A few Health related Rabbit questions

Question
1.Do you know what type of wood the Toy for rabbits called the "Critter Kabob" made out of?
Is it made out of Pine or Ceder? If it is then is it safe for my Dwarf rabbit because I heard that pine and Ceder are not good for Rabbits.

2.Is Kiln dried Pine safe for rabbits because I heard that even though it is kiln dried then it still has some phenols in it.

3.Do you know where I could find a good Holland lop sized clip on ledge or shelf that she can sit on so she will have a second story to her house.

4.do you know if the litter called "Yesterday's News" is a healthy litter for my rabbit?

5.Any other tips how I can make her cage more fun for her?

6.This question is kind of unrelated but, what can I expect my bunny to act like once she reaches puberty? I know they become more destructive and horny and the girls become more territorial, anything else? (My Holland lop is a girl)
Thanks a lot!

Answer
Hi,

1.  No.  Cedar is bad for rabbits, because of the phenols it gives off (lung issues).  Untreated (meaning no varnish or stains) pine is perfectly fine and great for rabbits.

2.  Just go to Home Depot, go into their finished wood trim section where they have varying widths and lengths of pine, and pick a board.  You can then take it home, cut it into shapes and lengths you want to give him.

3. No.  But what you can do is either make a hidey-box for her, and carpet the top of it so she can hop up there and sit or flop.  The other thing you can do is build a ledge that has a couple thin boards running underneath the lenght of the ledge and slightly longer, so that the ends of these two thin boards rest on her horizontal cage bars for support (and thereby holds the shelf up).

4. Yesterday's News is better than any other recycled paper litter.  I used to use it.  I switched to hardwood stove wood fuel pellets.  Safe, easy to know what part to scoop out and replace, and you can get 3 40-pound bags for the cost of 1 bag of Yesterday's News.

5. Wicker toys, plastic baby keys to toss and nibble, make sure hay is next to (or in) the litterbox, a hanging wood toy can sometimes be fun.  Make sure the flooring is very comfortable.  Synthetic wool or really soft pet bedding.

6. She will become more cage aggressive with you.  When you reach into the cage she may be a little more aggressive.  Not so much when running free but more so in her private space.  She may spray you, she will probably do markings (urine, pellets) around the room/area she gets to exercise in.

Once she hits maturity, you will want to get her spayed to get back your pre-puberty rabbit.  The key is finding a good rabbit vet (not all are) to do the surgery.  To find one, start here:

www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

to find a House Rabbit Society recommended vet near you.

Lee