Rabbits + Pine+ cage?

I think I heard somewhere that Pine is bad for rabbits (dwarf). My rabbit came with pine and I am worried that it may be deadly!!!!! Also his cage bottom is made of metal wiring and I am worried that he will get foot hocks from the cage as I know that most rabbits do. Is there anything I can do to protect his feet?

Rabbits + Pine+ cage?
Pine litter is associated with liver damage in rabbits.





From the House Rabbit Society:





"8.4 What types of litter should I use?


It depends on what's available in your area and what your rabbit's habits are. Keep in mind the following as you choose your litter:





most rabbits spend lots of time in their litter boxes


rabbits will always nibble some of the litter


rabbit urine has a very strong odor.


House Rabbit Society recommends organic litters, made from alfalfa, oat, citrus or paper. (Some brands to look for: Care Fresh, Cat Country, Critter Country, Yesterday's News, and Papurr) For a complete listing of litter types, see the litter boxes and liver disease article.





Stay away from litters made from softwoods, like pine or cedar shavings or chips, as these products are thought to cause liver damage in rabbits who use them. CatWorks litter has been linked to zinc poisoning. Swheat Scoop Litter should be avoided, because rabbits will often ingest it. Because it is comprised of wheat, it is very high in carbohydrates and can cause obesity, excessive cecal production, diarrhea, bacterial imbalance, and other health issues.





Another approach is to place a handful of hay in each box, or to simply use hay as litter. It is helpful to put several layers of newspaper under the hay, to absorb urine so that your rabbit is not standing in the urine. Most newspapers today are using soy-based ink, which is safe for your rabbit, but check with your local newspaper to make sure first. Obviously, you need to change the hay fairly frequently (daily), since your rabbit will be eating it. This method often helps to encourage good litter habits as well as to encourage hay consumption, since rabbits often eat at or near the same time as they use the litter box.





Pros and cons of the various types of litter include:





clay litter is dusty--if your bunny is a digger, the dust can make her vulnerable to pneumonia


the deodorant crystals in some clay litters are toxic


clumping litters will clump inside the rabbit's digestive and respiratory tracts (the latter if they manage to make enough dust to breathe) causing serious problems and often leading to death


pine and cedar shavings emit gases that cause liver damage when breathed by the bunny


corn cob litter isn't absorbent and doesn't control odor, and has the the risk of being eaten and casing a lethal blockage.


oat- and alfalfa-based litters (available from Purina, Manna-Pro, and King-Soopers groceries [not sure what the geographical range of this chain is]) have excellent odor controlling qualities, but if a rabbit eats too much, they expand and cause bloating; these, too, can be added, with the bunny's waste, to compost


newspapers are absorbent, but don't control odor


citrus-based litters work well, offer no dangers, and can be composted, but may be hard to get and expensive in some areas of the country/world


some people have reported success with peat moss which can also be composted


Many people have great success with litter made from paper pulp or recycled paper products. These litters are very good at absorbing and cutting down on odors. A litter called CAREfresh is available. You can find out about local places that carry Carefresh by emailing absorbs@absorption-corp.com or by calling 1-800-242-2287. A similar litter in a pelleted form is called Cellu-Dri 1-800-382-5001. These litters are harmless if ingested.


Compressed sawdust pellets: are inexpensive, highly absorbent litters used in many foster homes. They are made from softwood or hardwood sawdust, but they are not toxic because the phenolic compounds are removed during their manufacture. Their wood composition helps control bacterial growth and odors. Wood stove fuel pellets and Feline Pine are two examples of this product.


Litters made from Aspen bark are safe and good at absorbing odors. One brand is called GentleTouch 1-800-545-9853."


http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/litte...
Reply:i wouldnt suggest pine. i have had rabbits for the longest time, and i have never used pine. infact i have heard it can be very bad for them. my suggestion is to use like a apple tree leaves.
Reply:Pine wood shavings are suspected as being harmful yes, use a specil fine chopped bedding you can buy at a pet store and hay, rabbits love hay,but you should remove the wire and place the hutch on concrete, as they can catch their feet and claws in it, also keeping him on concrete will help to keep his claws trimmed.
Reply:There are mats you can put in the cage for him to rest on. You can buy them at any petstore. Pine isnt prefered but it certainly isnt deadly. I know, i work at a petstore and thats what we use. However, if you are worried, change from pine to either aspen bedding or carefresh. Carefresh is the best but is more expensive.
Reply:Using pine until you can buy something else won't kill him. Don't use cedar. Buy Aspen or line the bottom of the cage with newspaper if he's not touching it. It's just to soak up the urine. Clean it every day or so.





Wire bottom cages are fine for your size of rabbit but wire bottom cages are supposed to be used with sitting mats. Use the shreddable kind or the permanent, slotted types that snap onto the cage floor. You can get the sea grass mats at Cost Plus World Market in their basket section in a strip of 10 for $1.10 each. Those are fun but I recently got the permanent ones from KW cages. I loooove them.





What breed is your rabbit. Rex and Mini Rex tend to have problems with their hocks on wire so if your got one of those watch their hocks. Otherwise, any dwarf rabbit will not have any problem as long as you keep the cage clean. I've seen tons more problems with urine scald from flat bottom cages come into our shelter and only one that was from a wire cage.
Reply:Pine is okay cedar isnt. The best bet for the cage is to get a differant onee the metal ones arnt best for them like you said there feet get stuck. You are better off just to buy a cage from a pet atore or somewhere.
Reply:pine is fine (lol) as long as it isn't trated. i always used pine shavings, which came in like a 25 pound bag and i'd go to a feed store to get it. cedar (the one that comes in bags at petsmart and wherever else, and smells good) is bad to use.





i actually went to a local carpet/flooring store, and the owner gave me one of the little "samples" of carpet they usually display in the store (it was about 12X18, maybe smaller.)


when it comes to that, though, do some research, cuz again, certain carpets are made of different things and could be treated. i'm not sure what i used, but the guy at the store said he used it in his rabbit's cage.





:) good luck, bunnies are so much fun