So… you’re training your bunny to use a litterbox. But what type of litter is best? Can you use kitty litter? Some brands of kitty litter are all right for your bunny, but you need to keep a few things in mind.
- Rabbits will spend a lot of time in their bathroom.
- Rabbits will nibble a bit of the litter. (What DON’T rabbits nibble?)
- Rabbits can be diggers.
A clay based litter is a problem if your rabbit is a digger — if she inhales the dust she kicks up, she can have lung problems.
The real problem with bunnies and litter is the nibbling. The deodorant crystals in some litters can be toxic — you don’t want your bunny nibbling poisonous litter! And the litters that clump, to make it easy for you to clean up messes can also clump inside your bunny’s digestive system if she eats it.
The pine and cedar shavings you may use in another small pet’s cage are not recommended for use as bunny litter. But they emit phenolic compounds as gasses that can be harmful to your rabbit.
Oat and alfalfa based litters are not dangerous for your rabbit to nibble on, but they can cause bloating. Otherwise, they are pretty safe for your bunny and the environment. The oat and alfalfa based litters are very good at odor control and can be used in compost.
DID YOU KNOW: Bunny poop, when dried and used in compost, is considered a great fertilizer! You may hear it called “super fertilizer” or my favorite, “Bunny Gold!”
The most common litterbox liner may be newspaper — and it’s very absorbent! It is also safe for your little nibbler to take a few bites every now and then. The only drawback to newspaper is that it does nothing for the stink of rabbit urine. If your bunny lives outside (like my Bun-Bun did) that isn’t so much of a problem. But if you have an indoor bunny, you are going to quickly start to notice the urine smell. Litter manufactured from paper pulp or recycled paper has the same absorbent power of newspaper, but is a little better on the odor issue.
One last choice for you to consider is compressed sawdust pellets — like the kind you use in a wood-burning stove. They are inexpensive and absorbent. The phenolic compounds that make pine and cedar shavings dangerous are removed during the processing, so the sawdust pellets are not dangerous for nibbling OR breathing.