We had already mentioned in a previous article the joys of having a rabbit as a pet. Although they are really sweet and tender animals, like any pet, keeping them at home implies very specific cleaning arrangements. As boring as it might sound, cleaning your rabbit cage is very important for the flurry friend’s health and hygiene. Here at PetComments, we’ll give nine tips that will help you keep your rabbit’s cage clean and your home free of odors and unnecessary mess.
1. Supplies! Get prepared for your bunny friend.
Yes, buy cleaning supplies. For sanitary reasons, have the cleaning supplies specifically for cleaning your rabbit cage, don’t use the ones you use for cleaning your own home. Among the items, you’ll probably need for cleaning the cage is the following:
- Rag.
- Water.
- A disinfectant specifically designed for cleaning a rabbit cage.
- Sponge.
- Vinegar. It works wonders for cleaning urine marks.
- Clean hay or sand.
- Shovel and a small brush to pick up organic waste.
- Gloves.
2. Update your cleaning routine ASAP!
Surely, you had your own way and time for cleaning your space, room, apartment, etc. But now you have a bunny! You saw it and couldn’t help it, now you have it, we get it...they’re cute. But beyond the joys a pet rabbit can give as a companion, it is also an animal that requires attention and it needs to be in a clean space. Therefore, every day you can remember to clean your rabbit’s cage by setting an alarm on your phone; if you need a reminder to do the cleaning activities. That way, you and your rabbit will be happy and satisfied.
3. Establish your daily cleaning chores
Once you get used to it or your alarms keeps reminding you to do it, you’ll remember your daily chores. We know life is busy; you can’t just clean the entire cage every day. That is understandable, so you can divide the cleaning by depth, and for example, you can do a light cleaning of the rabbit cage EVERY day.
Rabbit’s dirty up hay a lot with their own needs, especially if they are not trained. It is therefore recommended to change the hay from the cage every two to three days. The water should be changed every day, with the same frequency as the food. At the end of each day remove all organic waste from the animal, whether feces or food that was not eaten; you can do this with a stick and a brush.
4. Establish your weekly cleaning chores
Every week you should clean your rabbit’s cage more in-depth. For this, make sure you have your rabbit in a safe place while you clean its cage.
Remove all accessories and toys from the cage, these should be washed using the sponge with some water and detergent or disinfectant. Remove all the hay and replace it with new hay, but first clean the base of the cage with detergent or disinfectant and hot water.
5. Disinfect your rabbit cage
Every month, disinfect your rabbit’s cage. This way you will avoid undesirable bacteria and infections in your pet and your family. If the cage has bars, it is necessary to clean them as well as these can be a source of infection. For this job you can use a disinfectant designed specifically for cleaning the rabbit cage, and there are many in the market. Using a regular disinfectant could harm your rabbit in the future due to being toxic if you don’t rinse it well when cleaning the cage. Vinegar can be used to help remove urine stains and it helps with the smell a lot too.
Once you finish, remember to disinfect all the cleaning supplies, so that they’re ready for use next time.
6. Let it sun dry
Yes, once you finish the arduous labor of cleaning and disinfecting your rabbit’s cage, it will help to let it dry in the sun. By doing this it will help to eliminate the remaining bacteria. While you let the sun do its job, you can clean your rabbit or play with it. They always enjoy the attention.
7. Rabbit litter boxes
Cleaning the litter box daily can be useful for cleaning reasons, but it is also important because it gives you the opportunity to check your rabbit's urine and feces. Monitoring these things will alert you to any changes that may indicate a health problem within your rabbit.
How often you clean the litter box depends on how much litter you use and the quality of the litter. If you put a heavy layer of litter for your rabbit, you don’t necessarily need to clean it daily. A key point is to keep your rabbit and its cage as clean as possible by designating a corner of the cage for the litter and training your rabbit to use only that corner. Yes, potty training can save you time when cleaning.
8. Keep your rabbit clean
The whole purpose of keeping the rabbit cage clean is for the health of your bunny friend. But when we don’t keep our pet clean, cleaning the cage loses all purpose. A clean bunny and a clean cage keep odors out, and it helps maintain a clean space even when having a pet.
9. Pick a good cage for your rabbit
If you have the possibility, buy a good cage for your pet, the best cages for your rabbit are made of plastic or metal. These kinds of cages are the easiest to clean, while wood cages carry the risk of infection as the surface is not a non-porous one, so it is a storage point for bacteria and germs that are dangerous for you and your rabbit.
With this, we have the nine tips that can help you clean your rabbit’s cage and space. Remember to implement the cleaning of your rabbit's cage into your daily routine, to make it a habit is the key to success.