In the excitement of getting a rabbit and bringing them home, cleaning and maintaining their hutch might not be at the forefront of your mind. But alongside the joy of playing and snuggling with your new bun, owning a rabbit comes with a whole load of responsibilities including keeping their living space clean and sanitary.
But how do you clean a hutch? How often and with what products? This guide will answer all your questions about cleaning rabbit hutches so you can keep your new rabbit happy and healthy!
How Often Should I Clean Out My Rabbit’s Hutch?
How often you should clean out a rabbit’s hutch can vary from rabbit to rabbit. If your rabbit is litter trained you will likely only need to deep clean their hutch every other week. If they are a particularly clean bun, you might be able to go a couple of weeks without deep cleaning their hutch and living spaces. If your rabbit isn’t litter trained, you will need to clean their enclosure every day or at least every other day.
On average, we recommend completing a variety of cleans every month. We suggest spot cleaning the hutch every day (removing excess poop, leftover food and uneaten treats); thoroughly cleaning the hutch every week (changing the litter, cleaning the cage and washing food bowls and water bottles); and deep cleaning the rabbit hutch every month or couple of months.
Keep reading to find out our exact recommended steps for each of these different types of cleans.
What Should I Use To Clean Out My Rabbit’s Hutch?
Rabbits are curious animals and many like to lick everything they find to work out what it is! With this is mind, it’s important to choose a cleaning product that does not contain chemicals and ingredients which could be toxic for your bun should they ingest it.
Pet-safe cleaning products which use non-toxic formulas can be found in most pet stores or with a quick search online.
Alternatively, you can make your own pet-safe cleaning solution using vinegar and water. Simply add one part distilled white vinegar to one part water and decant into a clean spray bottle to make your own all-purpose hutch cleaner that is naturally anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and deodorising. In addition, it often works out much cheaper than many shop-bought cleaners!
Alongside your cleaner, you will also need something to wipe down the cage with such as soft washcloths or paper towels. You may find you also need a soft brush or an old toothbrush to scrub at stubborn stains, and a dustpan and brush to sweep away stray poops and loose debris.
How To Clean Out Your Rabbit’s Hutch
Now you know what you are using to clean your rabbit’s hutch, let’s get into more detail about those spot cleans, weekly cleans and deep cleans. We’ve set out the exact steps for each type of clean to make easy to follow along:
Spot Clean – Every 1-2 Days
Every day or couple of days, check your rabbit’s hutch to remove any particularly dirty areas and keep on top of the mess they make:
- Remove any uneaten fresh food.
- Wash out food bowls and wash and refill water bottles. Algae builds up in stagnant water that is not replaced every day so changing your rabbit’s water everyday is an easy way to avoid this issue. If your rabbit’s water bottle has turned green with algae, thoroughly scrub it clean with a bottle brush and disinfect it. If algae remains after this it is time to purchase a new bottle. Take care to return the water bottle to a suitable height on the cage for your rabbit to easily drink from it.
- Spot clean small messes like spills of water and patches of soiled bedding. Replace these areas with new bedding or hay as necessary.
- Spot clean the litter box (more information below).
- Complete a quick sweep of any excess poop, hay and fur making a mess in your rabbit’s hutch. However, during daily spot cleans of a rabbit hutch it is important to not remove all poop as rabbits naturally eat some of their own poop as a way of digesting food a second time to gain more nutrients.
Weekly Clean – Every 1-2 Weeks
Every week you should then complete a more thorough clean of your rabbit’s hutch:
- Remove your rabbit and place them in their run or their travel carrier with some of their bedding.
- Remove all bedding from the hutch. Dispose of soiled bedding but keep some unsoiled bedding and set aside to place back in the hutch at the end of your clean. This is because rabbit’s are sensitive to scent and will feel more at home with bedding that has their own smell.
- Remove and deep clean the litter box (see below).
- Once this is done, use a brush and dustpan or mini vacuum to remove the remaining waste and debris.
- Remove food dishes, water bottles, toys and accessories. Clean using hot water and a mild soap or vinegar.
- Clean the hutch using your pet-safe cleaner and wipe down.
- Replace with fresh bedding, then add your old bedding from earlier to ensure it smells like home for your buns.
- Place back all your cleaned hutch accessories such as bowls, bottles and toys.
- Ensure your rabbit has access to fresh hay, fresh water and food and let your bunny explore their newly cleaned home.
Deep Clean – Every 1-2 Months
Every month or every couple of months, your rabbit’s hutch should then be deep cleaned. This should not be too much of a task if you have been keeping on top of your spot cleans and weekly cleans, but it is a chance for any dirty areas that may have been missed to be freshened up. Many of the steps are similar to your weekly clean:
- Relocate your rabbit to a safe place. As a deep monthly clean may take a bit more time than your weekly cleans, it can be a good idea to put them in a place where they can access food, water and some toys while you do this.
- Empty the hutch and dispose of all waste. Take care to sweep or vacuum all corners, sides and door.
- Clean the hutch using a pet-safe cleaner, giving all the interiors a good scrub. Rinse the hutch to ensure no cleaner remains, then leave to dry thoroughly.
- While the hutch is drying, wash all your rabbit’s accessories like water bottles, bowls and toys in hot water and vinegar. A small brush such as a bottle brush can be helpful to get into hard to reach places so they have a good clean.
- Replace all bedding, litter, accessories and toys. Place fresh hay and food in the hutch and ensure the bottle is filled with fresh water.
- Reintroduce your rabbit to their hutch, giving them time and space to adjust to a newly cleaned home!
Cleaning Your Rabbit’s Litter Box
As we’ve said, litter boxes should be monitored and spot-cleaned every day. Cleaning the litter box particularly helps your rabbit’s living space avoid becoming dirty quickly. It is also an important chance for you to monitor your rabbit’s pooping and peeing as changes to rabbit’s cycle are often key indicators of health problems in rabbits.
To clean your rabbit’s litter box during a spot clean:
- Remove soiled spots of litter using a litter scoop and dispose.
- Remix the remaining litter and add more as necessary.
To clean your rabbit’s litter box during a weekly clean or deep clean:
- Remove all litter and dispose. You may find it helpful to use a brush to get rid of any pieces of litter stuck to the sides of the box.
- Sanitise the box using a pet-friendly cleaner.
- Rinse or wipe down the litter box, making sure to thoroughly remove the cleaner from the litter box.
- Thoroughly dry the litter box. You can do this with a towel but, if you can, leave it dry in the sun as this can help to kill any remaining bacteria.
- Refill the box with fresh litter.
What If My Rabbit Is Free Roaming?
If your rabbit is free-roaming, they’re most likely litter trained and keep most of their mess to one area. You should spot clean their litter tray every day and deep clean it every week, using the steps mentioned above.
Cleaning the rest of their area depends on how large the area is and how messy your bun (or buns) is! Generally, we recommend you deep clean your rabbit’s area every one to two months, just like you would a hutch. You should still remove soiled bedding and leftover food every day, to prevent any illnesses and stop any unwanted smells.
Important Things to Keep in Mind
Hot Weather
During hot weather, it can be a good idea to increase the number of spot cleans you do per day to two or three. Flies are attracted to soiled bedding and will lay eggs on your rabbit which then hatch and burrow into your rabbit’s flesh.
This is known as fly strike and can be fatal, sometimes causing death within 24 hours. Although it can occur at any time of the year, fly strike is especially common in the summer and in hot weather.
Minimise the opportunity of this happening by completing two or three spot cleans during times of hot weather and removing soiled bedding and poop as you see it.
Gag Reflex
Rabbits do not have a gag reflex so it is particularly important to remove clumps of fur you find during your cleans. If ingested, fur can cause choking and be fatal for rabbits.
