Litter Training
Litter Types Compared
By Chandra Moira Beal
I recently conducted a survey of types and brands of litter, personal preferences and experiences in a quest for the ultimate litter. The result? Litter is a very subjective matter, and there is no clear winner. The best choice for you depends on your individual rabbit's preferences, your own likes and dislikes, your budget, your litter box arrangements, and how you intend to dispose of soiled litter. Needs also vary with the number of rabbits in your house. A lone dwarf rabbit may go through a small bag of litter once per month, while a household of foster rabbits may use 20 pounds of corncob every day.
Common concerns about litter include absorption, odor control, affordability, availability, ease of use, and ultimately, what your bunny will tolerate. Safety factors in with litters that are edible, dusty, or contain fragrant oils: some people are allergic to certain types of wood. Many people use soiled litter in their compost and as mulch (wood chips with bunny droppings provide nitrogen to the soil, but wood chips alone will leach nitrogen out), so safety for the environment is also a concern. Others like a litter they can flush down the toilet, and some simply dispose of it in the trash.
Many people use a combination of different litter materials, such as a thick layer of newspaper, topped with a thin layer of litter and a handful of straw. Others scoop droppings out of the box daily, layer dry litter on the top, and only clean the box once a week. Still others use baking soda underneath the litter or in the cage tray to
help absorb odors. Some use wire grates, and there is a wide variety of litter box covers, corner guards, and shapes and sizes to meet your needs (look in the cat section).
With all of these choices, it is easy to get overwhelmed. But we've come a long way from the days when the only litter available for rabbits was dangerous pine shavings.
We encourage you to experiment and find the litter that is right for you and your rabbit.
Following is a list of most types of litter with some pros and cons we gathered from our survey responses:
PELLETED GRASS
(Bird Country, Critter Country, Clean'n'Comfy, Cat Country)
PROS
absorbent, dust free, compostible, controls odor,
easy to scoop.
CONS
heavy, expensive.
RECYCLED PAPER (Carefresh, Yesterday's News, Eco Brand)
PROS
Easy to scoop, dust free, soft, absorbent, controls odor.
CONS
YN has a bad inky smell, CF sticks to fur and feet, expensive.
WOOD SHAVINGS (Feline Pine, Northeastern Aspen)
PROS
Controls odor, fairly absorbent.
CONS
Even "safe" shavings may contain residual phenols and oils.
CORN COB (Kaybob, Pestell)
PROS
Fair absorption, inexpensive.
CONS
Bad for rabbit to ingest, dusty, no odor control, can mold.
NON-CLUMPING CLAY (A wide variety of cat litters)
PROS
Absorbent, readily available, flushable, inexpensive.
CONS
Some brands too dusty, harmful if ingested.
FOOD PELLETS (any brand)
PROS
Absorbs odor and liquids, readily available, inexpensive.
CONS
Rabbit may overeat, may be of poor nutritional quality.
HAY & STRAW
PROS
Makes a good top layer, provides fiber, inexpensive.
CONS
Not very absorbent, bulky (but lightweight), fairly messy.
NEWSPAPER
PROS
Makes a good bottom layer, absorbent, inexpensive, available.
CONS
No odor control, bulky (but lightweight), ink can stain feet.
OFFICE PAPER
PROS
Dust free, clean, rabbits like to play in and around it.
CONS
Not absorbent, some inks and toners can be hazardous.
DRIED CITRUS PEELS (CitraFresh)
PROS
Low dust, fair absorption, safe if eaten.
CONS
Sticks to fur, some rabbits don't like citrus smell.
PEAT MOSS
PROS
Fair absorption.
CONS
Medium dust, fairly high in nitrogen (if using in garden).
CHEMICAL SAND
PROS
Absorbent, flushable, low dust.
CONS
GI problems if ingested, messy, heavy, abrasive to bunny.
© Copyright Chandra Moira Beal. All rights reserved.
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