How to clean a rabbit cage: a simple routine

How often should you clean a rabbit cage?

Clean the toilet areas every day and the whole home once a week. That is the routine the RSPCA, PDSA and the Scottish Government's rabbit welfare guidance all give. The RSPCA adds that you should clean more often if soiling is heavy or you keep more rabbits.

Daily cleaning is not optional in warm weather. Dirty bedding and a messy bottom attract flies, and flystrike (maggots in the fur) is an emergency that needs a vet straight away. The Scottish Government guidance says to check under and around the tail at least twice a day in warm weather.

The daily clean, step by step

1. Check the rabbits first. Look at droppings, eating and bottoms before you tidy. Fewer, smaller or no droppings is a warning sign.
2. Empty or top up the tray. The House Rabbit Society says to change the litter box every day. Tip the soiled litter into a bag or compost bin and refill.
3. Remove wet bedding. Take out any damp or soiled patches from the bedroom and corners.
4. Clear old food. Remove uneaten greens and nuggets so nothing spoils.
5. Wash the bowls. Rinse and refill water and food bowls. Change the water again later in the day.
6. Refresh the hay. Fresh hay in the rack and on top of the tray.

Lining the tray with newspaper makes emptying it a one-move job, a tip from the House Rabbit Society.

The weekly deep clean, step by step

1. Move the rabbits somewhere safe. A secure run, pen or rabbit-proof room, with hay and water.
2. Take everything out. Bedding, trays, hides, toys and bowls. Save a handful of clean, unsoiled bedding to put back.
3. Scrape and sweep. Remove stuck-on bedding and droppings from floors and corners.
4. Scrub. Use hot water and a non-toxic, rabbit-safe disinfectant, or a white vinegar and water mix, on floors, walls, trays and hides.
5. Rinse well. Rinse off every trace of cleaner, especially bleach if you used it.
6. Dry completely. PDSA and the Scottish Government both say the home must be fully dry before bedding goes back. Damp bedding breeds bacteria and damp growth.
7. Rebuild. Fresh base layer, fresh litter, fresh straw or hay. Mix in the saved handful of old bedding so the home still smells like theirs.
8. Put things back in the same places. Rabbits like routine. Keep the tray and hides where they were, and change toys rather than the layout.

What is safe to clean a rabbit cage with?

Hot water, a pet-safe disinfectant and white vinegar cover almost everything. The House Rabbit Society recommends a white vinegar rinse to keep calcium deposits down and control odour, and white vinegar to scrub spots where urine has soaked in. It says bleach is an option, as long as you rinse away all of it before the rabbit comes near the area.

Why does my rabbit's cage smell?

A healthy rabbit and a clean home smell of hay. A strong ammonia smell almost always comes from urine, and the House Rabbit Society names the usual causes:

• The tray isn't changed every day
• Urine has soaked under or around the tray, which smells foul very quickly
• Calcium scale has built up on a plastic tray
• The rabbit isn't neutered: unneutered rabbits have stronger-smelling urine and spray
• Bedding that doesn't absorb, such as plain straw used in the toilet area

Lift the tray each day and wipe underneath. Give plastic trays a white vinegar soak regularly to shift the white crust. If the smell is from the rabbit, not the home, or their bottom is dirty, see a vet: a rabbit that can't clean itself or isn't eating its soft droppings may have a tooth, weight or gut problem. Our rabbit health guide covers the signs, and our neutering guide explains how it changes behaviour.

Best rabbit bedding and litter for odour control

Paper pellets and wood-based pellets control smell best. The RWAF describes paper pellets as highly absorbent and good for litter areas, and pulped paper as highly absorbent and dust-extracted. Put a layer in the tray, hay on top, and empty it daily. Avoid scented litters, clay or clumping cat litter, and corn cob or walnut shell litters, which the House Rabbit Society says spoil easily and don't absorb well.

Odour control is mostly about the routine, not the product. A cheap paper pellet tray emptied every day beats an expensive "odour control" litter left for a week. Our rabbit bedding guide compares every type, and how to litter train a rabbit helps get all the mess in one place.

Washable rabbit bedding

Fleece, blankets and washable mats work well as flooring for indoor rabbits. They give grip, they're soft on feet and you reuse them. HouseRabbit.org recommends cushioned flooring such as blankets, with vinyl underneath. They aren't absorbent enough for toilet areas, so pair them with a litter tray and pellet litter.

• Shake off hay, fur and droppings outside before washing
• Wash weekly with the deep clean, or straight away if soiled
• Use an unscented detergent and rinse well
• Keep two sets so one is always dry and ready
• Bin anything your rabbit chews holes in or pulls threads from

Cleaning outdoor hutches and runs

Outdoor homes need the same daily and weekly routine, plus extra checks for damp and wear. Clean on a dry day if you can so everything dries in the air. Scrape the floor well, check corners and under the roof for damp growth, and keep the roof felt and seals in good repair. If you move a run around the lawn, the Scottish Government guidance says to clean each patch after use. For a shed-and-run setup, see our rabbit cage setup guide, and for the whole care picture, our complete rabbit care guide.