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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 Wire Flooring cages: creating change

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    • Flopsie
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        not sure if this is the right place for this so please move if necessary.

        I don’t consider myself to be a huge animal lover, to be honest.  But for some reason, I have infinite love and empathy for bunnies.  I don’t know maybe it is because after becoming a bunny owner, i’ve realized how much cats and dogs get attention and how misunderstood and ignorant people are of bunnies in general.  I just know that even when I hear one bunny suffering or in pain on these boards, I feel badly for the bun.

        Before I got my bun, I did a ton of research and even then, I made a ton of mistakes still.

        I think that with time and education, knowledge of bunnies as domestic pets will increase and spread.  There is just so much that is not know to the general public. 

        Anyway, I was thinking, one of the things that the public is not educated about is wire floor cages or housing.  But, is that something we can blame on the people for being ignorant? After all, if a product is out there advertised as a bunny home or cage, it would make sense to buy it, no?  Don’t you think the greater fault would be that the product continues to be sold?  If no more wire floor housing units were made, then no one would buy them (theoretically).  Sure an educated person or someone that does research would find the information out, but not everyone is like that or has the time.

        So I was thinking, is there anything I can do as an individual or part of a group as a whole to change the way these products are made? Do you think there is something that we can do to make these manufacturers stop making these products?  I’m not sure if one person can make this change, but I feel like its something that I want to at least look into. I just have no clue on where to start.


      • litheandgraphic
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        608 posts Send Private Message

          Awwww, this is so sweet! Good on you for trying to make a difference. It matters.

          The best thing I think you can do is to educate other people! Spread the knowledge through word of mouth or social media! Doing so will create a chain reaction of knowledge.


        • Flopsie
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            Has anyone tried contacting the makers of these products. I guess the first step would be to get evidence based on research for sore hocks. Does anyone know if peer reviewed studies have been published or if there is evidence linked between the two?


          • JackRabbit
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              I’ve never contacted the manufacturer – as long as there is enough demand for a product, the product will be made. I think the key is to reduce the demand by increasing the demand for alternative products such as dog crates and xpens for house rabbits. For that matter, spreading the word that bunnies are better off inside would be a good start.
              I’ve only gotten as far as getting some of our local stores to request signs for the small pet area that say that xl dog crates and dig xpens are also commonly used as rabbit housing. It’s up to their corporate offices to decide if the signs will be allowed. I don’t know what the profit margins are on the bunny cages vs dog crates/xpens, but I’d guess bunny cages have huge margins. I’ve offered to make up bunny info pamphlets that tell what bunnies need (the store would be able to sell more hay, pellets, bedding, etc) but most aren’t interested.


            • Flopsie
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                I’m thinking that all they need to do is change the flooring right? I’m not asking them to not make the product. I’m just asking them to change it so that the metal grate is now plastic or wood or whatever they may be. I mean if I were to be cynical, what does it matter to the manufacturers if the poop is all over the place. The consumer is the one to deal right? And then from there it’s about education for litter training. Maybe I’m being too ambitious but I figure I’d give it a try.

                I guess the first step is to see if I can do some research


              • JackRabbit
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                  The problem is that there are people who want poop to fall through to a tray below. You might have better luck convincing them to have half mesh and half smooth surface to at least give the bunny a place to get off of the mesh. The problem is also that hutches, cages, and pretty much the vast majority of housing sold “for rabbits” are all too small. Unless there’s a run or play area attached, the cages are mostly too small. Add the mesh bottom and you get a cramped bunny with sore feet.


                • Flopsie
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                    Yeah I hear you. The problem is so big in the sense that the cages made are too small, outside hutches are not ideal, and we have the metal floors. I just figure of three id be easier to try I change that one


                  • JackRabbit
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                      You’ll never know until you try. Most manufacturer’s customer service folks will pass on suggestions to product development. If you can “sell” a benefit from a business perspective, you’ll have a better chance — how can changing the flooring make them more money? Maybe suggest a solid platform that can be added over part of the mesh flooring as an option to start? They aren’t going to want to redesign and retool (costs money) without determined demand but an add-on gives them something else they can make and sell.


                    • Flopsie
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                        Yeah you aren’t wrong. Ugh it’s frustrating. You know what would be a great product. If someone made some “official” bunny Cubes. Yeah you don’t need an official one. But for those that don’t know they can go see it at the store and buy it.


                      • Flopsie
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                          I think I got all charged up because I was reading about the whole foods protest and then I was reading some “news” articles on the matter andirons annoyed me that some of these so called journalists missed the point of the thing. So I wanted to do something or participate in some way.


                        • JackRabbit
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                          5451 posts Send Private Message

                            I get worked up like that too. Its so hard watching easily fixable things ho unfixed. But, if no one gets worked up and no one tries, nothing will change.

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                        Forum HABITATS AND TOYS Wire Flooring cages: creating change