whose buns love chewing them. We have purchased lots of chew toys for our babies, which I think has helped a lot! There’s an awesome shop on Etsy called Fuzzy Bunz (I believe), and she makes fabulous toys to distract & keep your buns busy so they don’t chew their fleece!*** Good luck!

 

[Blue eyes]

I would love to set up something softer, or even use carpet, but he pees on EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE. Yes, he'll pee in his litter box(es), but he always leaves a little extra when he's out also.

Have you considered the possibility that your rabbit may have a UTI? Just wondering because fixed rabbits are usually 100% for urine in their litter box. If there are dribbles elsewhere, that can be a sign of an infection.

 

[Liung]

I'm making a new condo out of an entertainment unit, I'm stressing out about the flooring because Lahi has sore hocks—they're red and angry looking but haven't broken open yet and I'm desperately trying to keep it that way, so he absolutely cannot stand on any hard flooring that will put pressure on his heels. I have to put something down to keep him off the hard wood.



(Doors still in progress but they are all either holes cut into the wood and covered with chicken wire, or plexiglass with ventilation holes)

My current plan is to put a layer of vinyl (I bought a clear vinyl shower curtain liner to cut up) down on the shelves to protect the wood, then a layer of the EVA foam tiles for cushioning, and then a layer of polar fleece to stop them from chewing on the foam and give more padding. They've shown previously that they absolutely will chew holes in the foam if they have access to it, though they didn't seem to eat the pieces, thank god. Polar fleece I know to be particularly pet safe because it doesn't unravel, so in order to actually eat a piece they have to very determinedly cut out an entire section. Bite a hole in polar fleece and all that happens is that now there's a hole.

I also have a cotton rug for one of the shelves, and I'm maybe going to look at some woven straw mats for other shelves, to give variety. Any ideas for what else I can use that would be good for his sore hocks?

I have carpet in their current enclosure but Lahi is getting forgetful about proper litter habits in his old age and carpet is a massive pain to try and get all the urine smell out of. Because of course if I don't get it all out, Delilah then decides that the spot is a new litter and then they're both going out of the litter, I have to give up and put a new litter box there, but Delilah likes to dig in litter boxes and toss litter everywhere... basically it snowballs into a giant mess.

 

[Liung]

I attended a talk at Bunfest by a vet on sore hocks, and she explained that the way a rabbit's foot is designed, the toes and claws are supposed to sink into the ground to give them a really good grip to push off if they need to flee. When they're put on hard flooring, their toes can't sink into anything, propping them up and tipping their weight back onto their heels. Further, when they can't propel their motion from their toes, they push off their heels instead, causing even more excessive pressure. Okay, good, yes, makes sense, soft flooring is essential, also regular nail trims. But what flooring?

And what alarmed me was when she said carpet actually doesn't help sore hocks at all, because it's very abrasive. "If you wouldn't want to slide across it on bare knees, it's not good for sore hocks." WHAT FLOORING WOULD ANYONE WANT TO SLIDE ON THEIR KNEES?! I can't plant sod in my house!!

So what carpet they have, I let the fur pile up on top to truly astonishing thickness so they're not standing on carpet so much as they're standing on their own fur, heh.

Of course, then the house got hit with an infestation of Common Carpet Clothes Moths, of which the larva were THRILLED to find lots and lots of fur to make cocoons with. So I'm pretty determined to not bring anything from the old enclosure to the new enclosure. If I never again pick up a piece of what I think is lint only for a tiny head to pop out and wave at me, it will be too soon.

I had someone tell me that a sheepskin fleece rug is great for rabbits with sore hocks but they're SO EXPENSIVE.

 

[Bellamy+Lilah]

I'm making a new condo out of an entertainment unit, I'm stressing out about the flooring because Lahi has sore hocks—they're red and angry looking but haven't broken open yet and I'm desperately trying to keep it that way, so he absolutely cannot stand on any hard flooring that will put pressure on his heels. I have to put something down to keep him off the hard wood.

View attachment 38176 View attachment 38177 View attachment 38178 View attachment 38179

(Doors still in progress but they are all either holes cut into the wood and covered with chicken wire, or plexiglass with ventilation holes)

My current plan is to put a layer of vinyl (I bought a clear vinyl shower curtain liner to cut up) down on the shelves to protect the wood, then a layer of the EVA foam tiles for cushioning, and then a layer of polar fleece to stop them from chewing on the foam and give more padding. They've shown previously that they absolutely will chew holes in the foam if they have access to it, though they didn't seem to eat the pieces, thank god. Polar fleece I know to be particularly pet safe because it doesn't unravel, so in order to actually eat a piece they have to very determinedly cut out an entire section. Bite a hole in polar fleece and all that happens is that now there's a hole.

I also have a cotton rug for one of the shelves, and I'm maybe going to look at some woven straw mats for other shelves, to give variety. Any ideas for what else I can use that would be good for his sore hocks?

I have carpet in their current enclosure but Lahi is getting forgetful about proper litter habits in his old age and carpet is a massive pain to try and get all the urine smell out of. Because of course if I don't get it all out, Delilah then decides that the spot is a new litter and then they're both going out of the litter, I have to give up and put a new litter box there, but Delilah likes to dig in litter boxes and toss litter everywhere... basically it snowballs into a giant mess.

I would LOOOVE to see your finished product when you get it done!! That is like my ultimate dream project for my bunnies' living spaces someday if I can ever get permission to move them in the house [emoji50][emoji7][emoji195][emoji173]

 

[Tara Parker]

How’s the progress going Liung? I’m excited to see the finished result!

 

[Blue eyes]

Polar fleece I know to be particularly pet safe because it doesn't unravel, so in order to actually eat a piece they have to very determinedly cut out an entire section. Bite a hole in polar fleece and all that happens is that now there's a hole.

I also have a cotton rug for one of the shelves, and I'm maybe going to look at some woven straw mats for other shelves, to give variety. Any ideas for what else I can use that would be good for his sore hocks?

Actually any brand of fleece from the fabric stores is safe. (I know of Blizzard fleece and anti-pill fleece. Maybe Blizzard fleece is what you know as Polar fleece?) Fleece is not woven and therefore has no threads to tangle (either around them or in their gut).

If you use woven straw mats or seagrass mats, you may want those on top of some of your fleece since it will likely be chewed and possibly eaten.

My rabbits did pretty well for awhile with a memory foam bath mat. That may be an option for some areas of your hutch. They used one for maybe a year before they suddenly decided to chew it.

 

[Liung]

The top part is just storage until I can replace the glass doors with plexiglass that has holes in it. But the rest is done, and after a 2 hour drive the buns have arrived and are doing well!