When most people think about a litter box, the most common conception usually includes images of cat litter and its small granulated dusty particles, with accompanying scents to combat certain undesirable smells. The best rabbit litter will be highly absorbent and, ideally, cheap.
Still, we have done an immense amount of research, and for those pressed on time, here is a quick list on what the best rabbit litter and litter boxes are:
Rabbit litter:
- Kaytee wood pellets small animal litter
- Kaytee premium potty training critter litter
- Vitakraft Fresh World small animal bedding
- Oxbow Eco Straw wheat straw litter
- Small Pet Select 100% natural corn cob bedding & litter
Rabbit litter boxes:
- Muyg Rabbit litter box
- Kathson large rabbit litter box trainer
- BUCATSTATE extra large rabbit litter box
- RUBY HOME rabbit litter box toilet
- PODOO steel grids rabbit litter box
Fortunately, traditional cat litter is the opposite of what rabbits need and cannot be an apt substitution because the small particles can cause respiratory problems. So, before moving forward, it’s essential to clarify what you shouldn’t use and why.
What Is the Best Rabbit Litter?
The best rabbit litter you can choose is wood pellets because they are ultra-absorbent, innately don’t have smells or allergens that can upset your bun’s little nose, and are usually very affordable. Couple all this with coming in many different styles and the lack of sticking or clumping, and you’ve got a litter that is easy to clean and completely natural.
Assuming that wasn’t your cup of tea, other alternatives can still fit the bill, like blends of shredded organic and inorganic compounds that deliver on odor-negating capabilities, and still have relatively the same kind of easy-to-clean attributes. Still, the price and quality of such litter can vary widely. Below, we’ll briefly go over the five best litters you can use and what makes them shine amongst other competitors.
1. Kaytee Wood Pellets Small Animal Litter
Kaytee’s Wood Pellet litter is about as basic as you can get for a no-nonsense product, being affordable and made entirely out of natural wood you really can’t go wrong here, this particular brand makes a unique focus on eliminating dust and other potentially harmful debris that can get stuck your your bun’s nose, causing irritation or damage if left unchecked.
Another absolute boon would be that Kaytee has been in the business of taking care of animals of all shapes and sizes for quite a long time, with a slew of different products that can keep your fur babies happy, so trust is something they’ve earned, both in product and pricing.
2. Kaytee Premium Potty Training Critter Litter
The timeless adage that “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” rings especially true here, with another exquisite product but this time replacing the splendor of wood for the extreme absorbency of clay, this potty training blend brings together a few other natural minerals to make a litter that can not only absorb ten times its weight in liquid, but also negate the possibility of missing any soiled corners, as you’ll be able to tell which clumps are used visibly.
3. Vitakraft Fresh World Small Animal Bedding
If you want to endorse a product that changes the material and is made in the USA again, look no further than Vitakraft’s animal bedding blend. This blend is excellent for people who are more sensitive to the plight of our environment. It uses a mesh of recycled paper that has ultra-absorbent qualities and is dust-free and odor-fighting.
Because the bedding is made of paper, you’ll be able to easily take the guesswork out of finding out where your bun went and make their enclosure cleaner with the utmost haste. Even better yet, the bedding is incredibly comfortable, so you won’t need to feel bad about your rabbit’s feet while navigating around.
4. Oxbow Eco Straw Wheat Straw Litter
Yet another large name entering the fray, Oxbow has been in the animal care industry for over thirty years now, and their Eco-Straw wheat litter blend is just as good as their reputation. Made entirely of wheat straw, this litter is both culpable and scoopable, making cleaning a breeze. Most importantly, it is dust-free.
Unlike most other litters, Oxbow’s straw wheat litter is also consumable, albeit in small quantities. However, it will not cause your bun any harm if they decide to have a bit of a snack on it every so often, which is more than some of their competitors can say. It’s worth noting, however, that if your rabbit decides to eat the litter exclusively, you’ll probably want to swap to a different brand as it’s counterintuitive.
5. Small Pet Select 100% Natural Corn Cob Bedding & Litter
Wrapping things up nicely, we have Small Pet Select’s take on bedding for small animals. They’ve decided to go with something relatively unique: corn cob as their animal bedding. Its biggest perks include being dust-free, biodegradable, and comfortable enough for rabbits to rummage safely.
Because of how the corn cobs handle moisture, they work from the bottom up, which reduces the chances of urine and other excrement pooling at the bottom of the cage. This is its own odor-fighting design, making everything a neatly disposable package.
What Are the Best Rabbit Litter Boxes?
The best litter boxes fit comfortably inside your rabbit’s enclosure and are easy to clean and reach. Above all, they don’t use overly complicated designs that artificially bloat the product’s price without offering anything meaningful in return.
Installation is another key component when considering what makes a rabbit litter box superior to another. By considering all those facets, you can get a better sense of the ideal litter box and decide which one works best for you and your family.
1. Muyg Rabbit Litter Box for Cage
Muyg isn’t extremely popular off the cuff; what they offer are affordable pet products that can save you not only time but money as well. However, they don’t sacrifice quality either, making them a fantastic choice to lead on, this particular litter box comes in several colors to choose from and has a very easy installation process of simply picking your desired height, aligning the screw, and attaching the fastener to it, and just like that, you knew litter box is installed.
The box itself is designed to prevent excess spillage from rolling over into the rest of your rabbit’s enclosure, which fundamentally gives your rabbit a better living situation as well. Most importantly, because the litter box is fastened down, you won’t have to worry about it flipping over, putting your bun at risk, or making a mess.
2. Kathson Large Rabbit Litter Box Trainer
Kathson’s take on the litter box is unique. It offers a small extendable tray underneath the box, making cleaning much faster and easier to manage when dealing with leftover spillage and mess. Furthermore, it’s very affordable and the installation process is relatively straightforward.
The interior design of the litter boxes is designed to minimize the chances of your rabbit’s feet getting stuck between the grating. Stability was made one of the focal points of the design by adding large bolts around the edges to keep everything from being wobbly upon entry or exit.
3. BUCATSTATE Extra Large Rabbit Litter Box
While there is an undeniable price hike here, the difference in quality is rather immense. Bucatstate’s litter box is not only more well designed from the bottom up, but it also displays an extreme level of durability with ornate details in design choice, from the grid that holds your bun to how it comes apart easily for expedited cleaning.
The litter box itself is also designed to give more room between the resting space for your rabbit and the waste that accumulates, helping to mitigate the odors that are created and giving your rabbit a healthier lifestyle by association. All in all, it manages to combine cleanliness with ease of access, and you really can’t ask for much else.
4. RUBY HOME Rabbit Litter Box Toilet
This litterbox has a very minimalistic design and includes a few niceties like a toy, dustpan, and a few balls for your bun to play with, but its real claim to fame is the combination of stability and a double-reinforced design.
Using this litterbox is incredibly easy because all of its edges are very low to the ground, meaning your rabbit won’t have to put as much effort in to get to it’s box, or out of it, with height differences usually being a point of contention amongst some designs, admittedly though, this litter box is smaller than most, so you’ll want to double check the dimensions to ensure your rabbit’s needs are met size wise.
5. PODOO Steel Grids Rabbit Litter Box
Finally we have a litter box that goes for a straight to the point, no-nonsense design, the edges of the litter box itself are a matte lime green, and made with a very durable plastic, but the mesh that reinforces it is made of steel, giving you greater comfort in the overall stability of the product, and a easy to access opening on the front for your bun to hop in and out of.
If you do go with this litter box, its size and height make initial training much easier. It also features a removable tray that collects all waste, making cleanup even easier.
What Do You Need to Clean a Rabbit Litter Box?
Depending on the litter box you go with, and the litter you choose, you’ll typically need a scoop for the large clumps of waste, and a rag to get any remnants that may be adhering to the corners or mesh of the cage itself.
If you want to scrub the entire cage down and not just get rid of your rabbit’s droppings, you’ll want to use a white vinegar and water solution to keep things safe and sterile for your bun. Keep the ratio of water to vinegar at 4:1.
However, be mindful that certain litter types require different cleaning methods to be handled appropriately and avoid potential messes when the clumps come apart or when the sanitary tray is removed from the bottom of the litter box itself.
It would also be wise to routinely change out all of your rabbit’s bedding, remove the litter box itself, and do a thorough deep clean to ensure your rabbit isn’t exposed to potentially dangerous odors, chemicals, and fungus that can form if your litterbox is left unattended for too long.
How Often Should Rabbit Litter Be Changed?
By the above-mentioned cleaning regimen, normal waste should be removed once every one or two days, and a full deep cleaning should be done once or twice a week. The frequency of both metrics should be increased if you have more rabbits, as the filth can accumulate faster.
If you have multiple rabbits, you’ll want to ensure you keep them out of the way when attending to all litter boxes. Typically, you only remove one box at a time, so your rabbits always have one option to go to and avoid making larger messes in the long run.
What Kind of Litter Is Best for Rabbits?
The best litter available is largely wood-based pellets, partially due to their extreme absorbency and partially due to their availability. Another great perk is the wood’s odor-fighting qualities and ease of cleaning.
How Deep Should a Rabbit Litter Box Be?
On average, a depth of about four inches would be the norm. If you are between paychecks and need to make do, you can use a bit less, but the larger reasoning boils down to how rabbits go to the restroom. Typically, they back into corners to relieve themselves, and in doing so, they can make messes in smaller boxes, either by directly leaving the litter box entirely or by seeping in large pools in the trays underneath.
Final Thoughts
While shopping for a litter box and litter combo for your rabbit, you’ll ultimately want to consider what kind of investment level you are looking to deal with, alongside how often you want to clean and how much odor-fighting capacity you expect from your litter. Combine all of these. You can purchase litter boxes and litter that are wrong for you and your bun.
