From: almanb@sr.hp.com (Bob Alman)
Subject: Re: Purina Rabbit Chow and wood-chip litter (was Re: bunny questions)
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 20:12:03 GMT
Organization: HP Sonoma County (SRSD/MWTD/MID)
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.4 PL6]

John Paul Morrison (jmorriso@ee.ubc.ca) wrote:
: In article <23014@drutx.ATT.COM> njl@drutx.ATT.COM (LaRocheNJ) writes:
: >In article <1992Dec24.091133.958@ee.ubc.ca>, jmorriso@ee.ubc.ca (John Paul Morrison) writes:
: >
: >>                                             ...We use a paper based litter,
: >> instead of regular cat litter. The paper/pulp has no dust and is soft; if
: >> we use regular cat litter, the rabbit feels like chalk if you pick him up.
: >
: >You're referring to clay litter and I wholeheartedly agree with you.
: >
: I think the bunny agrees too. He sort of cringes when we have to use clay
: litter ('cause the other stuff ran out, and we can't get to a store until
: a weekday). 
: 
: The dust is just awful. The clay cat litter isn't meant to be lived in
: (cats just crap in the litter box, but they don't live in the litter box.
: While bunnies spend a fair bit of time in their cages)

We have used all kinds of litter from clay to paper as well as corncob and have
settled on usually plain unscented low dust clay litter.  We have gotten around
the dust problem by using a mat made from uneaten hay. The buns can sit on the
mat of hay and do their job as well as dig in the corner when they want to. The
mat keeps them off the litter and filters out he pills as well. This also
extends the life of the litter. The hay can be replaced once or twice. The one
drawback is the smell of the hay. We are lucky to have a barn where we keep the
buns ( their room is carpeted for play ) so a little hay smell is ok. Hay might
be replaced by straw which should have a less obnoxious odor.

On the subject of hay; our buns have had alot of hay available ( I am pretty
sure it is oat hay ) and it seems they prefer eating the green part of the hay
more than their pellets. I know the pellets supply vitamins so I use a vitamin
supplement in their water. They have never had any evidence of bowel problems
and are lean and quick. I feel comfortable with this, but are their any hidden
problems with this sort of diet. The rabbit food contains mostly pellets with
a small amount of fun stuff: dried bananas raw peanuts carrot chips and
sunflower seeds. I usually take out most of the fun stuff and use it for 
"bribery" to attract then and get them to settle down. These guys will do 
*ANYTHING* for one peanut!

Cutest bunny pose I have ever seen:
Roll bun on his back in your lap. With both thumbs rub his cheeks. Ours will
pull their front paws to their mouths and their ears stick straight out. These
guys look like they're in heaven! The are totally gone to the point where we 
clip their nails and they don't even seem to notice! Their hind paws come up
to their face. Its also a great way to check out their teeth by pulling their
lips a little. Try it!

Bob....

: 
: I wonder about the dust: do rabbits roll around in dust? He doesn't have 
: any ecto-parasites (ie fleas, mites), but do bunnies have an instinct to
: roll around in dust?
: 
: >> (cedar chips are even more expensive, and they are really messy with an
: >> open wire cage. Cedar doesn't absorb much water either)
: >
: >Most of all, cedar chips (in fact, any wood chips) emit phenols that
: >cause liver damage if the phenols can collect in the air the rabbit
: >breathes.  (I suspect the same is true of hamsters, mice, and all the
: >other small animals for whom wood chips are sold!)
: 
: True. It probably isn't as big a concern for hamsters, rats etc. since
: they have much shorter lifespans than bunnies. I think damage from
: chemicals would be cumulative, and would be a bigger threat to a long lived
: animal (just like smoking cigarettes: cancer and stuff only show up 
: after 20+ years of use/exposure. If people only lived 20 years, smoking
: probably wouldn't be a big deal risk over a lifetime)
: >
: >Nancy LaRoche (HRS)
: >att!drutx!njl
: 
: 
: -- 
: __________________________________________________________________________
:  John Paul Morrison                     |  
:  University of British Columbia, Canada |  
:  Electrical Engineering                 |   .sig file without a cause
:  jmorriso@ee.ubc.ca              VE7JPM |  
: ________________________________________|_________________________________

--
Bob Alman  1-707-577-4148 almanb@sr.hp.com