# Rabbit Run Advice on flooring x



## ThumperThomas (Jul 1, 2014)

Hi Guys/Gals 

Can any of you lovely people help me please??

I have a run in my garage with our two new bunnies and I was wondering whats the best to do as far as floor covering is concerned?? Do I fill it with 75% wood shavings to soak up the Urine and Poo's?? With the other 25% being hay and straw for them to munch on?? 

It's a gorgeous story how we picked up our two new bunnies and I will post it on here later to tell you all x x 

Thanks all x x


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## sskmick (Feb 4, 2008)

Hello and welcome to the forum.

We have put a base of hardboard flooring under our run, and to be honest I would do that on top of a concrete floor simply because imo the cold of the concrete strikes through and hardboard is a bit warmer.

I put a light covering of wood shavings in their run and a light covering of hay.

I only use straw underneath the hay in winter in their sleeping quarters as straw seems to be warmer than hay. Rabbits don't get any nutritional value from straw which is why I prefer to use hay.

I also have a litter tray in their run which makes it easier to clean. I clean their litter trays every day and clean the whole housing including run thoroughly with pet disinfectant and white vinegar once a week.

If your buns are newly bonded and/or just joined you then I wouldn't use disinfectant or white vinegar just yet as that will remove all odour and could upset the bond at this stage.


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

I would avoid wood shavings they cause also sorts of respitory and skin allergies. 

I would put a sheet of lino down and sit the run on top so they cant chew the ends. This will stop the floor getting wee stained and make disinfecting easier. 

Rabbits are very easy to litter train, use a at litter tray or similar fill with paper cat pellets and put a hay rack over. 

Offer them somewhere to hide to get out of the wind although drafts will be minimal in a well sealed garage. You can buy timber hides but a ccardboard box can work well. Although they may use this as the litter tray if you fill it with hay or straw. 

It's important that rabbits get plenty of light to help with vitamin absorption which is something to keep in mind wih garages.


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## farhana (Mar 15, 2014)

emzybabe said:


> Offer them somewhere to hide to get out of the wind although drafts will be minimal in a well sealed garage. You can buy timber hides but a ccardboard box can work well. Although they may use this as the litter tray if you fill it with hay or straw.


Or they might chew and rip it to shreds like mine do lol

I second the lino suggestion. It's easily sprayed and wiped clean


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## ThumperThomas (Jul 1, 2014)

Thanks for the advice guys/gals x x 

Lola is sneezing a little when she is in the run with the wood shavings but when she is away from the shavings she is right as rain, so we will change it to Lino as soon as we can get to store.

What would you recommend for our hutch? It's a two story hutch and they mainly stay downstairs? We want them to be safe so if wood shavings are no good, what do you recommend? 

Thanks x x


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

ThumperThomas said:


> Thanks for the advice guys/gals x x
> 
> Lola is sneezing a little when she is in the run with the wood shavings but when she is away from the shavings she is right as rain, so we will change it to Lino as soon as we can get to store.
> 
> ...


Definitely lose those wood shavings. they really aren't good for rabbits, and the problem, once triggered, may not go away, leadng to a debilitated, vulnerable rabbit - and heavy vet bills.

If you have somewhere like Carpetwrght near you, you can buy cheap offcuts of lino/vinyl flooring. We use that in our hutches. It protects the hutch and is so much easier to clean. you could use it on the run floor too in a garage.

We also buy cheap carpet squares form the same place for a warm place to sit - then throw them away and replace as needed.

Use some sort of plastic tray for litter trays. Underbed storage boxes are great, washing bowls are useful for smaller spaces. Deep is good.

In our hutches we have vinyl, then newspaper, then hay, and litter trays.

In the runs, we have litter trays with newspaper and hay.

It's easy to sweep the run and change litter trays regularly.

Are your buns litter tray trained?


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

Yes I use the lino inside my wendyhouse too although newspaper would be ok and much better than shavings. 

If your using lino etc you just need to be mindful of their feet, they were built to be on spongy grass all day any firmer surfaces can wear the fur pads down particularly on Rex rabbits or old rabbits.


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

Cosy fleecy blankets folded up go down well here too.


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## Amelia66 (Feb 15, 2011)

I would also recommend lino if you need anything at all to go down. Are they on concrete? if so i would just add some fleecy blankets to make it warmer and toilet train them. 

If you get lino make sure its the textured stuff not totally smooth to lessen the chance of slipping around on it.


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## ThumperThomas (Jul 1, 2014)

We are getting there with the litter training! We have a big cat litter tray with paper pellets and we have the hay rack just near it so they eat and poo at the same time. 

Lino is down in the hutch with a nice bunny bed and fleece blankets for warmth but we need to sort out the bottom part of the hutch as it's just Lino at the moment, so we are looking to either put lots of straw or hay in there. 

Any other advice would be great.


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