We live in a condo and have a bunny. Our association rules do not allow bunnies. Do you have information I can use to help change the rules?
– B.A., Honolulu
Your condo association probably still sees rabbits as livestock, not pets. In fact, I can think of few animals better suited for a condo than a neutered rabbit.
Why?
They're quiet. (Does your association allow parrots?)
They're neat. A daily brushing will catch loose hair, and a vacuum will pick up scattered hay, food pellets or the occasional stray feces (it's pea-sized, dry and round).
They're small. Even the biggest rabbits aren't much larger than a cat.
The one downside I can think of is that rabbits will destructively chew if left to choose their own recreation. Even this problem is easily solved by blocking off attractive chewing areas, putting cords into covers and offering alternatives.
I buy clumping litter for our bunnies. It hasn't affected either of them. You suggest not only paper litter, but also covering the litter with hay. Our bunnies eat all the hay in their hutch; I have a vision of them eating everything in the litter box, which sort of nullifies the point of having a box. Should we still switch to paper and hay?
– F.G., Dayton, Ohio
Yes, switch to paper and hay. Clumping litter puts your rabbits at risk of impaction. As for the hay, your rabbits know what's edible and what's not and will eat the hay, not the litter. A layer of high-quality hay – not straw – on top of the pelleted paper litter encourages rabbits to use the box, since they tend to pass feces while eating.
Like many animals, rabbits naturally want to keep their area clean and will use a litter box if it's attractive and accessible. Make sure the box is large enough to be comfortable and the sides are low enough for easy entry. Keep it filled with clean pellets and fresh hay, supplemented by a special food treat like an apple slice, and your rabbits will use it likely as not.
Dropping feces away from the box is normal for some rabbits, but cleanup is easy with a hand vac. Remember, too, unneutered rabbits are difficult to house-train.
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