# Rabbits and Cedar?



## smalltime

:bored:Can I house My rabbits in a cedar shed? I have always heard that you should not use cedar bedding but nothing on cedar housing... My bunnies are in wire cages and won't be able to chew on anything but Im concerned about the gassing effect... Any help is appreciated.


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## MaggieJ

Is it new wood? Can you smell cedar when you go in? How well ventilated is the shed? If necessary, can you seal the wood with something to prevent the gassing effect?


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## smalltime

MaggieJ said:


> Is it new wood? Can you smell cedar when you go in? How well ventilated is the shed? If necessary, can you seal the wood with something to prevent the gassing effect?


It will be new wood, It smells like cedar... It will be very well ventalated and specificly designed for this purpous, I would be useing tight knot knapp siding if I can use cedar. I can seal it if that will solve the problem, if there is a problem


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## smalltime

What I would like to do is build an 8ft x 4ft rabbit chalet so to speak... Something similar to this, accept the doors will be wider and will not be solid, instead the will be wood frames with wire cloth windows top and bottom, same basic concept on the sides, It will be located on the backside of my house under a porch and will be out of the sun totaly, Inside will be 2-3 cage stack systems from bass equip. an automatic watering system and some powe outlets, small light, some misc. shelves ect. My little family rabbitry in a nice neat little package... Has to be that way, I live in the city and for me to get the Wifes blessing It has to be purty.


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## ladysown

i'd be highly hesitant.


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## MaggieJ

New cedar is highly aromatic due to phenols... and it is the phenols in the cedar that cause the problem. Long term exposure can cause liver damage.

http://www.rabbit.org/care/shavings.html 

Painted lattice might be a better choice... It is pretty, airy and safe. You can line the inside with wire mesh for extra security. There is a picture of a very pretty lattice rabbit house in Bob Bennett's Raising Rabbits which may give you some good ideas.


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## lonelyfarmgirl

I use pine shavings in the trays under the cages. I didn't realize it was a problem. I know about the cedar issue, though. My shed is a tarp building, so lots of airflow, and I mostly only use shavings in the summer, as in the winter, urine freezes, and therefore doesn't stink or attract bugs. Is this still a problem causer when used in this manner?


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## MaggieJ

Cedar is more of a problem than pine, LFG. Is there a noticeable odour when you open a new bale of the pine shavings? If so, you might want to price aspen shavings.


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## ladysown

i've not had a problem using pine, and don't know many who have.


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## lonelyfarmgirl

well, it smells like pine. I was using aspen, for a while, but I switched due to the difference in price.


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## Jackie

Crazy because those fancy rabbit cages you can buy in stores are made of cedar. I have one i bought used. Never really thought about it. I know shavings are bad. I CAN NOT believe they sell that stuff. I don't think a cedar building would be near as bad as an animal sitting in cedar shavings. When I was 12 I used to breed gerbils in my bedroom. I bought cedar shavings because well....I wanted a pretty smell in my room. :S I couldn't figure out why my gerbils all had raw/bleeding noses. Gah! It says right on the package of shavings its FOR gerbils. Learned my lesson. Never any trouble with pine.


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