Do Rabbits Smell?

Last Updated on May 31, 2023 by

^{This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.}

Do pet rabbits smell? Why do most of the people think that the pet rabbits smell? Are you afraid that if you bring this lovable pet at your home you will have problems with the rabbits smell? In fact the rabbit have no body odor, unlike dogs, for example.  The only thing for a bunny that would make he/she smell would be their urine. 

Do Bunnies Smell?

Their urine is the problem, but it is easy to manage with the correct litter and with cleaning often enough. Therefore, the short answer is NO, the rabbits do not smell.

How To Manage The Rabbit’s Smell?

Sometimes the rabbit’s droppings can have a bad smell. Neutering/spaying is actually a good way, it helps reduce the need to mark, so those more smelly poops may reduce.

Aside from that, cleaning the cage area regularly and keeping all surfaces dry will prevent smelly bacteria from growing.

Smelly rabbit’s poop (assuming they are healthy) are usually the territorial poop, which is coated in kind of a sheen, oil. Non-territorial poop looks identical,but it’s completely dry and doesn’t smell.

I use Carefresh Small Animal Bedding, it smells great and absorbs very well leaving no stink. It is a pelleted wood litter that is kiln-dried so any harmful oils from the pine are no longer a problem. I also had less than great experiences with paper-based litters.

Other pelleted wood litters work well, too, or even wood stove pellets. I really do not recommend wood shavings, on the other hand.

Cedar shavings are harmful to the rabbits health, and wood shavings of any kind do not work very well at absorbing and preventing smell, in my experience or Yesterday’s News.

In conclusion, I think pelleted wood litter is the way to go. And of course, get your rabbit spayed or neutered for a variety of health and behavioral reasons including easier litter box training. On that note, spaying and neutering is expensive, and adopting a rabbit from a shelter that is already spayed or neutered saves a lot of money.

You may also be interested in: How to litter train a rabbit?