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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum HABITATS AND TOYS X-Pen to an NIC Rabbitat

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    • RexEnabler
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        My mini-rex has been in an X-pen since I first brought him home in January. The pen was on the first floor of my townhome where the front and back doors opened into a tiled area with floor to ceiling windows with a view of the front garden. The room was once used as an office and is also the location of the utility closet (water heater, AC, furnace). The placement of the X-pen made it necessary to reorganize the pen each time I needed to get into the utility closet, upsetting the bunneh’s world. In addition, a hiccup in the AC caused a puddle in the pen while I was at work. As a result of that and noticing that my little rex loves hiding under the ottoman and in covered areas, I decided to make him a mobile (on a platform on casters) NIC rabbitat with mutliple carpeted platforms to hide under or hop about on top of.

         

        He cautiously explored the environment last night while he periodically ate his greens (he would have one or two leaves, then, ears-forward, approach the opening to the rabbitat, hop in, explore the first level, sniff everywhere, hop out, hide behind me while he periscoped, then eat a few more leaves and repeat the exploration). He seemed to have figured out the first level, that the new litter-box in the rabbitat was where his litter should go, and all was OKish…then, when it was time for bed, he ran upstairs to the living room, under his ottoman, and was a terror to get out. Eventually, I coaxed him into the rabbitat for the night and closed the door.

         

        This morning, first thing, I went downstairs to find out how he was doing. I opened the door and he hopped out with a few hoots and thumps (not his usual morning greeting). He had made it to the top platform in the rabbitat (I had placed treats on each level as incentive to explore) and it looked like the fleece blanket in the corner on that level had been slept on. When I gave him his morning rabbit-crack, I felt him to check for any issues that may have happened during the night (if he missed a platform or had any injury-producing encounters that could have caused the hoots and thumps) and didn’t find anything. He went back into the rabbitat when I placed new hay in his litter-box. When I came down with his morning greens about 40 minutes later, he was out of the rabbitat, but went in when the greens were placed in there.

         

        How do I tell if he is OK with the new rabbitat? I know it is a huge change and he, like most rabbits, hates change. How long should it take to be OK with the new home? Should I place his X-pen outside the open rabbitat door and let him have penned-space as well as his rabbitat until he gets used to it or should I try to confine him to the rabbitat when I am not home or in bed (he is always let out to run wherever when I am home and not sleeping)?


      • RexEnabler
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          It turns out I was a total nervous-Nelly about my rex and his new rabbitat. After he spent the workday in the new habbitat, he actually seemed to love it so much he was not too keen on being out of it. When I came home from work, he seemed to show-off for me by running/hopping all the way around from the bottom of the cage to the top platform and then back down, stopping on each platform to look at me as if to say “See? there’s this level too!” he has also become a bit territorial, sitting in the doorway, surveying his domain and insisting on keeping a close eye on my hands when I am filling his water-dishes, cleaning up stray hay and poops, and changing his litter-box. He never used to care before when he had the X-Pen.

          Last night, he finally came up to the living-room to run his laps and have a binky-fest for the first time since moving into his new home. yay!


        • lwayne
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            yay! sounds like he’s adjusting just fine. Rabbits are usually a little territorial about their space and yeah the xpen its kinda hard for them to show it, even if they are. I wouldnt worry about it too much, just try to do the cleaning and such when he’s out and about. Can please you post some pictures of his new home? I’d love to see it and I’m sure others wood too.


          • bunnymomz
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              yes, once he gets used to his new home he should be fine then with the cleaning crew (you) coming in to do your work.

              yes also would love to see his new home too.


            • RexEnabler
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                Here is my mini-rex being the mini-king of his mini-castle.

                Since I spoil him rotten, he will be having a better-hidey-hole located on the top level (his favorite place to lounge while I am at work) and will have some dangling distractions hanging from the diagonal support with which he may amuse himself when I am not present to amuse him.

                 


              • Stitchntwinks
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                  This is fab I really want one like this for my two,is it flimsy or is it ok?


                • RexEnabler
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                    My fun-size chocolate rabbit is only 4.5 lbs (overweight by .3 lbs, apparently), so he is not large at all, but it seems sturdy enough. My hands got sore tightening everything. The support bars for the platforms are actually attached to the grids and the platforms are extra grids which are attached using ties as well, pulling things tighter together.

                    In addition, the cheapest tie option for me was to get a variety pack. there were 300 medium (8 inch) ties and 300 small (4 inch) ties and 100 large (14 inch) ties. I used 200+ of the 8 inch ties and have found myself using the small ties to straighten everything up by tying them diagonally between grids (wrapped around corresponding small bars) while spending time with my little guy as he lounges in his house. This is also making the whole structure even more solid. In addition, I snipped open one of the top grids to make a top-hatch to use in order to clean and annoy him/remove him to take him to the vet or bunny-boarding. This did violate the integrity of the structure a bit, but the added small ties made it rather sturdy again.

                    I took a photo-essay of the process for a friend which I posted to my FB. If I have time this week, I will post it to my profile in its own album here.


                  • Stitchntwinks
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                      Oh thanks thatd be good, I’m just looking around at what’s on the net but it’s hard, my girl escaped from their xpen the other night so I need something she can’t escape from, and I’d like different floors for them to climb on! Yours looks fab for that, both of mine would love it!

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                  Forum HABITATS AND TOYS X-Pen to an NIC Rabbitat