Wooden hutches damp from pee?

[Claire W]

I am just wondering if anyone else has the same problem as me. My hutch is in an out building covered with a carpet and towel for extra warmth. My problem however is that the back of the hutch on the inside is usually damp where the girls pee up the sides and it seeps in to the wood. Does anyone else have this problem? I am concerned about it. By the time the newspaper and bedding is in there, the damp patches are covered up. Also, will it be the pee soaking in to the wood or coming from the outside of the hutch which I really do hope not I can't see how it could come from the outside of the hutch as the whole back and sides is covered with a carpet.

 

[sue 1974]

yes i have this problem, generally it's the sleeping area that is really damp.. this is from wee rather than outside. I have a hutch my FIL made me so it is quite thick wood, i have had it about 5 years and it is still fine from all the wee soaking in!

 

[sharonS]

damp from pee

Hi claire, could you get some of that correx that they use in the c+c cages to line it first, then put you usual bedding etc in. Just a thought.

 

[Niki]

I have the same problem with mine tho' they're still going strong after almost 4 years The correx is a good idea or you could use sticky plastic floor tiles

 

[jane28]

I wouldnt worry about the wee... To be honest i think its best that the wood can soak it up... My rabbits have an open small hutch in the wendyhouse which i lined with the vinyl tiles and then put newspaper on top and hay... Wish i hadnt done it as the wee goes through the hay onto the newspaper and then cant go anywhere else! Just sits on top of the vinyl tiles so i have to clean them out more frequently...rolleyes

 

[Goldie]

I have lined my hutch floors with vinyl, which I cut to size. However, there are damp, blackish patches in places that go about 2" up on to the sides of the bedroom area.

I hate it! I think it is a mixture of wee and newspaper print.

I spent some time scrubbing these areas today with a toothbrush ... it was my hubby's toothbrush but he won't notice lol (only joking! ). It was an old toothbrush that I kept in the garage. I sprayed animal disinfectant spray on the patches, brushed with the toothbrush and then dried off with kitchen roll. It did look better.

I am glad that I am not the only one having this problem! :{

 

[Pumpkinpiggie]

You could try giving it a good scrub with soapy water and vinegar then dry it out with a hairdryer see if it helps. I varnished the insides of my hutches during the summer but did not do the new hutch wish I had now as it sounds the same as yours the bed room stinks no matter how often I clean it out.

 

[Goldie]

Yes, in hindsight, putting a protective woodstain suitable for pets would be a good idea.

I have never done this before on indoor hutches and had no problem :{

 

[maisydaisystar]

i often use a hairdryer on my hutches after giving them a good scrub, it works great at drying them out.

 

[Shiltontwister]

I have covered the floor and a part of the way up the hutch sides with lino and I use dettol watered down in a spray bottle to clean and disinfect.

 

[Laura-CCC4]

Covering the base of the hutch with something waterproof is worthwhile. When I had a wooden hutch (5 years ago) we lined it with black pond liner. Protected the wood very well, though we ended up getting rid of the hutch anyway after constant gnawing on it gave Charlie a splinter (and subsequent infection).

Even though the hutches may look and smell clean, the bacteria is still inside the wood - and that is what would bug me.

 

[boureki]

I picked up a good tip from Louise at LBGPR - buy a cheap tarpaulin for about £5 from B&Q and cut them roughly to the shape of the hutch floor and put the paper and hay etc over that. It protects the floor from the worst of the pee and makes it easier to roll up the paper to clean them out Easy wipe clean too.

 

[kkbell]

I put some sticky backed vinyl down (can't for the life of me think what it's called). Though in the past I've been sat outside with my hairdryer!

I've currently got some stuff that's made by Jeyes, it's sold for bins but also says it's safe for use in hutches. I sprinkle that in and it soaks the wet right up. Make sure you give it a good sweeping out afterwards though!

 

[jane28]

I have to admit all my animals have been in hutches or sheds with just newspaper directly onto wood and we have never disinfected anything...
Every animal has lived to normal old age without any problems

The main thing i do and always have done is to clean them out regulary before the paper gets too wet then get a scrunched up piece of newspaper and wipe the inside...

I am always wary of plastic and lino with my animals because i had a rabbit die within 24 hours after she had eaten something we had been convinced we had hidden out of her way...
Thats not to say it is bad because obviously it does work and i have lino at the moment which works great on a floor...