Setting up a cage?

[BabyRue]

I have always thought that you wanted to put shavings down in the entire cage. Though now as I am reading more I am finding out shavings are a bad idea to begin with(which does make complete sense to me now that I think about it). However it seems like the lil one wont be able to move around the cage without anything there for traction?

I currently have a smallish cage that was used for my friends guinea pig. Its temporary until my SO builds a better one and Rue is super tiny anyway at only a month old.

I plan on litter training her so I was thinking of getting one of those little corner litter trays and putting yesterdays news or something of the sort in it. But what should I have in the rest of the cage so she can move around without slipping everywhere? Would hay be better?

 

[BugLady]

Hi! I use soft welcome mats and towels in Rascal's cage. I don't like the mess of hay or shavings getting everywhere, and it might confuse the bunny as to where the litter box really is.

I like using paper pellets for the litter because it doesn't stick to his feet and get tracked around the house.

Here is what my cage looks like:

I got those mats at the dollar store!

 

[BabyRue]

I love your cage setup!! I will have to go to the dollar store tomorrow and get a better set up. Tonight she will have to be on the shavings and tomorrow morning I will get her a little pan for a litter box and mats for the cage.

I need to get a better cage/home that I can open the door on the side for her to run in and out and know to use the litter box. Right now the cage I have opens at the top and I know that is not ideal at all for a bunny.

I gotta say I am so excited I found this forum. I am sure I am going to end up being annoying with my million questions lol. But I want to learn as much as I can to be the best Momma!

 

[JuneBug3]

I use cloth place mats that i get from the dollar store and cover the floor of her cage with those. I used to use carefresh bedding all over the bottom when she was a lil younger (shes 5 months now) and when i switched to the place mats i noticed she quit pooing outside her liter box

 

[MiserySmith]

I use regular bed sheets for the bottom.
We have a lot of extras, as there's no longer a single bed in the house. It's got perfect traction for him, however he isn't completely litter trained. I got him as an adult, and he was only on shavings before that.. I don't think he quite gets it.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

I would not recommend a small corner litter box. They tend to be too small for most rabbits as they get to the adult size. While it might work for him now, you will end up needing something bigger as he grows up.
Until you can get a bigger cage, you can try just putting some litter in a corner or using a baking sheet or something similar to take up less space. Once you get the larger cage, then get a litter box that will fit better.

I use fleece blankets in the cages. My rabbits tend to chew towels and that can be dangerous if they eat the fibres. Fleece doesn't have the same kind if fibres and doesn't unravel when chewed of if there is a hole. Some dollar stores do have pet blankets or even fleece throws for people that you can use. Other stores can have them as well. I won't pay more than $5 or $6 for a 50X60" blanket and they tend to go on sale eventually for $2 or $3 each.

 

[saidinjester]

I used carefresh bedding in the whole cage and paper or wood pellets in the litter box until he got completely litter trained. Now he's not in a cage but an xpen - but for a floor I use a table cloth - got it at walmart for $4.

 

[ZRabbits]

I use towels or cardboard for my bunnies. Kreacher loves his "wubbie". Dobby likes to chew so he got cardboard. Willard and Neville love their hay mats.

I have to agree with the smaller corner litter boxes. Definitely not good for bunnies when they get bigger. I've gone to the largest for Willard and Dobby. And ferret litter boxes (high backs) for Kreacher, Neville and Luna.

I use ECO bedding for the litter boxes (recycled paper). It's best for us because all the contents of litterboxes go into our compost for our garden. Love the Eco bedding. Absorbs so much. Plus it breaks down perfectly in our compost.

K

 

[melbaby80]

I can't wait to get my new cage this week. I'm going to use fleece. I bought two fleece baby blankets at the dollar store. I have a medium sized cat litter box they currently potty in as well as towels to lay on.

 

[BabyRue]

So this is how Rue's cage ended up... I had a smallish litter box but shes to young to figure it out yet. So I gave her a large box filled with bedding(carefresh mixed with shavings) and put her litter box in the big box with her hide out and that big box is in a large kennel. When I am home she has free run of the apartment and is pretty good about going back to her cage to pee, not so much for number 2 though lol. She has settled in great and loves playing with my dog.

I love letting her have run of the place. She seems so much happier. She is locked up though at night and when my SO and I are out.

And yea just cuz its cute... she loves snuggling with my puppy haha

 

[melbaby80]

She is so adorable. Yeaa my bunnies like poop everywhere too :rollseyes

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Ours are four legged poop machines--why we own a large shop vac.

 

[melbaby80]

Nancy McClelland wrote:

Ours are four legged poop machines--why we own a large shop vac.

lol too funny

 

[MyBunnyTotoro]

I have hardwood floor and have been using a Petco Cat Litter Mat. My bunny LOVES it and I haven't had any issues with her chewing on it at all. It does give her really great traction though to hop around and dash on. It cost me $12.99 in store and comes in two different sizes. Also, it is machine washable - super huge plus!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AU64PA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20