If you have a rabbit, you’ve probably noticed the tons of different bedding brands available for purchase. You’ve probably also heard about how sensitive rabbits noses and feet can be.
To help you make the right choice for your pet. We have gone through several types of bedding to find the best products that are both safe and effective to use with your rabbit.
Below are the 11 best types of rabbit bedding. We go over the facts, as well as, each brands pros and cons.
What Bedding To Avoid?
Rabbits will all have different needs according to each individual pets. There are some overarching things you should avoid when picking out bedding for your pet.
To start with, you should avoid fleece bedding with rabbits. Fleece has a tendency to become a chew toy with rabbits, which is terrible for messes and their stomachs.
Dusty bedding should also be avoided as it can irritate your rabbit’s nose. Prolonged exposure to dusty formulas can lead to future respiratory issues in rabbits.
Sharp wood bedding is also a no go. Rabbits bedding should be made into small fine pieces. The last thing you want is a splinter in a rabbit’s sensitive paw pads.
Pine bedding is also a bad choice as it is commonly dusty. You will also need to avoid Cedar for similar reasons to pine bedding. Consumption of either of these bedding types can be harmful.
Never use bedding you made yourself unless it is 100% organic and free of chemicals. Many hays that you can buy are treated with pesticides when growing.
Chemicals can become a hazard to your pet’s health, especially if your rabbit is a chewer. Some materials will make bad bedding choices if consumed more than average by your pet.
Best Bedding Types For Rabbits
If you want to pick out great bedding for your pet, there are quite a few choices. For wood bedding, Aspen is a safe choice that absorbs moisture quickly.
If you want to go with fiber bedding, then there are several brands that use virgin and recycled paper. Paper bedding is extremely low in dust content and perfect for sensitive noses.
Hemp is another popular choice that is just a little bit pricey. Hemp is a natural choice that controls odor without having to use added oils.
Many popular brands, such as Kaytee even make pet safe scented bedding. You can also find tons of colored paper bedding in the market for your cage.
Just remember to vet all brands before buying them. Some types of bedding will work better for certain breeds of rabbits. Be sure to clean your bedding regularly, no matter the brand.
Kaytee Soft Granule Blend Bedding for Pet Cages
Another great type of wood-based bedding is this soft Granule Blend. This bedding is made by Kaytee to be a safe and comfortable blend that your pet will love sleeping in.
Every bag of this bedding is completely made in the USA and almost completely dust free. No having to worry about unnatural materials being used in your pet’s cage.
The small size of this bedding doesn’t make it an excellent choice for burrowing, but spot cleaning is easy. The formula does an excellent job of keeping strong smells under control.
Kaytee Granule even absorbs up to three times the moisture of other bedding choices. Overall Granule is one of the best options out there for using wood-based shavings.
Pros:
- Soft Wood Product
- Controls And Absorbs Odor Quickly
- Made In The USA
Cons:
- Doesn’t Provide Burrowing Opportunity
Small Pet Select Natural Paper Bedding
This is a lesser known brand in small animal bedding, but for those who do know them, they are pleased. Small Pet Select makes excellent quality products with your rabbit in mind.
Small Pet’s Selects natural bedding is made without using potentially harmful paper. This means the paper has never been bleached or printed on; they only use virgin paper.
While this is a higher priced bedding, The fibers absorbency is worth it. The paper fibers are ultra absorbent and keep any unpleasant smell from seeping out.
This product is almost completely dusted free, making it perfect for sensitive noses. Be warned that you will have to change out this bedding more thanks to its odor control.
Pros:
- Good Absorption Rate
- Almost No Dust
- Virgin Paper
Cons:
- Not As Much Odor Control As Leading Brands
Rabbit Hole Hay Ultra Premium
If a brand has rabbit in the name, then you just know it will work well for your pet. Rabbit Hole Hay is made to be a great alternative to other bedding types like aspen.
This bedding is made out of virgin fibers that aren’t harmful to your rabbit. This is especially important if you have a pet that likes to chew on everything.
The bedding is made from hay and is FDA approved for consumption. While this still isn’t recommend that’s more than any other bedding brand can claim.
The odor control is still there so that you won’t be spending more of your time cleaning. To top it all off, this is a low dust formula perfect for sensitive noses.
Pros:
- Great Odor Control
- Bedding Made From Hay
- Low Dust
Cons:
- Shows Urine Coloring When Absorbed
Oxbow Pure Comfort Small Animal Bedding
If your looking for a brand that puts your rabbits needs first then look no further for Oxbow bedding. This bedding is a comfortable mixture made to be rabbit safe.
Instead of using recycled newspaper, Oxbow makes there fibers out of virgin paper. This keeps harmful contaminants like ink away from your rabbit’s sensitive digestive tract.
You will need to clean spots daily to guarantee proper odor control with this bedding. When taken care of properly, you can go up to a week or more without bedding changes.
This bedding can absorb up to 800 x the liquid of other beddings and expands up to 250% of it’s the packaged size.
Pros:
- Uses Virgin Paper
- 800 Times The Absorbent Power
- Expands Up To 250%
Cons:
- Shavings Weigh More Than Normal
Purina Yesterday’s News Non-Clumping Paper Cat Litter
Yesterday’s News is a popular bedding choice with rabbit owners. The surprising part is that it was made to be a cat litter alternative that just happens to work for rabbits.
Instead of being made into shavings Purina crafts paper fibers into small pellets to capture messes. The pellets are safe for rabbit’s feet and don’t produce a ton of dust.
The pellets feature stronger odor control formulas than most small pet bedding. This can help control the odor of an animal with stronger urine and droppings.
Best of all, this is a natural litter made without harmful additives. You can even get more bedding for the price thanks to Purina’s cheap prices.
Pros:
- Cat Grade Odor Control
- Natural Fibers
- More Bedding For The Cost
Cons:
- Harder To Burrow In
- Needs Daily Spot Cleaning
Living World Fresh ‘N Comfy Small Animal Bedding
Another alternative brand that many rabbit owners love is Living World. There bedding uses no wood-based shaving and is great for pets that are sensitive to dust.
To create the bedding Living World uses old newspapers that have been recycled into safe, absorbent fibers. They make sure that each batch of bedding is soft and comfy for your pet.
To help control odor baking soda is mixed in with the bedding to keep things fresh. This is not harmful to your rabbit and a great solution to not using scented oils.
If you like to liven up your cage, then you can pick from several different colors like blue and green for your bedding.
Pros:
- Uses Baking Soda Instead Of Oils
- Newspaper Fibers
- Several Colors To Choose From
Cons:
- Bedding Can Be Dusty
Kaytee Aspen Bedding Bag
Kaytee does a great job of making Aspen bedding that is small and safe for your rabbit’s sensitive feet. They even use all natural Aspen to make these small shavings.
This formula is processed in order to reduce dust that may irritate your pets sinuses. The bedding will require daily spot cleaning to keep smelling fresh.
Be sure to change out Aspen bedding at least once a week as wood bedding can attract bacteria growth. This can be potentially harmful to your rabbit.
Aspen bedding is safe for the environment and naturally biodegradable. It uses no scent odors to help control odor making it a safe choice for your pet.
Pros:
- No Scent Oils
- Envorimentaly Friendly
- Small Shavings
Cons:
- Frequent Cleaning
RentACoop Hemp Bedding
If you aren’t a fan of paper fibers, then there is a more natural option available for you. RentACoop is one of the pioneers in making all natural hemp bedding.
Hemp is a completely safe material that is safe for rabbits. The natural and organic hemp used in making this product makes it perfect for use with sensitive pets.
This bedding has even been shown to absorb a significant amount of moisture than paper fibers. This leads to better odor control with no harmful oils being used.
As with many natural hemp products, this bedding will cost more than traditional brands. The superior absorbency and odor control make up for the price, though.
Pros:
- Absorbs Moisture Fast
- No Oils Used
- All Natural
Cons:
- High Cost
Kaytee Kay Kob Bird & Small Animal Natural Bedding & Litter
If you want to go an alternative bedding route altogether, then Kob bedding is the perfect choice for you. This bedding is a great alternative made by the trusted small animal brand, Kaytee.
If your pet isn’t a fan of paper fibers, and wood shavings cause issues, then cob is perfect. Cob bedding is made from natural corn that is entirely animal safe.
You don’t need to worry about dust as this bedding is almost entirely free of dust. The corn cobs used in this mix are organic with no harmful pesticides or chemicals used in growth.
This bedding isn’t suitable for pets who tend to enjoy munching. A rabbit shouldn’t regularly be ingesting corn, and if your rabbit eats bedding, this brand isn’t for you.
Pros:
- Made From Organic Corn Cobs
- Odor Protection
Cons:
- Can Not Be Consumed
Carefresh Complete Pet Bedding
If your looking for bedding that is entirely made with natural materials then look no further, Carefresh takes pride in using pet safe paper to create their bedding.
Carefresh’s formula quickly absorbs liquids to trap smells inside of the fiber shavings. This keeps the odor from escaping the cage and affecting your home.
Carefresh bedding doesn’t have to be changed for up to 10 days at a time thanks to ita advanced odor control. To top it off, there is hardly any dust with this bedding.
Carefresh makes there bedding available in multiple sizes to meet any cage needs and multiple colors to fit your cages unique theme.
Pros:
- Controls Odor For Up to 10 Days
- Natural Fibers
- Multiple Color Options
Cons:
- Gets Stuck Together
Kaytee Clean & Cozy Small Pet Paper Bedding
One of the top brands in the small animal industry is Kaytee. Kaytee is known for making everything from animal habitats to the accessories our pets play one.
The brand is easy to find and sold in most pet stores around the world. They even have there own Clean & Cozy bedding brand that is safe for rabbits and their sensitive feet.
Clean & Cozy does a great job of keeping the odor from urine in check so that it won’t invade the rest of your home. Best of all, the bedding is 99.9% free of dust.
You can even opt to get the bedding in scents such as Summer Storm for extra odor protection. The brand also puts out several color variations of this bedding to give your cage some flavor.
Pros:
- Fairly Priced
- Extra Odor Control Available
- Optional Color Choices
Cons:
- Has a Tendency To Clump Together
Related Questions:
How deep should I make the bedding? If possible make the bedding at least 2 inches deep, for burrowing you can make it as deep as you want.
Why does my rabbit keeps eating their shaving? Make sure you’re providing them with enough hay and try adding in more chews to the cage, eating shaving is usually linked to boredom.
Can I use package hay? Yes, but most pet grade hay doesn’t control odor as well as dedicated bedding.