How to Clean a Hutch

With A Great Pet Comes Great Responsibility

Owning a pet comes with a whole lot of responsibilities, such as making sure they’re getting a balanced and nutritional diet, have plenty of exercise and regular check-ups at the vet. It also includes keeping their living space clean and germ-free.

Rabbits are naturally clean animals, but because they pee and poop a lot you need to regularly clean out their hutch. 

But how often does the hutch need to be cleaned, and how do you clean it? We're answering these, along with the other most frequently asked questions about keeping rabbit hutches clean.

How Often Should A Rabbit Hutch Be Cleaned?

Spot clean

We recommend spot cleaning the hutch daily, to remove any excess bunny poop, (remember Rabbits need to eat a certain amount of their own poo) leftover food and any uneaten treats. It’s a relatively quick job, especially if you do it every day.

Thorough clean

You should give the hutch a thorough clean once or twice a week. This involves changing the floor litter, wiping down and scrubbing the cage, washing bedding, cleaning food and water bowls, as well as toys and other bits and bobs in and around the hutch. 

Deep clean

Every three to four months, you should deep clean the rabbit hutch with a pet-friendly disinfectant. After washing it, make sure you rinse the cage thoroughly and let it dry before putting your bunnies back inside.

How Do You Clean a Rabbit Hutch?

Put your rabbits in a safe place 

It’s best to keep your bunnies away from where you’re cleaning. Our hutches have more than enough space for you to clean one area while your rabbits are safe in another section. 

Remove everything from inside the hutch

Remove everything from inside the hutch, including uneaten food, old vegetables and broken toys. Remember to clean these before you place them back in the cage. 

Clean the cage top to bottom

We find warm water mixed with vinegar works well and is safe to use around pets and children. White stains on the inside of the cage are a result of your rabbit spraying its urine. 

Clean accessories and toys

Clean all the hutch accessories and toys thoroughly before putting them back. Blankets need to be washed with hot water and unscented detergent. 

Line the floor of the hutch with newspaper

It’s a good idea to line the floor with newspaper or hay. Both of these work well to protect the bottom of the cage from rabbit poop and urine.

Training Your Rabbits To Use A Litter Box

Because rabbits use the same spot as a toilet, you can train them to use a litter box. Our corner litter pans the hutch clean and germ-free, and make cleaning the cage a whole lot easier. 

Regularly cleaning the hutch is one of the best ways to keep your rabbits happy and healthy. A dirty environment can lead to various health problems, including flystrike, respiratory and digestive issues as well as diarrhoea.