It's not that rabbits themselves are all that smelly, but for house bunny owners, living spaces can end up a bit stinky. An RHH (Rabbit Hole Hay) fan recently brought it to our attention that there aren't always great resources out there on the topic of reducing unwanted odors from living with rabbits.
No they don't! Rabbits themselves are very clean animals with odourless fur and they fastidiously groom themselves all day. Only their urine smells so as long as you keep their living area clean (spot clean every few days and a full clean-out once a week) you shouldn't have a problem.
Urine. Nearly all the smell produced by rabbits comes from the urine. It has a distinctive ammonia-tinged odor that is especially strong right after urination and can be quite strong. The urine from a buck tends to have a stronger smell than that from a doe.
Myth 1: Rabbits are great, low-maintenance pets.
Reality: Although they don't need to be walked like dogs, rabbits are anything but low-maintenance. Their quarters need daily leaning, and fresh food and water must be offered daily, including a salad of well-washed, dark-green leafy vegetables.
When you change the litter, be sure to rinse the box *thoroughly* with water. Occasionally giving it a white vinegar rinse will help keep calcium residues down and control the odor. Be sure to wash the bottom of the box as well.
Make a solution of white vinegar and water. Pour the solution onto the affected area or use a rag to dab it on. Allow the carpet or rug to sit for 2 to 5 minutes to allow the acids in the vinegar to break down the alkaline rabbit pee stain. Place a clean dry rag over the wet area.
Rabbits can be wonderful indoor house pets. They are affectionate, naturally clean, and can also be house trained. There is a common misbelief that house rabbits are a low-maintenance pet option, in reality they require a lot of care and attention.
Rabbits are very clean by nature – in the wild they relieve themselves in the same spots and don't soil the inside of their burrows. Domestic rabbits too tend to deposit their urine and pellets in just one or a few places and respond well to housetraining.
As rabbits have become increasingly popular domestic pets, rabbit allergies experienced at home or at the workplace have become more common. Physicians should be aware that rabbit exposure may cause severe respiratory allergic reactions even in non-atopic individuals.
If your bunny is smelly, chances are his cage needs cleaning. Rabbits' urine and soft feces can have a pretty strong smell, especially if you haven't changed the bedding for a while. Before you clean anything, throw away all bedding and then wash the cage thoroughly using dish soap and warm water.
The average lifespan of a rabbit kept in an outdoor hutch is 3-6 years. The average lifespan of an indoor house rabbit is 8-14 years.
How often do I need to clean my rabbit hutch? For the ideal rabbit environment, the hutch should be cleaned at least once a day, by removing any shavings or bedding that are wet and dirty, removing any uneaten fresh food and cleaning the food and water containers before refilling them.
Urine from healthy animals is typically considered to be of little to no risk to people. This is generally true, at least for the otherwise healthy human population, but like with most things in infectious diseases, there are exceptions. An interesting one in rabbits is a bug called Encephalitozoon cuniculi.
Unfortunately, if left to sit on wooden floors for a long time, rabbit pee can be challenging to clean and even do some significant damage. Rabbit urine has a high concentration of ammonia that will eventually start eating away at the varnish underneath.
Give your bunny a couple of weeks to settle in. Provide several litter boxes of different sizes with low entrances in the areas where your pal roams. Seed them with a bit of his or her feces; not enough to make the litter box dirty, just enough to give your rabbit the idea that this is the place to go.
If your rabbit wants to sleep with you and can do so safely, it's fine. If you're prepared to risk losing sleep, sharing a bed with a rabbit will deepen your bond. Just remember that rabbits like routine. You can't share your bed some nights but not others.
Rabbits shouldn't be kept in small cages
"They should be able to run back and forth, and have separate spaces to sleep, eat, and use the bathroom." Rabbits that are held in small cages often become depressed, and a lack of exercise can lead to health problems such as obesity and muscle weakness.
It is fine to cover more of the hutch during the night but you should still leave a small area open for ventilation. Add extra bedding for your bunny to snuggle into. This can be lined underneath with newspaper for increased insulation.
Rabbits are a social species and have evolved to live in groups. In the wild, rabbits do not live alone. Rabbits kept as companions are not biologically different from their wild counterparts and so their innate need to be kept in the company of other rabbits is just as strong.
Even if you have a pair of rabbits, 24 hours is the maximum time they should be alone. Like all pets, rabbits rely heavily on their owners. Domesticated rabbits lack the survival skills of wild rabbits. Your rabbit has basic needs surrounding food, exercise, and stimulation.
Even rabbits who are litter box trained will occasionally poop outside of their box. It's pretty much impossible to stop this behavior entirely, but there are steps you can take to significantly reduce the amount of poop you find scattered around.