How to Choose the Best Rabbit Bedding

There are three main types of bedding for rabbits which are the most common for owners to use. Each has its own set of benefits and drawbacks that you will have to weigh up to decide which one is right for you and your pet. It all depends on what you prioritise, be it price, how often it needs to be cleaned or odour-eliminating powers. It’s entirely dependent on what you are looking for.

Paper bedding is a great hygienic and natural option that is very easy to store in bulk and is cost-effective to buy. It’s highly absorbent which makes cleaning out hutches an easy task. You can buy bags of Recycled Shredded Paper which are dust free and won’t upset any allergies. Carefresh Confetti is another popular paper bedding. It’s a little softer than many other paper beddings and claims to control odour for ten days!

Having absorbent bedding is especially important when you have young rabbits who may not go to the toilet in a single place yet. Keeping moisture out of their sleeping area will keep them much more comfortable.

When you’re looking at wood based bedding, you should avoid any kind of softwood as it tends to cause a lot of dust. Suitable wood based bedding includes products like Wood Pellet Small Animal which is dust free and very absorbent. It can absorb up to three times your pet’s weight so their home will stay nice and dry between cleans. While being super effective in keeping their hutch clean, it may not be the most comfortable bedding.

Rabbits are almost constantly eating! They need to eat often to keep wearing their teeth down so bedding that can also act as a snack is ideal for them. Hay is insulating so it will keep them warm and they will often make comfortable little nests to surround themselves with. Easyfeedz Loosefill Meadow Hay Bedding is great for bunnies who love to snack on their bedding. They will still need high-quality feed hay, but eating this bedding will not cause any harm while helping to keep their teeth worn, and it’s rich in fibre!

Another rich in fibre hay bedding is the Excel Hay Box Timothy. It comes with the dust extracted and even has a recyclable box so the whole thing is biodegradable and eco-friendly. Hay makes for great bedding however it isn’t the most absorbent bedding and may need changing more often or an underlayer of a different bedding to help with odour.

Some owners still choose to line their hutches in newspaper which can be fine in a pinch but the chemical process the paper goes through to become a newspaper (along with the ink that’s used to print on it) makes it unsafe for rabbits to ingest. Sawdust is another one to avoid as it’s full of dust which can affect your beloved pet’s health.

You may be thinking substrates like cat litter will be super absorbent and mask any nasty smells but it’s often dusty and filled with chemicals to keep it smelling nice. Cats are far less likely to eat non-food items so it’s safe to use in their trays but not as bedding for your bunny. While rabbits love to lie on soft blankets, you should be careful with leaving them unattended as they tend to nibble at them. Swallowing large amounts of material can cause blockages so it’s best to only let them curl up in blankets when you can supervise them.

There are several suitable bedding options, however the best bedding for your rabbit depends on the factor you find most important. Cost-effective bedding can come in the form of shredded paper. It’s absorbent and can be changed regularly to keep any odours down due to the low cost.

Hay is a popular option as it’s warm, rabbits love to move it around and adjust it as they see fit. It isn’t very absorbent though, so it can become quite smelly quickly. It could be tempting to purchase large bales of hay from a local farmer. However, any hay used in bedding for rabbits needs to have the dust extracted to avoid upper respiratory issues, so you should always source it from a pet shop instead.

If you want to find a bedding option that is even more eco-friendly than the natural options, you can get cage liners that consist of tough but padded material. They can be washed, so in the long run they tend to work out cheaper as they can last a long time. They’re better suited for indoor rabbits as they don’t retain heat very well. As long as you are using a safe product then the best one is a matter of preference.

The best rabbit bedding is usually:

When you’re trying to choose the right bedding for your bunny, there are a few factors you need to take into account. Rabbit bedding should be comfortable and your bunny should enjoy relaxing and sleeping in it. If they remain unsettled after you introduce a new type of bedding they might not like the feel of it. Safety is a big factor to consider so you shouldn’t be adding in any extra materials that may cause harm, no matter how snuggly your bunny may find them. It’s also important to keep in mind that you will never arrange their bedding perfectly. Getting a substrate that they can move around and arrange their own home will help them to feel safe and in control of their own cosy little home.

While it may not have been of concern many years ago, picking an environmentally friendly bedding material is important just because of how often it’s going to need to be changed. A biodegradable bedding not only means it’s easier to dispose of if you have a compost bin, but you aren’t filling the ground with material when you could use something that rots away naturally.

For a wide range of bedding and all of your bunny necessities, take a look in store and online.