There’s no denying that rabbits can be messy. They really love to chew things and really don’t care how much that new couch just cost you or that the birthday card your sweet old grandma just gave you may have had some sentimental value! This before we even mention the pee and (seemingly unlimited) poop.
In a rush? here’s our 8 quick steps to cleaning your rabbits cage
- Remove the rabbit to a run or place it in a carrier.
- Remove soiled substrate, bedding, and uneaten food using a dustpan and brush.
- Rinse the empty tray using a hose or a bucket of warm water and leave to dry.
- Once dry, spray the tray with a suitable rabbit-safe disinfectant and add a layer of newspaper for insulation.
- Add a rabbit-safe substrate for absorbancy (wood shavings work well).
- Add fresh water, food dishes, toys, and a generous helping of hay.
- Carefully place the rabbit back in the cage.
- Watch as the rabbit proceeds to mess up the cage once again!
Outside the home rabbit hutches and enclosures also get smelly and messy quickly. Rabbit homes, whether a cage, a hutch or designated living area within your house will need regular cleaning and as rabbits are our spoiled babies it’s all down to us owners!
So how do you keep a rabbit cage clean? this is what we’re going to be looking at in this post!
Why Do Rabbit Cages Get Into Such a Mess?
Despite the mess rabbits seem to generate, they are generally very clean animals. You will notice this if you have ever seen them clean and groom themselves or their bunny companions.
Although they may seem messy, pooping, peeing, spraying and using the scent glands underneath their chin to mark their territory, these are all perfectly normal behaviors in the rabbit world.
In the wild, rabbits have large open spaces in which to do these things and more, so you probably wouldn’t even notice any untidiness. A domestic bunnies space is usually much more confined to one area and as such droppings, pee and therefore smell builds up much more quickly.
Why We Need to Keep Our Rabbit Cages (or Homes) Clean
Being clean is very important to a rabbit and vital for its health and wellbeing. Although they will groom and clean themselves much the same way as a cat does, captive rabbits need a little help with keeping their living areas clean.
If us owners didn’t help our rabbits with cleaning on a regular basis they (especially those confined to hutches) would be all but forced to sit around in their own waste. This not only increases the risk of harmful bacteria which may cause disease, viral infections and general poor health but untidiness can also lead to potentially life-threatening issues such as fly strike.
How Might a Rabbit Mess Up It’s Home?
Inside a hutch or cage rabbit hay can quickly become very smelly (a rabbit will often poop where it eats). If your rabbit has been litter trained and uses a tray, there’s always a chance that the contents of that tray will be kicked out onto the floor as the rabbit enjoys an impromptu digging session.
Some of us owners keen to make our rabbits as warm and cozy as possible will also use fleece blankets as a comfortable bedding material these can sometimes be used as a ‘luxury toilet spot’ by some bunnies. Inevitably these become damp, smelly and unhygienic as bacteria builds up.
Different Bunny Home Types
Rabbits live in all sorts of different homes from cages to large custom-built enclosures. There will be slight variations in cleaning methods between each type of home and some will be more difficult to clean than others (with size being the main factor) but once you get in to a routine cleaning can be a quick and easy process.
Dependent on the type of home your rabbit lives in, there are also some useful tips we will share with you to help speed up the process so even if you have a very large enclosure cleaning won’t take up a whole half of your day.
Essentials for Cleaning a Rabbit Cage or Home
The following are items that we have found to be essential when cleaning out our own rabbit homes, there are a few other items which may speed up the process which we’ll discuss a bit later but if you’re on a budget, we find this list is a good start –
1. Bedding Material
Although lots of rabbit owners simply use hay as a bedding material, there are many other options available each with its own advantages and disadvantages. If you’re a new rabbit owner and don’t already have a favorite bedding material for your bunny, you can read our article here for some ideas.
2. Hay
Hay should make up the largest part of a rabbit’s diet and your rabbit will need access to an amount around the size of himself to graze on every day. Although a lot of sources will cite an unlimited amount to be available, from a cleaning and freshness perspective we find that it makes more sense to add the required amount each day rather than having a huge pile which will probably get everywhere. During cleaning, any old or soiled hay should be removed and replaced with a fresh supply.
3. Newspaper
Newspaper is freely available and makes a great absorbent underlayer for litter trays. It can also be used to soak up pee after clearing up a rabbit’s toilet area or mop up excess anti-bacterial spray.
4. Rabbit Safe Anti-Bacterial Spray or (Pet Safe) Disinfectant
Rabbit droppings and pee will of course attract bacteria and other parasites. Cleaning a rabbit cage with a rabbit safe disinfectant or anti-bacterial spray will ensure that the rabbits home smells clean and fresh (at least for a short while!). Flystrike is also a very serious problem which can be fatal with flies obviously being attracted to the smell of animal waste.
if you are moving a rabbit into a new home previously occupied by another bunny anti-bacterial spray will also help to remove any previous scents which may agitate the new home owner.
5. Dustpan and Brush
Experienced owners and those who are not particularly squeamish might happily pick up stray rabbit droppings from the floor during a cleaning out session, however for those large piles left in toilet areas a dust pan and brush is very useful.
6. Bin Liners
A good strong secure bin bag or garden waste sack to keep all that soiled straw and waste in is of course essential when cleaning your rabbit.
How Often Should I Clean a Rabbits Home?
Litter trays should be cleaned daily. Water should be replaced, and spoilt food or pellets cleaned from food dishes daily. When it comes to the actual, hutch, cage, run or whatever else your rabbit lives in the smaller it is, the more you should be cleaning it.
A very small rabbit hutch will need cleaning a lot more often than a very large enclosure as the rabbit has had limited space to move and is forced to sit in its own mess. Even the largest of enclosures (we had one that had a floor space of 96 square feet) will need cleaning properly at least once a week.
Cleaning Indoor Style Cages
Indoor cages are probably the easiest cages to clean. Not to be confused with wire bottomed cages that some breeders use, these usually have a large plastic formed tray base and a clip-on cage top section. Indoor cages are often useful for introducing two bunnies prior to bonding as it allows them to sniff each other without getting too close. They can also be left open if you are happy for your pet to run around the house.
1. Empty Out the Main Tray
When it comes to cleaning an indoor cage once the cage section is clipped off, what you are left with is pretty much just a large litter tray. This can be emptied straight into a bin liner if the size permits or a dustpan and brush can be used to gradually empty it out. Once empty there are a couple of different suggestions we have to clean the empty tray.
2. Wash Out With a Hosepipe or High Velocity Water Sprayer
If you have access to an outdoor hose connector or power sprayer, cleaning can be a very quick process. Simply bring the empty cage outside and give it a good wash out. A sponge can be used along with some pet safe disinfectant if you have it, a scouring pad can be used to clean off any dried poop or ground in stains. Once clean, use the hose to rinse out thoroughly and leave outside to dry.
Or…. Old fashioned ‘elbow grease’
If you don’t have a hose available a bucket and sponge will do the same job. Use warm water (and again if you have it available) some added pet safe disinfectant. Once clean rinse out the tray and leave out to dry. Alternatively, you can use a towel to dry if you’re in a rush.
3. Use anti-bacteria and Add a Newspaper Layer
Once the tray clean is clean it’s on to the next part. When using indoor cages, we like to put a couple of layers in. We wholly recommend this to further absorb urine and reduce smell once the rabbit decides on a toilet spot.
Our first layer is newspaper. If you didn’t use any pet safe disinfectant when you cleaned the tray, we recommend a quick spray of some pet safe anti-bacterial spray, you can find this in the rabbit section of most pet stores. It usually comes in a spray bottle. If you’re stuck, look for something similar to this we found on Amazon.
Once you have sprayed the tray out you can line it with newspaper (magazines work fine also however the glossy kind won’t be quite as absorbent).
4. Add a Substrate
Next comes a layer of your bunnies favorite bedding/substrate material. There are lots of different options available so decide which suits you best (again our article linked here may help you decide). If you’re on a budget, hay is fine to use.
5. Add feeding Hay
Hay should be readily available. A rabbit will eat it and use it as a toilet, sometimes at the same time. If you aren’t using hay as your substrate you can keep it separate from whatever you are using by putting it in a designated tray or hay rack (if you really don’t want your rabbit pooping in his hay). Amazon have one here that will fit nicely onto the inside of an indoor cage.
6. Clip on the Cage Housing & Add Food and Water Bowls/Bottles
Once the substrate and a supply of hay is put in simply add your freshly cleaned food and water bowls and litter trays in and clip the cage back into place.
Cleaning Hutches
Unlike an indoor cage hutches do not come apart, they are usually always in two sections, a main section (usually with a wire mesh window) and a closed section for privacy. Both sections are usually accessed from the front, so cleaning can be a bit more difficult as you’ll probably have to lean inside a little.
Hutches are also wooden meaning that they collect smell and damp and are prone to rotting in the corners or wherever the rabbit decides to use the toilet.
The open front area and the fact that hutches are usually kept outside also increases the risk of flies or other parasites getting in meaning it’s even more important to monitor the cleanliness of this style of rabbit home. You should be cleaning even the largest of hutches at least once a week.
To begin cleaning, open the hutch doors and use a dustpan and brush to get out all the spoiled bedding and substrate. As a hutch is wooden, we wouldn’t recommend a weekly soaking of the inside of the hutch unless you are confident that it will be able to dry out – putting a rabbit into damp conditions is likely to affect its overall health and comfort.
If you are in a warm climate and you are confident that it will dry quickly, you can give it a deep clean out in the same way as you could for an indoor cage using a hosepipe or high velocity water sprayer/bucket and sponge once a month without fear of rotting the wood.
When your hutch is empty and dry, use a rabbit safe disinfectant spray or mild bleach solution to remove any remaining staining and odors. Rabbits usually use corners as toilets, so you will probably have to spray a bit extra in these areas. When its empty you will also be able to assess any potential weak points or damage in the hutch (rabbits tend to enjoy chewing wood!).
Once your satisfied that the hutch is germ free you can start refurnishing.
First add in a layer of newspaper. This will not only provide another absorbent layer but if the hutch is kept outside will also help with insulation.
Next add in bedding/substrate material (link here for options) and finally add your hay. If you aren’t using hay as your substrate add it to your hutch, you can hay to each section if you have more than one. Extra hay in the bedding section will also help keep the bunny warm.
Last of all add your freshly cleaned food trays, water bowl and litter tray (if you have one) and you’re done.
Cleaning Large Rabbit Homes
Most rabbit owners give their pet as much room as possible and if you have a large indoor or outdoor space available you may decide to build your rabbit a custom run or hutch (we did this recently by converting children’s playhouses! you can read all about it here). If you have the space available, this can be a great option and although you may think a larger space equals more cleaning, there are plenty of ways you can speed up the cleaning process.
Over the years we have housed our rabbits in large custom-made compounds, converted children’s playhouses as well as large areas of our kitchen separated out with a puppy pen. These were all much larger than the normal rabbit homes seen in pet stores and here’s how we approached cleaning these larger areas.
General Cleaning of Large Rabbit Homes
Larger rabbit homes come in many forms, as well as the three examples given above, they can be anything from converted sheds to entire bedrooms adapted for bunnies. Larger spaces can be cleaned less frequently than hutches or cages due to their size, but of course cleaning frequency will also depend on the number of bunny occupants.
Even the largest of bunny homes should be cleaned at least once per week with spot cleaning of litter trays and food/water dishes or bottles along with fresh hay added daily.
For cleaning out of larger areas a dust pan and brush or broom can be used or a good outdoor wet and dry vacuum like the one we found here on Amazon can speed up the job.
Whatever you decide to use the process of cleaning is the same, start by cleaning out all the old straw, newspaper and shavings (or whichever else you use as a substrate) up and remove it. Take out any food dishes and water bowls and move them aside for cleaning later. If you have litter trays these can also be removed and emptied straight into a bin liner.
Next disinfect the floor surface, if this is a tiled or laminate area such as a sectioned off part of a kitchen, you can just mop this with a very mild bleach solution, other diluted kitchen cleaners are also fine on tiled areas provided you allow them to dry thoroughly before putting your bunny back on them or adding any hay.
Note: never let your bunny walk around on wet floors immediately after cleaning chemicals have been used. Your bunny will lick and clean itself with its paws and may become seriously ill if any are ingested.
Alternatively, for surfaces which are not easily mopped (e.g. an artificial grass) simply spray toilet areas with rabbit safe anti-bacterial spray and lightly spray other areas before allowing to dry.
Larger areas and extra space often allow you to be a bit more organized. You can even purchase combined dishes/litter trays and hay racks which are great space savers and cover just about everything you need in a rabbit home (here’s one we found on Amazon).
When it comes to laying out your bunny essentials we’d advise getting trays or similar, a litter tray and a hay rack at the very least will save you precious time when it comes to cleaning.
If you have any rabbit toys, these can be cleaned with water and a small brush, an old toothbrush works well. Once everything’s clean and you have added your fresh food and water you can add your bunnies and watch them explore their new clean home!
Rabbit Home Cleaning Tips
Cleaning Algae from Water Bottles
Although we recommend bowls for rabbits as they are easier for a bunny to get a decent drink from, bottles are still widely used by many owners. One of the problems with bottles, particularly plastic ones is that algae can grow on the inside of the water bottle. This can be very difficult to reach when cleaning even using a brush.
One solution we have found to this problem is to simply add a handful of uncooked rice to the water bottle and add about a third of the bottle size in cold water. Next either put your thumb in the top of the bottle (if it is large enough) or put the top back on. With your finger over the spout whole simply give the bottle of water and rice mix a good shake. The action of the rice crashing against the inside of the bottle should be abrasive enough to get rid of any algae.
Vacuums
As mentioned we can’t recommend vacuums enough especially for larger runs and enclosures however skittish rabbits may not like them. If you do decide to use one always wait until your rabbit is safely out of the area before turning it on. We find that a good wet and dry garden vacuum does the same cleaning tasks in half the time.
Encouraging Litter Training
Litter training is a fairly easy process and although you won’t catch every poop your rabbit does, a litter tray will make cleaning a little quicker and less unpleasant as you’ll be able to get rid of your rabbit toilet in one foul swoop.
To begin litter training place some newspaper and your bunnies favorite hay into a tray like the one linked here on amazon. After a full clean of the rabbit’s home leave the tray in a corner or in place of the rabbit’s usual toilet spot. Your rabbit will go into the tray as he explores and will probably start eating the hay.
Providing he’s occupied in the tray for long enough he will likely poop or pee (it’s not unusual at all for rabbits to do this while they eat). Once the rabbit leaves the tray the scent will keep him going back to use this area as a toilet. This is a very basic method of litter training that has worked for us but if this doesn’t work for you a more advanced approach can be found in our article here.
Astroturf
Artificial grass or astro-turf as it is otherwise known isn’t just for 5 a side soccer pitches, it makes a great surface material for a bunny home too. The advantages of astro turf are numerous but the main ones when it comes to cleaning is that it replaces the need for a substrate such as sawdust or shavings which can be rather messy, can easily be cut into a removeable mat, is washable and is tough enough to be scrubbed clean or vacuumed.
We use astro turf in our own hutches and (we haven’t come across an easier surface to clean). Of course, there are many other options available but if artificial grass is something you are considering you can read more about it in our article here.
Boredom Busting
Rabbits sometimes toss their food bowls around, as well as digging in hay piles and blankets so don’t be surprised to find hay all over the place 10 minutes after you have just finished cleaning!
If your rabbit is doing this, it may be that he just likes it this way or it could be that boredom is an issue. Try a few boredom-busting rabbit toys and see if it helps reduce this behavior, if not just accept that your bunny may be a little messy.
Wrap Up
We hope you have enjoyed this article and although the information contained in it may seem very basic, remember cleaning doesn’t need to be made overly difficult. The main message that we want to get across is that us rabbit owners should strive to provide a warm, safe and clean environment for our pets to live their lives.
Rabbits rely on us to keep their homes clean as they can’t do it themselves and filthy conditions are a sure way to an unhealthy rabbit and a short life expectancy. Always keep your pet’s health in mind and never overlook small but important jobs like cleaning. While it may not be the most glamorous part of rabbit ownership but remember, once you get into a routine it doesn’t have to be too much of a chore.
Further Reading
How to Clean a Rabbit Cage thesprucepets.com
How to Clean a Rabbit Cage: Daily & Weekly Cleaning animallama.com
Clean homes – How often to clean rabbit cage petplan.co.uk
