What do I need to consider when buying litter for a rabbit?

Question

We know that rabbits are easy to litter box train. At the pet store there are some litters in the cat area, and there are different litters in the rabbit (small mammal) area. Can I use a cat litter? If not what should I consider when choosing a rabbit litter?

Answer 1

The purpose of litter is to keep your pet clean and reduce smell.

When a rabbit is healthy, their droppings rarely have much smell. On the other hand, rabbit pee on can be quite nauseating, especially when bacteria break it down and begin producing ammonia vapors. To minimize this problem, you need a litter with a very high absorbency

The best litter for you might vary a bit depending on your budget.

Personally, I always choose hard-wood pellets.

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Here's a general comparison:

Hardwood (saw dust) Pellets

• One of the best liquid absorbents
• Fully edible
• Seems to almost eliminate odor
• Paws of white rabbits seem cleanest

Softwood (saw dust) Pellets

• High terpene content can irritate airways
• Questionable Edibility (terpenes)
• One of the best liquid absorbents
• Seems to almost eliminate odor
• Paws of white rabbits seem cleanest

High-Absorbency Paper Bedding (care fresh)

• Sticks to almost every type of rabbit fur = very messy
• One of the best liquid absorbents
• Fully edible
• Seems to almost eliminate odor
• Paws of white rabbits seem cleanest

Clay litter:

• Too dusty for rabbits
• Often over scented, and will deter a rabbit form use
• Some brands are not absorbent as care fresh or saw dust or saw dust pellets
• Not very edible for rabbits

Saw Dust:

• One of the best liquid absorbents
• Fully edible
• Tends to stick to bunny fur = messy

News Paper:

• Does not absorb as well as care fresh or saw dust or saw dust pellets
• print can stain rabbits fur
• wetness doesn't distribute well; you get patchy potties.

Hay

• Does not absorb as well as care fresh or saw dust or saw dust pellets
• Tends to amplify smell issues
• Wetness doesn't distribute well; you get patchy potties.

Corn Cob Pellets

• Absorbs better than most, but not as well as care fresh or saw dust or saw dust pellets
• Expensive
• Tends to stick to the fur of longer haired rabbits

Straw Pellets

• Absorbs better than most, but not as well as care fresh or saw dust or saw dust pellets
• Expensive

Newspaper Pellets

• Absorbs better than most, but not as well as care fresh or saw dust or saw dust pellets
• Some brands have high ink content that stain the bunny’s feet
• Doesn't seem to deal with odor as well as other pellet litter.

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Pro-tip: While not actually approved for pet usage (as it may contain plastics or other contaminates, I almost always buy my hardwood pellets form my local home center as is usually less than 1/4 of the cost as it would be at the pet store.