Cleanliness and Healthy Rabbits
By Debra Olon-West
Bunnies are adorable and wonderful pets, but there is some work involved besides the usual feeding, exercising, and of course, cuddling that requires keeping the living quarters of the rabbit clean on a regular basis. If one doesn’t keep the bunny’s area clean what can result includes:
Odor, especially from the urine, which also can cause hutch burn/urine scald.
Sickness from eating exposed food.
Possible illness from breeding flies in the trays or cage bottoms.
Q. How often should I clean the cage?
A wire cage with pull out tray should be completely cleaned at least once a week minimum. It would be a good idea to clean the tray every other day to cut down on the smell.
A solid bottom cage such as a guinea pig (cavy) cage or a dog kennel should be cleaned at least every other day.
Litter boxes should be cleaned at least once a week or as needed.
Q. What should I use to clean the cages/litter boxes with?
We use white vinegar on cages that we can not fit into a sink and scrub the wire with a wire brush such as a grill brush. It is recommended that the cage should be sterilized with bleach at least four times a year.
Trays, cage bottoms, and litter boxes are easily cleaned by emptying/scrubbing them out before putting them in the sink and using antibacterial dish soap and rinsing well. After drying, we use an antibacterial spray as well to cut down on any further odor.
Q. How can I keep the odor down on a consistent basis?
General cleanliness should help, but you might want to make certain that your rabbit is getting a balanced diet with alfalfa and timothy hay based feed and hay.
To cut down on the urine smell, make sure that the rabbit gets plenty of fresh water daily. We use artesian well water, but have used store bought spring water in the past. One trick is to put at least 3 tablespoons of real vanilla per gallon of water to give to the bunny (no, the rabbit will not get intoxicated).
We have discovered an odor treatment liquid that has been used to reduce odor in locker rooms and have been using it our bunny cages, etc. It is safe for animals, but do not allow them to ingest it and do not apply it directly on their skin. We have used it on our house/basement before moving to the NY location and it has a pleasant mint smell. You can find the ‘Spray Fresh’ online at www.sprayfresh.ca
I realize that it sounds like plenty of work, but once you get the cleaning down to a routine, it really should not be too time consuming and you rabbit should be happier and healthier. Isn’t that worth it?
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