RUBYHOME Rabbit Litter Box Review: Big Enough?
A RUBYHOME rabbit litter box review: 20 by 13.5 by 6 inches, the removable grid, high sides against spraying, and why a cat box is often the better buy.
Twenty inches across with high sides, and why most rabbit litter boxes are far too small.
The verdict: At 20 by 13.5 inches with 6 inch sides this is genuinely large for a purpose-made rabbit box, and the high back is what stops urine going up your wall, which is the complaint most owners actually have. Buy it if you want a fitted corner box that locks to a cage and contains spray. Skip the included grid for most rabbits, because a rabbit needs to sit in soft litter and hay, not on a wire grate.
RUBYHOME Large Corner Rabbit Litter Box with Grid
~$27
A 20 by 13.5 by 6 inch fan-shaped corner litter pan with a detachable stainless steel grid and a fixing knob that locks it to a cage.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Dimensions | 20 in long x 13.5 in wide x 6 in high |
|---|---|
| Shape | Fan-shaped corner box |
| Grid | Detachable stainless steel grid |
| Material | High quality plastic with a reinforced bottom |
| Fixing | Fixed knob design to lock the box to a cage so it cannot be dragged |
| Cleaning | Grid detaches, box lifts out and rinses |
| Stated for | Small to large rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and ferrets |
Specifications above come from RUBYHOME's published product information. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- Six inch sides are the feature that matters, because male rabbits in particular spray backwards and upwards and a shallow pan sends it onto your wall.
- Twenty inches across is genuinely large for a purpose-made rabbit box, and most rabbit litter boxes are far too small for the rabbit to sit in properly.
- The fixing knob stops the box being dragged and flipped, which rabbits do enthusiastically and repeatedly.
- The corner shape uses the dead space in a cage or pen, which is exactly where most rabbits choose to go anyway.
- The grid detaches, so you can use the box the way that suits your rabbit rather than the way the packaging assumes.
Where it falls short
- The grid is the wrong idea for most rabbits. Sitting on a wire grate contributes to sore hocks, and rabbits like to sit in their box eating hay, which a grid prevents.
- Corner boxes are still smaller in usable area than a plain rectangle of the same footprint, because the fan shape wastes the point.
- Six inch sides are high enough to be a step up for an arthritic or elderly rabbit, which may lead to accidents beside the box rather than in it.
- Plastic is chewable at the rim, and rabbits that chew the lip of a litter box will wear it down over months.
- For a large breed it is still on the small side. A rabbit should be able to sit in the box with all four feet in and turn around.
What owners report
Owner reports on large corner boxes of this type consistently praise the height of the back wall and the locking knob, which are the two features that separate them from a cheap plastic pan. Owners of rabbits that spray describe the high sides as the thing that finally stopped urine reaching the wall. The grid draws mixed responses, with some owners keeping it to stop a rabbit sitting in wet litter and many more removing it because their rabbit refused to use the box with it in.
The wider point worth making is that most litter boxes sold for rabbits are too small, and a good number of experienced owners simply use a large cat litter tray or an under-bed storage box with a doorway cut into one side. A rabbit should be able to get all four feet in, turn around and lie down, because rabbits eat while they use the box and that habit is what makes litter training work. Put a hay rack over one end or a pile of hay at the back, which our hay rack versus hay in the litter box comparison covers.
On shape, our corner versus rectangular comparison is the direct head-to-head and generally favours the rectangle on usable space. What goes in the box matters as much as the box, and our paper pellet bedding review covers the safe options while our litters to avoid guide covers the dangerous ones, clumping cat litter first among them. More boxes are in the litter box roundup, and if a litter-trained rabbit suddenly stops using its box, that can signal a urinary problem and is worth a vet visit rather than a new box.
Who it suits
- Owners of rabbits that spray, where high sides do more than any amount of cleaning.
- Anyone with a cage or pen where the box gets dragged around and tipped.
- People who want the box to fit the corner the rabbit already uses.
Who should skip it
- Owners of large breeds, who will get more usable space from a big rectangular pan.
- Anyone with an arthritic or elderly rabbit that struggles to step over a 6 inch wall.
- People planning to use the grid, which most rabbits dislike and which contributes to sore hocks.
Alternatives worth considering
RUBYHOME Oversize Rabbit Litter Box with Drawer and Grate
~$27
The same idea with a pull-out drawer, so the waste tray slides out without lifting the whole box. Worth it if the box sits inside a cage where lifting it out means dismantling something.
Check price on AmazonSmall Pet Select Recycled Paper Pellet Bedding & Litter, 20 lb
~$35
The box is only half the setup. Highly absorbent, low-dust paper pellets with hay on top are what actually control ammonia, and they are safe if a rabbit nibbles them, which clumping cat litter is not.
Check price on AmazonOxbow Western Timothy Hay, High Fiber, 40 lb
~$85
Rabbits eat and pass droppings at the same time, so a generous pile of hay at one end of the litter box is the single most effective litter training tool there is. Buying hay in bulk makes being generous with it affordable.
Check price on AmazonKeep reading
- Corner vs rectangular litter box
- Hay rack vs hay in the litter box
- How to litter train a rabbit
- Why did my rabbit stop using the litter box
- Best rabbit litter boxes
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Editor's Pick ยท Affiliate link
A Chew-Proof Two Storey Hutch
Rabbits chew everything, and a wooden hutch becomes a repair project and a health risk once it is soaked and gnawed. A full metal frame with two levels gives the vertical space rabbits actually use, and it survives the chewing that destroys cheaper housing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size litter box does a rabbit need?
Big enough for the rabbit to get all four feet inside, turn around and lie down, which for a medium rabbit means something around 18 to 24 inches long. Most boxes sold as rabbit litter boxes are considerably smaller than that. Many experienced owners use a large cat litter tray or a shallow under-bed storage box with a low entry cut into one side, which costs less and gives more room than a purpose-made rabbit box.
Should I use the grid in a rabbit litter box?
Usually not. Grids exist to keep an animal out of wet litter, but rabbits like to sit in their box eating hay, and sitting on a wire grate contributes to pododermatitis, the sore hocks that show as bald or ulcerated patches under the back feet. Most owners take the grid out and rely on absorbent litter with hay on top instead. If your rabbit already has sore hocks, that is a veterinary matter and a grid will make it worse.
How do I stop my rabbit spraying outside the litter box?
High sides help a great deal, which is what a 6 inch back wall is for, and a covered corner shield helps more. The bigger factor is neutering, because spraying is largely territorial marking driven by hormones and it usually reduces markedly after a rabbit is spayed or neutered. Talk to a rabbit-savvy vet about that, since it also prevents uterine cancer in female rabbits, which is very common in unspayed does.
Corner litter box or rectangular for rabbits?
A rectangle usually wins on usable space, because the fan shape of a corner box wastes the pointed end and rabbits do not use it. Corner boxes are better where space is genuinely tight or where a box needs to lock into a cage corner. If you have room, a big rectangular tray or a storage box with a cut-down side gives more room per dollar. Our corner versus rectangular comparison goes into more detail.
My litter-trained rabbit has started going outside the box. Why?
There are behavioural reasons, including a box that is too small or too dirty, a change in the household, a new pet or the arrival of hormones in an unneutered rabbit. There are also medical reasons, and those come first. Urinary tract infection, bladder sludge, bladder stones and arthritis that makes stepping into the box painful all present exactly this way. A sudden loss of litter training in a previously reliable rabbit is worth a vet visit.
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