A few new cage questions?

[cooperocf]

Hi, I have several questions that I would love for somebody to answer.

We are in the process of getting materials for building a homemade rabbit hutch.  We found storage cubes a few months ago at Kmart and I got it, and it turned out to be very useful to block off areas of the house I don’t want my rabbit to go in.  Now as I look at ways to make your own rabbit condo, I see you can use those storage cube things!  I plan to make a two or maybe even three story rabbit condo, using zip ties, those storage cubes, and some other items that I have questions for.

Are blankets okay to put in areas?  And if I do put them down, should I put it sort of scrambled up so he can dig and rearrange it how he wants, or somehow make it so he can not dig on it?  He likes to actually eat – not shred – anything he feels like, so I have a paranoia that he will eat and digest the blanket.

What is the best type of wood to use for ramps and the levels?  I know not to use treated, pine or cedar wood but what is the absolute  best  and most safe wood to use that in small amounts won’t hurt him if he happens to somehow digest it?

Also, one more – where should I put his cage?  His hutch is in the living room right now, and it is on a desk so the other animals can’t get to him.  But I am confident that a two story condo as big as I can make it can not be on a desk.  I have a dog that is a Shih-Tzu Chihuahua mix and a cat who’s breed is unknown since he was adopted from a shelter… And my dog wants to get at him every chance she gets.  My cat doesn’t really care, once I accidentally put him and the rabbit together and my cat seemed to be scared by him, going to the door and pawing to get to the hall.  And I am nervous about ticks and fleas getting to him from my dog.  My rabbit and my cat both do not go outside.  

I strayed off topic.  So, where should I put him?  In the living room, where all the animals are but is also high energy from 7:00am – 8:50am and 3:00pm – 10:00pm?  Or possibly in the sunroom which he wouldn’t get as much attention but the animals usually go there too to get food and for my dog, to go outside.  There’s also my bedroom, which my cat barely goes in and my dog can’t climb stairs except the deck stairs.  I sleep there, 10:00 pm – 8:00 am and I have my tv running all night.  But I barely go in there except when I’m on the phone, mad at somebody, when I want to write, or I sleep.  And I’m on the phone maybe an hour a week. So low energy.  But I want to hear your opinions where I should put him.  I am thinking the living room… But I’m not sure.  

Thank you for reading if you read all through!

[mollys1]

I know from experience that my bunny that eats everything (and doesn’t just chew on) will eat towels or blankets if I have them in his area. So I would suggest against that. Maybe if you get fleece or towel that could be laid super flat that might work? I know if it’s not sticking up and no available edges my bun usually won’t chew on it.

I’m not sure about the wood but I believe most people use untreated pine. I’ve also seen on other forum posts that people use plywood and then put tile or something over it.

Maybe put the rabbit cage in a separate room where your dog cannot get at the cage? Just to avoid any problems with the dog scaring or hurting the bun if she was to get into the cage somehow. But it is just a Chihuahua so they wouldn’t be able to knock over a cage or anything like a large dog could. I just have my rabbit cage (dog crate with a pen) on the floor since it is too large for any elevated surface. But I don’t have other pets that I have to worry about! Bunnies often like to be involved in the activity of a household as long as they have an area to go back to that is ‘theirs’ that they can get away from all the activity. For example, my rabbit likes to come out in the living room and hang out but he goes and lays under the chairs in our kitchen when he wants to just chill. So I agree that the living room might be a good location! It could depend on your bunny’s personality as well, since my bunny is very friendly and loves pets from everyone

[Deleted User]

Hi, not sure if my advice will be any good as my bunny (6 months old) actually lives freely throughout my whole house along with my dogs – maltese (14yo), toy poodle (12), and a shih tsu (aged 7) with him only being locked away at night (I don’t trust his chewing, ha ha..) when I put the dogs to bed and myself. If you don’t trust your dogs – please, don’t take on board how my bunny and dogs interact. I just wanted to add that when I got Henry and did my research, the one thing I came across constantly, even if your bunny isn’t cuddly and affectionate (like mine – DAM! lol..) remember they love company, to be in the thick of it! Always! If I am out in the kitchen/dining – so is Henry. If I go to my room, that’s where you will find him. He may be under the bed, but he’s in the same room as us. So choose the room you spend the most time in, especially if he can’t follow you from room to room. Good luck and all the best.

[cooperocf]

Thanks for the answers so far, I forgot about this for awhile…

mollys1 – I think that’s a great idea, the temperatures are getting low here and a window is right above him… Even though we surely have heat, I just want a nice fuzzy thing he can resort to if he were to become cold.
We went out a few days ago and I got oak wood and maybe some birch wood. It won’t be used except for the base flooring(we got stick on linoleum to put on top of it) and for the ramps and steps on the ramps. So I hope we are safe.
Yeah, I need to find something to elevate it slightly so she, referring to my dog, will not be able to get Binky. Really all I think that she wants to do is just play with the furball but I think my rabbit feels differently and I wouldn’t want someone peering into my house, whining, for all I know to eat me! I just don’t know what I am going to use yet…

AndHenry – Hehe! How on earth do the dogs not constantly be on your rabbit’s tail? Maybe I’m so awe stricken because all I know is my dog wanting to be near every small animal she can see.
Thank you both for the advice and I think I am going to end up putting his new cage in the living room. Especially because I want his cage to have the max amount of room possible, and the living room allows that to happen.

Best wishes!

[Deleted User]

Ha ha ha…. My dog’s are embarrassed (don’t tell them I told you) – Henry is on there tails! He’s now ‘top dog’! Gotta laugh! Cheers…..

[Deleted User]

PS, I have put some doggy/Henry piccy’s up on my profile. Hope you like them??? lol….

[cooperocf]

Haha! I had to read it two times but it is pretty funny and made me laugh!
I’ll take a look!

[KamOlaf]

I have flowers new nic cage (storage cube cage, I have pics in my albums if you wish to look) in my room and I rarely go in there so I decided to make a gate on the inside of my room so she doesn’t run past me, but she likes the extra space. I would try to make her a house bunny but I still currently live at home with my parents and we have a Rottweiler that might see her as more of.. a treat, than anything else. Although, if this interview works out I can leave my current job, and move out and let her roam,

[Author]

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