Sometimes I see rabbit poop, scoop it up and everything is fine. Other times, I hold my nose and wonder why does rabbit poop smell so bad?
Did I feed my rabbit something that caused this smell? Should rabbit poop smell? How do I stop my rabbit litter from smelling so bad?
In this article, we will talk about rabbit hygiene and focus more on why does rabbit poop smell so bad.
Why Does Rabbit Poop Smell So Bad?
Feeding your rabbit too much starch, sugar or fat could cause the poop to smell worse. Other times, the irregular smell that is very strong, could indicate that your rabbit is stressed, ill or nutritionally imbalanced.
If the smell persists and doesn’t improve, this is a warning sign and it might be time to take your rabbit to the vet for a check-up.
Should Rabbits Poop Smell?
A healthy rabbit’s excrement should not consistently smell bad. The feces of a rabbit is generally odorless and easy to deal with. Rabbit feces should be small, fairly dry and firm.
Watery or shapeless droppings could indicate that your rabbit is experiencing discomfort. The look and smell of feces in an animal is a good indicator of general health.
If this odor is recent, think back on what changes have been made to your rabbit’s diet. Worst-case scenarios could include:
- Illness
- Parasites
- Poor diet
- Stress
How Do I Stop My Rabbit Litter From Smelling?
Your rabbit’s litter is going to smell if your rabbit’s droppings also smell. The best idea that we have heard and tried at a very cheap cost is to use white vinegar with water and rinse, spray or apply it in the rabbit’s hutch to neutralize the odor.
You are helping to keep the calcium deposits at bay and if you wash the bottom of the box, hutch or enclosure as well, you will also help remove the odor of rabbit urine.
This is all a normal part of rabbit hygiene, but you will have to increase this cleaning procedure and maintenance if your rabbit is smelling foul.
How Do You Get Rid of Rabbit Smell?
It’s time to clean up your rabbit and the enclosure where they call home.
- Consider using powdered litter fresheners with baking powder.
- The home needs adequate ventilation and dehumidification.
- An air ionizer will also help to reduce odors. Clean your rabbit’s bum with baby wipes and use white vinegar to neutralize odors.
You can also use different litter such as:
- clumping litter
- clay litter
- pine or cedar shavings
- deodorized/scented litter
Do Rabbits Stink as Pets?
Do rabbits smell bad? I don’t think so. It’s all about what they eat and how they live with us. Rabbits groom themselves and like to remain clean. Their fur shouldn’t usually smell.
The smell of urine for a rabbit is strong because it’s acidic with high ammonia content. Spot cleaning areas where there are accidents will reduce the odor you might be smelling.
Besides that, you can use white vinegar in a spray bottle with water and neutralize odors without any toxic ingredients contained in common and commercial air fresheners.
Rabbit Poop Smells Like Onions
It sounds gross to think that rotting onions could be the smell of rabbit feces. The scent glands are actually the cause of this perceived odor. Your rabbit didn’t eat onions accidentally.
The small slits in multiple regions on the body of the rabbit can expel scents that act as warnings as pheromones are used to attract mates or mark territory.
The smell could be considered waxy or similar to onions depending on the rabbit and your olfactory senses.
My Rabbit Smells Like a Skunk
Why does my rabbit smell like a skunk when there were no such encounters? The scent glands of a rabbit can play mysteriously foul smelling tricks on us from time to time.
A rabbit could be releasing these odors to mark territory or attract a mate. The scent glands could get clogged and your rabbit will not be able to release anything from the scent glands or they could get backed up.
You may have to look for the small slits in various parts of the rabbit’s body and give them a gentle wipe or spot cleaning.
Rabbit Urine Smells Fishy
A rabbit’s urine can smell acidic, ammonia-like, fishy or foul. The urine that remains on your rabbit’s rear end or in the enclosure can smell fishy when it builds up or isn’t cleaned often enough.
This nasty aroma needs your attention and now your rabbit has caught your nose. It’s time for a clean-up of the hutch and litter box.
A deep cleaning of the cage and a rabbit rubbed down with natural soap, baby wipes or even a few squirts of white vinegar mixed with water will clean and neutralize this fishy odor.
Conclusion
Why does a rabbit stink? Is it something to do with the release of pheromones from the scent glands or the release of acidic urine and irregular feces?
There are a few suggestions from simple cleaning and maintenance to changes in diet that can help out. If the smell persists and isn’t resolved by a deep cleaning of the rabbit cage, change of litter and a rabbit wash, then there could be deeper issues.
This is why it’s important to consider the advice and assessment of a vet who could inspect your rabbit for possible parasites, illnesses and other stress factors that could be causing your rabbit poop to smell bad along with foul body odor and urine.
We hope the check-up proves useful and your rabbit returns to smelling fresher and odor free as this furry friend wishes to remain clean and odorless in your home or surrounding property.
Rabbits do not wish to attract unwanted predators with their odors and would like to keep you happy as well.
Thank you for visiting PocketPetCentral.com for the best information to help you enjoy the life of your pocket pet companion in a fun, safe & healthy way.
