I am the Mom to 5 year old Sammi. He has a cage, but also has full run of the house. I have always been able to keep up with the demands of keeping the cage clean. I buy good bedding, change it frequently, wipe down the cage. I\'m concerned that maybe for some reason the smell of his urine is stronger than ever. I cleaned the cage this afternoon, and already I can\'t stand to be by it. I also gave him a bath. It just seems that he smells. Any suggestions on keeping the cage area smelling better are certainly welcome.
Is he overweight? If he is, some of the smell could be coming from his anil glands, he might have a hard time reaching them when he grooms. They smell pretty bad and he would have like a stinky waxy build up on his butt.
One trick I have learned with my litter boxes is to put a piece of newspaper over the top of the litter and then sprinkle it with a little hay or a little more litter. The paper will absorb most of the pee and you can easily remove the top layer without changing the whole box. You could also try puppy pads instead of paper if your rabbit doesn\'t dig in his litter box. The pads have a plastic liner on one side. This will allow you to get rid of the pee quickly several times a day with very little work.
You might want to call your vet for advice if you are convinced his urine is stronger.
Thank you for your reply. It\'s funny you should mention the pads. I just bought them yesterday morning and have put them around the cage to catch anything that might come out of the cage with Sammi. He has chewed one of them, but has left the others alone. I will try your suggestion about covering the bedding. It\'s true, Sammi may be a tad overweight. I will check him tonight for any waxy build up. Thanks Again
You aren\'t the only one with the problem. Both our bucks are in the house right now. Over the last two weeks the smell of their urine has gotten gradually stronger. No matter how often I clean, you can still smell it. Any chance this is tied to the temperatures getting cooler or maybe they are in season? Oh, neither of them is over weight at all and their diet has not changed.
I\'ve noticed that when their vents need to be cleaned they have a smell about them... could that be your problem? also on the urine I spray vinegar on it and it takes away the smell...