NIC rabbit cage

[KittenMuffinPie]

I have only had my bunny Jude for a few weeks and have already fallen in love with him. I got his cage from petsmart because I really didn’t have time to build one before I got him and it was just easier to pay 100 dollars for a cage. I have recently seen all these videos and pics of NIC rabbit cages and how inexpensive they are to make. My Jude is a holland lop and is only 2 months old..he is already quite big for 2 months old and bound to get bigger..right? His cage now is 42 inches in length and (I think) 21 inches wide…but I feel he is going to outgrow it within the next year. I’m just wondering would it be better to build a giant NIC cage for him that will be perfect to fit him and the bunnies that I get in the future or should I just buy another bigger cage? Are the Nic’s really safe? 

[Sindri]

I wanted to build a NIC rabbit cage when I got my first rabbit and my husband and I started to add up the supplies vs combining 2 cages and he wanted to get another cage. I would show you a pic of what I am talking about but my 2 rabbits have their own room now and are not caged. My cages I got were from Tractor Supply in a kit. It was I think 46 inches long. I got another one and cut holes in the ends and put them together. Another thing you can do if you have to space is get an xpen and connect it to your cage and let your rabbit have floor space of that is an option. Those are 2 options for ya. I don’t know about the safety of the NICs but others on here have built them.

Let us know what you go with! Best of luck!

[Pipje]

The cage you have isn’t big enough for him already, you really need 4ft x 2ft minimum but preferably bigger. Sadly even the biggest pet store cage will never meet this. Yes he will get quite a bit bigger probably.

To save you some money, the best thing you can do is buy an xpen (a dog exercise pen) and attach it to the cage with zip ties. It’s really cheap and all you need is something like linoleum for the floor and you have a massive floor space for your bunny and his litter box and toys without having to build anything.

NIC cages are great though. I built one from 3 packs of 30 cubes, 6 grids long, 3 wide and 3 high with some shelves and a roof. My bunnies love it and it is super sturdy (zip ties are a godsend for keeping rabbit cages together).

[KittenMuffinPie]

I do understand that it’s too small for him now but he’s only in his cage at night and when I am not there. (I am planning on letting him be free roam when I am fully confident in his litter and chewing habits.) but it would still be nice to have a bigger cage for him, I just can’t afford it right now. The cage I bought was the biggest one they had and was over 100 dollars.

[LittleBunnyPaws]

Even though nighttime may seem short for us, that is about 12 hours for them to be locked up. Most bunnies don’t even sleep at night. I suggest going with an x-pen. They are cheap, and I got mine for 40$. Is there any other way for your bunny to have more space at night?

[Sindri]

Getting and xpen is probably the cheapest thing to do. mine was like $35 I got it off of amazon. It was made my Midwest. I got free shipping as well. When mine were caged they were in at night for around 8 hours they seemed to be ok. I guess you have to make due with what you can for now. My xpen came with clips you can zip tie or use the clips and secure it to your cage for extra space.

[Pipje]

Yip, “just night time” is half the day for the rabbit, and add to that when you are out as well it ends up he is in there more than out, and yes most rabbits don’t sleep at night. I know it’s what the pet stores sell… but they are utterly awful. The whole industry is terrible, so it’s not your fault, it’s what everyone thinks is ok until they learn more about rabbits!

If you can spare $50 or less you should get an xpen (most suggest Midwest here) and attach it to the cage, put a blanket on the floor with bin bags underneath (in case of toilet accidents) until you can afford sturdier flooring. Then that’s your rabbit’s habitat sorted. It’s an investment to better his quality of life

[KittenMuffinPie]

thanks for all the replies but he really isn’t even in all night. I don’t go to bed sometimes until around 11 and he’s out (on school days) from around 5 to 11 then is only in his cage from around 11 to 6 and then is let out again while I get ready for school. Of course he’s in there again all day until I get home at 5 but my grandparents say he sleeps all day. Right now I do not have a job because I have been having to babysit my sister but now I no longer have to. Of course I don’t have a car because I don’t have money for a car. In January my grandmother is retiring and will be picking me up from school at 1:50 and I am going to get a job. With this Job I am going to start saving up to build him a massive cage because he deserves it. Right now he’s pretty happy though because the cage he was in at the place I got him from was actually way smaller than the one he is in now. He also didn’t get as much out of the cage time as he does now (and it shows..he’s a bit chubby) because the place had more than just him..they had about 20 baby rabbits at the time I got him. Also the me being away thing isn’t really true for me. I don’t have many friends and my boyfriend lives an hour away and is always busy with his job. So on weekdays I am home every night. Anyway..a lot of time out of cage, a lot of love from me, a job in January to save up money, new massive cage by at least February and by then I might even be letting him have free roam of my room even when I am not there. Conclusion: happy Jude, happy me

[Author]

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