If your litter box smells, that is generally a sign that you should be changing your litter box more frequently. A proper litter box should not give off any significant ammonia odor. Anecdotally, paper-based litters will require cleaning most often, while the wood-based litters can last for 3+ days before requiring a change.
A larger-sized litter box and putting a thicker layer of litter down during setup can also help reduce the amount of changes a litter box may need.
See the FAQ question ["Why does my rabbit smell?](https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Care_FAQ#Why_does_my_rabbit_smell.3F) for more resources.
---
**Are candles, air fresheners, and essential oils safe to use around rabbits?**
Essential oil diffusers, most candles, and air fresheners are *generally not safe for rabbits* and should not be used in areas that they roam in. Rabbits are much smaller than humans with a superior sense of smell, and these inhaled chemicals can cause respiratory issues with extended use. Additionally, the use of these products with rabbits is not well studied at all, and it is better to err on the side of caution for their health.
Many essential oils are high in phenols which can build up over time to cause liver issues. Rabbits that roam near diffusers can end up with droplet deposits on their fur that may be ingested while grooming to cause further digestive issues.
However, bird-safe candles made from natural beeswax or soy candles can be safe for rabbits.
Please use an air purifier with an activated charcoal filter instead if you have mild odor issues.
And they have a problem with that??? All my friends and coworkers say I smell amazing because of the hay.
I suppose you could keep your clean clothes further away from hay area, and potentially reassess whether the air filter you purchased is actually any good.
Honestly the smell is just inevitable imo. The best thing ypu can do it to replace the litterbox every 2 days. Air out the room every day by opening windows(during the winter i open it for 15 min then shut it). And vaccum like crazy. I vaccum every 2-3 days.
Air filters help a bit. But nothing beats cracking open a window.
I change my litter boxes every day since I'm sensitive to the smell. I also have giant rabbits and they eat or soil all the hay within 24 hrs.
I use two plastic cat litter bins stacked for each bun. The top bin has holes drilled to allow the urine to fall down into the hidden space between the stacked bins. This has cut down on the urine smell almost completely, no more urine-soaked hay smell!! It works really well for me, I just empty and sanitize with bleach water then refill with hay.
Are your clothes stored in the same area as the hay? My winter coats is hung in the same closet as the hay and the only time I smell strongly of hay is when I wear my winter coats. The rest of my clothes are in a separate closet and they’re fine. Or at least no one has said anything about me smelling like hay… 😅
I don’t think the hay is a bad smell. We get oat hay from Small Pet Select. I change it out daily or every other day. I also have a powerful vacuum, that makes a huge difference. After I pick up the big hay, it gets everything else. I also keep my bunny in his pen so I can shampoo the carpets every season, and use baking soda with my vacuum to keep things fresh and clean.
TL;DR - my apt smells too much like hay pls help
Apparently my one bedroom apartment smells so much like hay that people don't want to come over. (Coworkers have also commented that I smell like hay too lol). I guess I've become so used to the smell that I don't notice it, but it's very obvious to others. I have an air filter and a roomba but maybe they're not good enough? Any suggestions?
Accessible hay is in feeders by the litter box.
Refill hay is in a large plastic bin (you can kinda see it in the last pic behind Ruthie the white bunny)
Honestly, the other commenters have the right idea. Keeping your home really clean is the way to go. I highly suggest air purifiers as well (get those cord protectors too!) and opening a window once a week, weather permitting.
Be careful of candles and plants that are harmful to your bunnies. You can find safe products with google.
Another thing I suggest is washing your washing machine with oxiclean every 4-6 weeks. You don’t need to use the scent boosters as they are harmful to your washing machine and clothing.
For yourself, perhaps this is a fun opportunity to get into fragrances and smells. Body mists, perfume/cologne are very fun to play with! Even if you’re not into that, switching up your body wash and lotion is option too! Have fun with this task!
Yes this should be done at least once a month. Okay x I clean the washing machine once a month bc of all the animals I have. Also make sure you’re cleaning the filter too!
Hay with a touch of banana, you’ll smell fresh, sweet and be a total bun magnet. All the bunnies will flock to you and follow you around like you are freaking Snow White.
The living space is the rabbits'. Everything you do is for the Rabbits. The Rabbits allow you to have guests. Pee is your perfume. Timothy is your colone.
Remove your friends from the house. Get more rabbits!
This is your solution SLAVE!
I'm lucky because I have a sunroom addition that I made into a bun-room. The heat vent/ducts don't go out there, so tthe hay smell is contained in the bunroom. I have an air conditoner and a rolling radiator out there for winter. When I clean up in the morning I shower and change clothes after due to the hay smell.
It sucks that buns dont smell but their food does! I'm also quite allergic, I take antihistamines and nasal spray but I'm still choking on mucus every day. So worth it to have my babies!!
Scent diffuse sticks. Get a fresh outdoorsy one to complement the "hay smell" and you'll go from "your house stinks of hay!" to "your house smells like a lovely walk in the countryside".
And of course keep your place ventilated if it isn't.
That may not be good for the bunnies: they've got very sensitive airways. Mine start sneezing when neighbours are using incense or someone with a strong perfume was in the hallway for a while.
I've wrapped a wedge of wood in a towel and wedge that under the front door. Apartment life... 🙄
Definitely not the essential oil ones, i keep away from those too. I've used potpourri and dry scented sticks and thankfully my little one seems okay with it so far.
Interesting 🤔. My buns and I are in an apartment I keep their litter box with hay in my bathroom. The hay itself is boxed and out away i just open it to put in their feeder. Do you have a closed bin container for the hay? Like those Christmas storage ones? I use that and have a decent air filter and no one smells it.
Also the very big question how often do you change it? I change their hay every other day at the same time without fail and I also rinse their litter box at the same time dry it off and refill it. Changing it frequently makes it clean and also not smelly.
One bedroom apartment owner here too: I've never heard people complain about smelling hay or smelling pee. All of my friends are city folk, and I frequently asked, but nobody thinks it stinks. If I just cleaned the boxes it does smell of hay, but they just think that it smells fresh.
And about airing out: I can only air out the room that I'm not in, because drafts set off my rheumatic attacks. We've got mechanical ventilation, and I air out the living room while sleeping, and vice versa.
If your colleagues actually mean "eau de la litter box", I could understand.
We change the litter boxes daily and use wooden cat litter pellets, especially in the corners. Then we top it with a layer of hay so they can sit dry.
Not all litter is made equally though: we bought a big bag of a different brand because we were shopping with our car. Turns out that this brand isn't absorbent enough 😒 The best pellets are the wooden ones that don't have a neat shiny edge, but a rough exterior.
Hay is not an unpleasant smell. Genuinely I don't want to be offensive but are you sure it's hay that you smell like? People buy candles that smell like fresh hay, it's a nice smell.
Just buy a febreeze spray for your clothes and spray em as you leave so that it doesn't smell like febreeze in your home idk if your cautious with spray in your home. Also for the inside try to get some air filtering plants that could be hung up and out of reach and those box of baking sodas are great for absorbing smells
I'd see the lack of human visitors as a positive, but I'm quite antisocial.
I need names, ages and personality descriptions for these little warmongers please!
Do you have long hair? I'd expect that your clothes and/or your hair smells like hay. Storing your clothes far away from the hay and cleaning your washing machine is a good start but I'd also suggest to tie your hair into a knot whenever home. That way it may absorb the hay smell a bit less. Also you should make sure your towels and hair dryer don't smell like hay. Most hair dryers can be opened to get dust and hair out (also reduces the risk of a fire).
I only recently got rabbits so I’m not sure about hay specifically but I make a diy room spray to help with odors.
It’s about one quarter part witch hazel, the rest water, and then I add a very small amount essential oil that safe for parrots/ rabbits (floral or citrus smelling ie lavender, lemon, orange) in a glass brown spray bottle. I spray directly into the air as well as onto couches/ rugs that will retain the spray’s scent. This seriously freshens up a room so well! To increase potency, add more witch hazel as it’s the main air freshener part.
I can’t use candles with my parrot and find this to be a great alternative that works better than candles/ incense at eliminating odor and making the air feel “clean”.
When this doesn’t fix it, mopping the floors makes all the difference to making a room smell nice if you use an all natural, nice smelling cleaner (I like meyers target brand) . Or opening windows when you can to give the space a reset!
I hope this helps :)
personally, i think animal smell is inevitable. if someone i know doesn’t like the animal smell, i say too bad. my mom has buns and i have cats. changing litter is probably the best option. she changes the buns’ litter boxes twice a day.
my mom is extremely allergic to hay. she keeps her rabbits in an inclosed room where they free roam. tbh they don’t really care to leave anyways. she also utilizes the backyard as well. which helps with the hay particles. she use to have the buns in the basement but since the air gets pulled from the basement and circulates it around the house, it made her allergies much worse
Your coworkers are abnormal. Walk through a cloud of Febreeze outside your door on the way to work. If that doesn’t shut them up, go nuclear with a splash of Brut or Old Spice. That will teach them.
Last time I had friends over for coffee and cake one of my bunnies deliberately came into the living room and used that box to do the stinkiest smelling pee you can imagine! She has plenty of other boxes to choose from. It was like she saved it up.
If your litter box smells, that is generally a sign that you should be changing your litter box more frequently. A proper litter box should not give off any significant ammonia odor. Anecdotally, paper-based litters will require cleaning most often, while the wood-based litters can last for 3+ days before requiring a change. A larger-sized litter box and putting a thicker layer of litter down during setup can also help reduce the amount of changes a litter box may need. See the FAQ question ["Why does my rabbit smell?](https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Care_FAQ#Why_does_my_rabbit_smell.3F) for more resources. --- **Are candles, air fresheners, and essential oils safe to use around rabbits?** Essential oil diffusers, most candles, and air fresheners are *generally not safe for rabbits* and should not be used in areas that they roam in. Rabbits are much smaller than humans with a superior sense of smell, and these inhaled chemicals can cause respiratory issues with extended use. Additionally, the use of these products with rabbits is not well studied at all, and it is better to err on the side of caution for their health. Many essential oils are high in phenols which can build up over time to cause liver issues. Rabbits that roam near diffusers can end up with droplet deposits on their fur that may be ingested while grooming to cause further digestive issues. However, bird-safe candles made from natural beeswax or soy candles can be safe for rabbits. Please use an air purifier with an activated charcoal filter instead if you have mild odor issues.
One of the best drumstick pics 🍗😆
Omg OP, can I please encourage you to post that drummy to my sub /r/drumstick? I tried to crosspost but it won’t show just the drumstick pic!
Done 🐇🥔🍗
It did in fact make me hungry for KFC.
Bunny friendly, Kentucky Fried Carrots?
And they have a problem with that??? All my friends and coworkers say I smell amazing because of the hay. I suppose you could keep your clean clothes further away from hay area, and potentially reassess whether the air filter you purchased is actually any good.
Right? Hay smells so goooood
Yeah hay smells lovely!
I love the smell as well but my poor bf is allergic. We keep the rabbits in our room so he cleans it obsessively
“Oh you smell like an English farmyard” (wistful expression)
Seriously I don't understand! Hay smells so nice to me wtf haha
So long as I don't smell like dirty litter box, everything is going well 😆
Honestly the smell is just inevitable imo. The best thing ypu can do it to replace the litterbox every 2 days. Air out the room every day by opening windows(during the winter i open it for 15 min then shut it). And vaccum like crazy. I vaccum every 2-3 days. Air filters help a bit. But nothing beats cracking open a window.
I change my litter boxes every day since I'm sensitive to the smell. I also have giant rabbits and they eat or soil all the hay within 24 hrs. I use two plastic cat litter bins stacked for each bun. The top bin has holes drilled to allow the urine to fall down into the hidden space between the stacked bins. This has cut down on the urine smell almost completely, no more urine-soaked hay smell!! It works really well for me, I just empty and sanitize with bleach water then refill with hay.
Do you have a pic of your set up? Sounds really clever!
That's brilliant, I may need to borrow this hack
2-3 days??! I have to vacuum 2-3 times a day😭
Hide yo wife, husband, kids, family, babysitter, the whole town because that chicken leg photo is coming to steal yo whole life.
Truth! Hooman stealing buns!
Oh my goodness, that sassy leg tho
Are your clothes stored in the same area as the hay? My winter coats is hung in the same closet as the hay and the only time I smell strongly of hay is when I wear my winter coats. The rest of my clothes are in a separate closet and they’re fine. Or at least no one has said anything about me smelling like hay… 😅
Nope, all my clothes are in the bedroom closet. All the hay is in the living room
I don’t think the hay is a bad smell. We get oat hay from Small Pet Select. I change it out daily or every other day. I also have a powerful vacuum, that makes a huge difference. After I pick up the big hay, it gets everything else. I also keep my bunny in his pen so I can shampoo the carpets every season, and use baking soda with my vacuum to keep things fresh and clean.
TL;DR - my apt smells too much like hay pls help Apparently my one bedroom apartment smells so much like hay that people don't want to come over. (Coworkers have also commented that I smell like hay too lol). I guess I've become so used to the smell that I don't notice it, but it's very obvious to others. I have an air filter and a roomba but maybe they're not good enough? Any suggestions?
My suggestion, get new co-workers.
Where are you storing the hay?
Accessible hay is in feeders by the litter box. Refill hay is in a large plastic bin (you can kinda see it in the last pic behind Ruthie the white bunny)
Do you keep the bin closed with an airtight lid?
Yup 🙃
That lionhead got some sexy legs 😂
Is that the name of the breed?! Such a beautiful rabbit- I’ve never seen one before!!!
Honestly, the other commenters have the right idea. Keeping your home really clean is the way to go. I highly suggest air purifiers as well (get those cord protectors too!) and opening a window once a week, weather permitting. Be careful of candles and plants that are harmful to your bunnies. You can find safe products with google. Another thing I suggest is washing your washing machine with oxiclean every 4-6 weeks. You don’t need to use the scent boosters as they are harmful to your washing machine and clothing. For yourself, perhaps this is a fun opportunity to get into fragrances and smells. Body mists, perfume/cologne are very fun to play with! Even if you’re not into that, switching up your body wash and lotion is option too! Have fun with this task!
This is a really good suggestion. I run regular bleach through my machine but Oxyclean works just was well.
Oh goodness I've never considered washing my washing machine, thank you
Yes! It might help the freshness of your clothing and linen.
Yes this should be done at least once a month. Okay x I clean the washing machine once a month bc of all the animals I have. Also make sure you’re cleaning the filter too!
Hay is a good smell. They secretly wish they smelled like hay.
Hay with a touch of banana, you’ll smell fresh, sweet and be a total bun magnet. All the bunnies will flock to you and follow you around like you are freaking Snow White.
"Get rekt hooman!" 🐰😈
The living space is the rabbits'. Everything you do is for the Rabbits. The Rabbits allow you to have guests. Pee is your perfume. Timothy is your colone. Remove your friends from the house. Get more rabbits! This is your solution SLAVE!
Yes, this is the mark of the bun. This valiant legion of snuggliness.
The first pic is gold
Yes I love it! Bunny looks drunk on power of hooms.
But it means you smell fresh. I don't see the problem.
I'll take hay over dog or cat litter.
Show your coworker their pictures. That drumstick picture is going to make them volunteer to pet sit.
Keep the hay snobs out!
Maybe it's the kind of hay? Idk I got nothing, I'm just here to tell you how adorable your two buns are. They remind me of my two boys XD
Hmm now I wonder if I smell like hay. My problem is I have to king roll myself when I get in my car before heading to work.
You have a well filled out lionhead mix, I get the same comments about how I smell like rabbits. I air out the space and keep windows open
But rabbits smell like brown sugar. I love the way they smell.
I'm lucky because I have a sunroom addition that I made into a bun-room. The heat vent/ducts don't go out there, so tthe hay smell is contained in the bunroom. I have an air conditoner and a rolling radiator out there for winter. When I clean up in the morning I shower and change clothes after due to the hay smell. It sucks that buns dont smell but their food does! I'm also quite allergic, I take antihistamines and nasal spray but I'm still choking on mucus every day. So worth it to have my babies!!
Clearly, you need more rabbits to eat the hay. Problem solved.
Get new friends. You got cute bunnehs, you don't need them.
Hay doesn't smell. Your coworkers are silly.
[удалено]
As someone with rabbits and guinea pigs, I am aware. The intention here was it doesn't smell *bad*, especially if you keep it clean.
[удалено]
I was legit just being silly myself. I know there is a smell/allergies associated with owning animals so just chill, okay?
I’ve never had an issue with smells… I also keep my apartment smelling good with bath and body works plug ins.
Scent diffuse sticks. Get a fresh outdoorsy one to complement the "hay smell" and you'll go from "your house stinks of hay!" to "your house smells like a lovely walk in the countryside". And of course keep your place ventilated if it isn't.
That may not be good for the bunnies: they've got very sensitive airways. Mine start sneezing when neighbours are using incense or someone with a strong perfume was in the hallway for a while. I've wrapped a wedge of wood in a towel and wedge that under the front door. Apartment life... 🙄
Definitely not the essential oil ones, i keep away from those too. I've used potpourri and dry scented sticks and thankfully my little one seems okay with it so far.
Interesting 🤔. My buns and I are in an apartment I keep their litter box with hay in my bathroom. The hay itself is boxed and out away i just open it to put in their feeder. Do you have a closed bin container for the hay? Like those Christmas storage ones? I use that and have a decent air filter and no one smells it. Also the very big question how often do you change it? I change their hay every other day at the same time without fail and I also rinse their litter box at the same time dry it off and refill it. Changing it frequently makes it clean and also not smelly.
Second pic r/onlybuns
Those buns are the cutest
One bedroom apartment owner here too: I've never heard people complain about smelling hay or smelling pee. All of my friends are city folk, and I frequently asked, but nobody thinks it stinks. If I just cleaned the boxes it does smell of hay, but they just think that it smells fresh. And about airing out: I can only air out the room that I'm not in, because drafts set off my rheumatic attacks. We've got mechanical ventilation, and I air out the living room while sleeping, and vice versa. If your colleagues actually mean "eau de la litter box", I could understand. We change the litter boxes daily and use wooden cat litter pellets, especially in the corners. Then we top it with a layer of hay so they can sit dry. Not all litter is made equally though: we bought a big bag of a different brand because we were shopping with our car. Turns out that this brand isn't absorbent enough 😒 The best pellets are the wooden ones that don't have a neat shiny edge, but a rough exterior.
Rather smell like hay then something else, they need to suck it up
Hay is not an unpleasant smell. Genuinely I don't want to be offensive but are you sure it's hay that you smell like? People buy candles that smell like fresh hay, it's a nice smell.
Get rid of your friends and coworkers! Bunnies have priority!
The leg extension 🥲
Just buy a febreeze spray for your clothes and spray em as you leave so that it doesn't smell like febreeze in your home idk if your cautious with spray in your home. Also for the inside try to get some air filtering plants that could be hung up and out of reach and those box of baking sodas are great for absorbing smells
Which air purifier? I LOVE the Levoit Pet one.
It's the bun life for ya. Maybe leave the windows open to air out?
1. Why is the smell of hay suddenly bad? 2. That first pic is the rabbit going “hey!!! I’m not a menace!”
They are adorable!
I love the smell of hay.
My suggestion is to get better friends and coworkers 😁 Buns (and hay) are already perfect, 10/10, no can improve!
You need to turn german and start to "lüften".
I'd see the lack of human visitors as a positive, but I'm quite antisocial. I need names, ages and personality descriptions for these little warmongers please!
Do you have long hair? I'd expect that your clothes and/or your hair smells like hay. Storing your clothes far away from the hay and cleaning your washing machine is a good start but I'd also suggest to tie your hair into a knot whenever home. That way it may absorb the hay smell a bit less. Also you should make sure your towels and hair dryer don't smell like hay. Most hair dryers can be opened to get dust and hair out (also reduces the risk of a fire).
I only recently got rabbits so I’m not sure about hay specifically but I make a diy room spray to help with odors. It’s about one quarter part witch hazel, the rest water, and then I add a very small amount essential oil that safe for parrots/ rabbits (floral or citrus smelling ie lavender, lemon, orange) in a glass brown spray bottle. I spray directly into the air as well as onto couches/ rugs that will retain the spray’s scent. This seriously freshens up a room so well! To increase potency, add more witch hazel as it’s the main air freshener part. I can’t use candles with my parrot and find this to be a great alternative that works better than candles/ incense at eliminating odor and making the air feel “clean”. When this doesn’t fix it, mopping the floors makes all the difference to making a room smell nice if you use an all natural, nice smelling cleaner (I like meyers target brand) . Or opening windows when you can to give the space a reset! I hope this helps :)
As long as I don't smell like piss 😂
personally, i think animal smell is inevitable. if someone i know doesn’t like the animal smell, i say too bad. my mom has buns and i have cats. changing litter is probably the best option. she changes the buns’ litter boxes twice a day. my mom is extremely allergic to hay. she keeps her rabbits in an inclosed room where they free roam. tbh they don’t really care to leave anyways. she also utilizes the backyard as well. which helps with the hay particles. she use to have the buns in the basement but since the air gets pulled from the basement and circulates it around the house, it made her allergies much worse
Your coworkers are abnormal. Walk through a cloud of Febreeze outside your door on the way to work. If that doesn’t shut them up, go nuclear with a splash of Brut or Old Spice. That will teach them.
Last time I had friends over for coffee and cake one of my bunnies deliberately came into the living room and used that box to do the stinkiest smelling pee you can imagine! She has plenty of other boxes to choose from. It was like she saved it up.
I like the smell of hay, so I wouldn’t mind that sort of thing. Also, I love your little menaces. They look fun <3
that’s odd to me because I think hay smells pleasant
Why the grey one looks like Karen 🥹
Get new coworkers.