There are quite a few things that go into successfully caring for a rabbit, with one of the most important aspects being your rabbitâs environment. Of all of the parts of a rabbitâs environment, their litter is right up there in importance with their cage and their food. Rabbits are pretty smelly creatures, but their cageâs litter can play a big part in reducing bad odors and creating a much cleaner and healthier living space.
With the litter that you choose having such a large impact, it can be a bit intimidating trying to find the best rabbit litter for your bunny. Thatâs why weâve created a list of the 5 best rabbit litter options, in addition to a handy and comprehensive buyerâs guide so that youâre armed with all of the necessary knowledge.
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  Product
OUR #1 RATED
So PhreshââPaper Pellet Small Animal Litter
A very absorbent and all-around effective litter thatâs virtually dust and allergen-free and controls odors with baking soda.
Fresh NewsâPaper Small Animal Litter
Sustainable, biodegradable pellets that control odors well and are very absorbent yet remain firm and in-tact when wet.
Purina Yesterdayâs NewsââUnscented Paper Cat Litter
Litter thatâs constructed for cats, but acts as a great litter for rabbits through its great absorption, odor control, and lack of dust.
MarshallâFerret Litter
Ferret litter that also works well for rabbits. It checks all of the boxes for absorbency, odor control, and overall effectiveness.
KayteeâSmall Animal Potty Training Litter
Litter thatâs made from bentonite instead of paper, but is still safe, effective, and 100% natural.
How To Litter Train A Rabbit
Litter training a rabbit is an essential step in maintaining a clean cage and a clean house! Of course, you can opt to cover your cage in the proper bedding and have your rabbit go wherever they please, but this is very messy and the bedding costs add up.
Also note that itâs a lot easier to litter train rabbits before they establish any bad habits. So, while it may be tempting to let your rabbit run around your house as soon as you get them, itâs best to take the time immediately to establish good habits with them.
- Choose a proper location for your bunny, as theyâll need to stay in an enclosed area during the training process. Most owners opt to use a cage instead of letting their rabbit roam free in a room.
- Prepare the litter box by covering about 1âł of litter with some quality timothy hay. If you can also add in some of your rabbitâs poop or urine-soaked paper, that would make it easier for your rabbit to know that the litter box is their bathroom. Place this litter box in a good location in their cage, preferably away from their food and sleeping space.
- Add your rabbit to the mix. When they use the bathroom on the floor, immediately put both the rabbit and their droppings into the litter box and reward them. Removing any evidence of an accident is important so that your rabbit wonât think that the floor is their bathroom.
- When your rabbit is just learning, allow the litter box to stay a bit more dirty than normal. If you clean the box too much, your rabbit may think that theyâre not supposed to use it.
- Over time, your rabbit will start to get the hang of things. At this point, you can expand their training area beyond just the single room. You can also provide them with multiple litter boxes so that they have the ability to develop proper behaviors.
Tips For Eliminating Litter Odor
You could supply your rabbit with the absolute best litter for odor control, but it will only be partially effective if youâre not taking other important factors into consideration. Taking action on these tips will ensure that your rabbitâs litter box and cage remains easy on the nose.
- Clean the litter box thoroughly â Itâs in the best interest of both you and your rabbit to keep their litter box as clean as possible. In order to keep odors from growing and getting bad, scoop out any waste as soon as you see it. Rabbits poop and pee a lot, so itâs recommended that you scoop their box once a day. Youâll also occasionally want to clean the entirety of the litter box by either wiping it down with a disinfectant wipe or scrubbing it with soap and warm water.
- Utilize air fresheners â While a lot of litter has some type of odor control ability, air fresheners can aid substantially with odor control. Air fresheners that plug into the wall are always an excellent choice to keep a room smelling nice passively. Make sure that any air fresheners arenât too powerful, though, as they may be off-putting to a rabbit.
- Use enough litter â Most rabbit owners simply donât use enough litter! This is largely due to the fear of wasting litter, but it has a very negative effect on odor control. Your rabbitâs litter box should have about an inch of litter covered by a layer of timothy hay to make sure that your rabbit is comfortable and that thereâs enough material to absorb the urine.
Can My Rabbit Use Cat Litter?
In short, yes, cat litter can be used by rabbits. However, itâs not quite that straightforward. There are quite a few different kinds of cat litter out there, and only a portion of that litter is suitable for rabbits.
The safest and best cat litter for rabbits is litter thatâs made from recycled paper and comes in pellet form. This is considered the safest litter for rabbits because of the fact that itâs dust-free. Rabbits love to root around in their litter, so if a litter is dusty it can get into a rabbitâs nose and cause serious respiratory problems.
Dusty clumping or clay litter needs to be avoided by rabbits because it can lead to anal problems in addition to the breathing problems. Rabbits are lower to the ground than cats are, so their rectum gets closer to the litter. This means that the litter may stick to them and result in an infection.
Wood shaving should also be avoided because they can contain oils that are harmful for rabbits to breathe in and can cause problems with the esophagus or lungs. The actual wood fibers can also cause splinters or get lodged in the throat or nose of a rabbit.
What Defines The Best Rabbit Litter?
While there are a bunch of different small animal litter options available, not all of them fit the specific needs of rabbits. In fact, some litter out there is downright harmful for rabbits to use and be around! Therefore, youâll want to ensure that the litter that you choose has the characteristics listed below. Donât worry, these are the standards we used to make our choices for the best rabbit litter.
- Absorbency â The absorbency of a litter is one of its most important traits. Absorbent litter helps to keep your rabbitâs cage smelling and looking fresh for longer since it works to lock in urine and odors that come with it. Paper bedding is very absorbent while avoiding harmful clumping clay or dusty materials.
- Dust-free â Getting a litter for your rabbit thatâs dust-free is absolutely essential. Rabbits love to dig around in their litter, and dusty litter can get into their nose and cause serious respiratory problems. Additionally, dusty litter is just messy and harder to clean.
- Odor control â Rabbits are pretty gross creatures that produce a lot of waste, so getting a litter that works to control odors is one way to drastically improve the scent of their cage. Many litters come with built-in odor control, usually through baking soda, to neutralize ammonia.
- Lack of fragrance â Although we want a litter that does a great job controlling odors, rabbit litter shouldnât have added fragrance. Added natural oils or chemicals can cause serious healthy issues when inhaled, and some are very toxic to rabbits. Fortunately, litter doesnât need added fragrance to control odors well.
- Eco-friendly â Throughout your rabbitâs life, youâll end up going through a lot of litter. Therefore, it may be important to you that the litter is eco-friendly. Most paper litter is biodegradable and made from sustainable materials, meaning that it will have a very minimal effect on the environment. Some litter is even compostable, giving some resourceful rabbit owners great fertilizer.
What Is The Best Rabbit Litter?
While it may be overwhelming to look at all of the rabbit litter options out there, choosing a suitable litter isnât a difficult task when basing your decision off of the buyerâs guide above. There are several litter options that meet the specific needs of rabbits, and weâve compiled those here for you.
Itâs also important to remember that the cleanliness of your rabbitâs litter box is an important factor. You may have chosen the best litter for your rabbitâs litter box, but if itâs dirty and isnât changed frequently, itâs just as effective as bottom-shelf litter.
our #1 rated
OUR TOP PICK
So Phresh
Paper Pellet Small Animal Litter
Qualityâ
Valueâ
Our Rating
When it comes to paper litter, this paper pellet litter by So Phresh really canât be beat. Because of the fact that itâs specially crafted for small animal habitats, it perfectly meets the needs of a rabbit. The pellets are all-natural and safe, being made from 100% recycled paper thatâs tightly packed to allow for great absorption and structure. Not only is it very absorbent, but it uses baking soda to control odors effectively and eliminate them at the source. Itâs also a litter thatâs fragrance-free and 99% dust-free so that thereâs no chance it can irritate your rabbit.
An overwhelming majority of rabbit owners are very happy with this litter. While paper litter generally crumbles apart quite easily, this one easily stays in-tact while being extremely absorbent. Itâs also noted that thereâs no smell to this litter, but it still does an excellent job controlling and eliminating odors.
The only downside to this litter is that the pellet sizes are a bit larger than most other paper litter out there. This makes it slightly difficult for some rabbits to use the litter, mostly if theyâre picky about what material theyâre standing on. However, the large size does come with more absorption, so there is a benefit to this. Most rabbits wonât have a problem with the size, though, especially when itâs covered with timothy hay.
PROSâ
- Exceptionally absorbent
- Uses baking soda to control odors
- Fragrance and dust free
CONS
- Pellets are rather large
our #2 rated
Fresh News
Paper Small Animal Litter
Quality
Valueâ
Our Rating
Although Fresh News is a bit of a lesser-known brand in the pet space, they still make some excellent products, and this litter is no exception. Like the So Phresh litter, this litter also uses baking soda to control odors, meaning that it does an excellent job removing the ammonia smell and keeping the cage both fresh and clean. Overall absorption of this litter is also great, giving you a great bang for your buck in terms of effectiveness. Additionally, itâs 99% dust-free and made from biodegradable, recycled paper.
Out of all of the compliments that this litter gets, the main compliment is that it absorbs odors exceptionally well. Owners state that it easily absorbs and locks in urine, thus locking in the bad smells with it. On top of this, the pellets hold their form well when wet, making cleaning the litter box an easy process.
If there are complaints about this litter, they mostly come down to personal preference. One owner stated that the litter didnât do a great job blocking all odors, and another owner stated that their rabbit simply didnât like using it. Additionally, it tends to be a bit pricier than some other litter options in this list.
PROSâ
- Absorbent yet remains firm
- Dust-free and sustainable
- Controls odors very well
CONS
- Scattered quality issues
our #3 rated
Purina Yesterdayâs News
Unscented Paper Cat Litter
Qualityâ
Valueâ
Our Rating
Although this litter was created with cats in mind, it still performs excellently for rabbits. Yesterdayâs News is the go-to litter for many small animal owners, providing the same effectiveness as other litter at a generally better value. This litter is advertised as being able to absorb 3x the moisture that clay litter can, while still maintaining a solid and easy to scoop pellet form that lacks dust. It also controls odors effectively while not having any added fragrances or oils.
Most purchasers of this litter are cat owners, but the rabbit owners that go with it are more than pleased. Rabbit owners say that the litter functions excellently, easily absorbing urine and sticking to poop to make it easy to scoop out of the litter box. Itâs also noted that the litter easy absorbs odors and locks them in.
Based upon user reviews of this product, it seems as if itâs better suited for rabbits than it is for cats! There is a lack of complaints coming from rabbit owners, with only a few concerns being present. A handful of owners have said that this litter isnât 100% dust-free, and a couple others say that it let some ammonia odor through.
PROSâ
- Excellent value
- Very absorbent but remains firm
- Fragrance and dust free
CONS
- Spotty quality concerns
our #4 rated
Marshall
Ferret Litter
Qualityâ
Valueâ
Our Rating
Marshall is the brand for ferret products, so this litter was specially-crafted for ferrets. Fortunately, though, ferrets have very similar needs to rabbits, so this litter is a great fit for your bunny. Itâs made from natural paper fibers that do a great job absorbing urine and maintaining their pellet shape. Special odor controlling ingredients work to fight the ammonia in rabbit urine, helping to keep the cage smelling fresher for longer. Of course, itâs also manufactured to be dust-free so that itâs gentle on a rabbitâs respiratory system.
This litter has found its way into many small animal homes and has made for a lot of happy owners. These owners have stated that the litter is excellent at absorbing liquids, easily controls most odors, and is easy to scoop out of the litter box. The lack of dust is also commended by many of the rabbit owners.
There are a few issues that rabbit owners have with this litter. Some owners donât like the smell of the litter, noting that it does block bad odors but leaves behind a smell of wet paper. Additionally, itâs stated that its absorption isnât the best, and it can show up dusty.
PROSâ
- Controls odors well
- Hypo-allergenic and free of dust
- Quite absorbent
CONS
- Some packages are dusty
- Relatively pricey
our #5 rated
Kaytee
Small Animal Potty Training Litter
Qualityâ
Valueâ
Our Rating
Kaytee is a long-time player in the pet supplies game, and this litter is one of their more popular products that they offer. Unlike the other litter listed in this post, this litter is made from 100% bentonite, which is a non-toxic and natural material thatâs totally safe for rabbits. Bentonite absorbs up to 10 times its weight in water and eliminates odors with ease. Itâs also a material thatâs 99% dust-free, making it safe to be around and easy to thoroughly clean out of a cage.
Rabbit owners whose rabbits didnât like the paper pellet litter generally had pretty good luck with this one. Aside from the fact that rabbits usually like using this litter, itâs also great at controlling odors and keeping your rabbitâs cage smelling and feeling fresh. The clumping and absorption are also great.
The issue that some rabbit owners have with this litter is that it clumps well, but it turns into a âsludgeâ thatâs pretty difficult to clean out of a cage. This trait means that the litter should be replaced often, which can nullify its great value quite a bit. Aside from this, though, it functions excellently.
PROSâ
- Very absorbent
- Allergen and dust free
- Made from natural materials
CONS
- âSludgyâ when wet
- Must be replaced frequently
Our Choice
There are a ton of different kinds of rabbit litter available, and each one comes with its own unique benefits. Rabbits have specific physical needs that need to be met by their litter, and if theyâre not, there could be some serious side effects.Therefore, after analyzing all of the rabbit litter available, weâve determined that the best rabbit litter available is the So Phresh Paper Pellet Small Animal Litter.This litter is an excellent choice for all rabbit litter boxes. Not only is it 100% safe for rabbits to be around, but its absorbency is next to none, it controls odors well, and itâs totally safe for the environment. All around, this litter is easily the best that weâve found.
