Cleaning after your rabbit

From WabbitWiki

As the owner of one or more rabbits, there is no avoiding hay and fur getting all over your home. The following are some tools and tips to help you clean up after your bun.

Cleaning tips

Below are links that describe the regular cleaning that you will have to do with a pet rabbit.

Cleaning litter boxes

Please see Changing the litter box for detailed instructions on efficient techniques as well as how to deal with insect infestations around your rabbit's litter box(es).

Cleaning stains and disinfecting

There are several safe products available for you to clean up any urine stains that your bunny may have left. The following listed are especially useful as they break down the traces of urine scent that plain soap and water are unable to eliminate. Any hint of such scents can end up with regular re-marking and poor litter habits.

To disinfect between rabbits, accelerated hydrogen peroxide (REScue) is a great cleaner to add to your options. It is pet-safe when fully dried and will kill all types of bacteria, protozoa, (e.g. E. cuniculi) and viruses (especially RHD). However, make sure you do not spray it around your rabbits and wear a mask when spraying as it will sting and is very painful when inhaled.

Be careful of using any harsh chemicals like bleach and ammonia around your rabbit since rabbits love to lick and chew anything in sight. Make sure to rinse thoroughly and let dry fully before allowing your rabbit back in contact with surfaces that have been cleaned with them.

The following are some links with more information on rabbit-safe cleansers.

Cleaning hay and fur

Rubber works well to attract pet fur from your floor for easy clean up. They are especially effective on rugs and carpets and will get most bits of hay and fur. However, you will still need to follow up with a vacuum with a beater brush to clean up any dust and especially small bits of hay embedded in the fibers.

For overall fur in the environment, air purifiers will help catch any loose fur and hay dust, and machines with an activated charcoal filter can also help with keeping odors from the litter box or hay down.

Choosing a vacuum

Commercial residential vacuums are typically not well-equipped to vacuum up full strands of hay from the floor. The best way to clean the ground is to first use a broom and your hands to pick up the majority of the hay and poop and only then use the vacuum to clean up the rest of the fluff and dust.

Some owners like using shop vacuums instead, as they can usually suck up hay with no issue. However, these vacuums are extremely loud, and rabbits will likely need to be moved to another room before the vacuum is used to prevent overly terrifying them from the sudden noise.

If hay gets clogged in the tubing, snake drain clog tools are great for pulling out the hay caught in finicky corners.

A few considerations you may wish to think about when choosing a vacuum:

  • cleaning path width
  • motorized brush for carpets and rugs
  • cord length
  • bagged or bagless
  • suction power
  • ease of cleaning clogged areas when inevitably filled with hay
  • charging time and use time for cordless options
  • overall weight
  • price

The following are a list of vacuums that bunny owners have used with varying levels of success:

Upright

Shop Vacuum

Look for large diameter (over 2") hoses if you'd like to also suck up hay with your vacuum without it clogging or burning out.

Handheld

Automatic

While automated cleaning sounds like the dream, it can't completely replace regular vacuuming and there are multiple considerations to take before investing in one:

  • Carefully consider how your rabbit reacts to normal vacuuming. If the robot startles your rabbit, immediately return it. If you keep an automated robot which scares your rabbit every day, your rabbit will die from shock.
  • They're expensive
  • Initial setup and especially mapping your home can be difficult
  • Generally requires specific bags to fit
  • Door frames might prevent them transitioning from one room to the next
  • You might feel the need to move furniture around to fit
  • Stairs
  • iRobot series
    • Roomba i3 Series - requires bags and replacement parts from iRobot specifically. Can vacuum droppings.
    • Braava series - requires mops for dry and wet mopping, but can be washed and works with the Roomba series, meaning you can automatically vacuum then mop.
    • Roomba Combo - this both vacuums and mops.

Testimonials

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