How To Keep Your Rabbit’s Cage From Smelling: 6 steps (personally proven)

Last Updated on March 10, 2023 by Marjon Ramos

To keep your rabbit’s cage free of odor, you need to get the right cage and bedding. The best cage for rabbits if you want to reduce the smell is one made of plastic or metal.

Plastic and metal cages don’t absorb the smell of your rabbit’s urine and poop. This type of cages are also easier to clean.

Your rabbit’s bedding also plays a role in reducing the smell of their cage. Use a wood-based litter that absorbs the moisture.

You should also clean your rabbit’s bedding every few days or daily, depending on how clean you want it to be.

But sometimes, cleaning the cages of your rabbits is not enough. There might be some underlying health problems with your rabbits that causes their cages to smell.

Here are the reasons why your rabbits’ cage smells and what to do about it:

Stick to plastic or metal cages.

Just like wood-based bedding that absorbs urine, having a cage made out of wood would basically do the same thing.

But unlike wood-based bedding, where you could remove it after a certain amount of time, having a wood-based cage would just trap the moisture and smell.

Plastic and metal cages make the job of cleaning your rabbit’s cage a lot easier. I would highly suggest buying on that is made of metal or plastic.

Neuter your rabbits.

Neutering your rabbit has a lot of benefits, one of which is reducing the amount of odor in your rabbit’s urine. Rabbits that are not neutered will have a stronger scent of ammonia in their urine once they reach sexual maturity.

As an added benefit, neutering your rabbits also stops them from spraying urine on the sides of their cages. Make sure you neuter your rabbit as soon as they reach sexual maturity or around 4-6 months old.

Clean your rabbit’s cage regularly.

Rabbits poop and pee a lot. You need to regularly clean their cage if you want to keep them from smelling bad. I recommend cleaning their litter box every day and cleaning their cage once a week.

Here are the steps for how to clean your rabbit’s cage:

1. First, move your rabbit somewhere else to make cleaning easier.
2. Remove the bedding and replace it with a fresh batch. If you want to completely remove the smell of their cage, don’t try to reuse any of the bedding.
3. Get a towel or a brush with a mild detergent and brush the cage. For best results, brush every part of the cage.
4. You could also submerge the whole cage in water with a mild detergent if you can. Otherwise, stick to brushing the cage.
5. Let the cage dry by either wiping it or leaving it in direct sunlight.

Check your rabbit’s diet.

Another reason why your rabbit’s cage might be smelly is due to their diet. Some pellets could make your rabbit’s urine and poop smellier due to an unbalanced amount of starch, sugar, and fat.

High amounts of starch and sugar could cause digestive distress and could lead to diarrhea or “poopy bottom.”

If your rabbits are suffering from digestive issues, it’s best to bring them to a veterinarian and ask for advice on the best diet for them.

Always change your rabbits’ bedding.

Changing your rabbit’s bedding regularly is key to reducing the smell of their cage. For me personally, I change my rabbit’s bedding every two days.

Longer than that would be a hassle due to the mountain of poop that would pile up if I leave it for too long. Remember, rabbits produces up to 200-300 poop pellets per day.

So 2 days of not cleaning your rabbit’s bedding could lead to 600 poop pellets soaked in urine. Leaving them for too long also makes the smell worse.

Improve the airflow of your rabbits’ cage.

Putting your rabbit’s cage in a well-ventilated area can also improve the smell of their cage. Consider doing this if you will not be able to clean your rabbit’s hutch every day.

You can even put your rabbit’s cage outside if you have space for it. Just remember to never leave them in direct sunlight. Rabbits are susceptible to heat stroke because they can’t pant and sweat like other animals.

Summary

To reduce or remove the smell of your rabbits’ cage, you need to clean and replace its bedding regularly.

For better results, buy wood-based bedding that absorbs moisture well.

This would reduce the smell of your rabbits’ cage significantly. Just make sure that you don’t reuse any of the bedding and replace it regularly.

Also, stick to metal or plastic cages. They are easier to clean and the smell doesn’t stick to them. Wood cages would usually soak up the urine and smell.

If any of that didn’t work, check your rabbit’s diet. Your rabbits might be suffering from digestive issues due to their diet.

Check your rabbit’s pellet. It might be high in starch and sugar, which could cause diarrhea and watery stool, which would make their poop smelly.

Finally, get your rabbits neutered to reduce the smell of their urine and prevent them from spraying urine everywhere.

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