Frankie can jump onto crate and escape... What do I do?!

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 18sd replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 15 years ago by Beka27.

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- 05/11/2010 at 11:06 PM
  Minty
  Participant
  338 posts
  So it looks like I have a little Houdini on my hands…
  
  I was hanging out with Frankie in his Xpen this evening. He is very active during this time and he was running around like usual. He then started looking up at the top of his crate and standing on his hind feet. He proceeded to stamp his foot and leap up on top of his crate! Now, this is a large crate, 26″ high, and he is a tiny bun! I have his Xpen attached to his crate and have been keeping the door to his crate open all day. Thank god he didn’t do this while I wasn’t around to grab him, as he could easily jump over to Sully’s crate and jump into his Xpen. (See pictures attached.) His Xpen is also not much higher than his crate, so it is possible he could even jump his Xpen too! I don’t know what to do, how do I keep such an active and curious bun confined and entertained? Sully is so mellow and rarely even runs around or binkies more than once. He doesn’t even attempt to escape and is perfectly content in his cage and pen. Frankie is so active and is a little trouble maker! I didn’t even know it was possible he could jump so high. Now I can’t even let him out of his cage unless I am there 100% to supervise. Urgh! Baby bunnies! What was I thinking?
  
  ETA: Now that I think about it, it was funny, I could almost see the little gears turning in his head as he planned out his route of escape!
- 05/11/2010 at 11:36 PM
  BinkyBunny
  Moderator
  8776 posts
  Young bunnies! So much energy! I’ve had seniors now for some time, that I’ve almost forgotten those days of busy busy busy bunny behavior!
  
  Some ideas:
  
  1. Create a pen cover with fabric–You can get some material from a fabric store and cut it to size and pin clip it to the top.
  2. Ditto above except cover with chloroplast — they have colors to choose from. May be easier to just lift up.
  
  Note: I’d advise covering both cages if you do this IF you think your other bunny would jump on to the top of the other bunnies cover.
  
  3.. Put something on top of the crate to prevent him from jumping on it. Make a triangle out of something — cardboard, chloroplast, etc.
  
  Keep us updated with what ends up working.
- 05/12/2010 at 5:58 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  What a great setup!!! What height are those xpens? They look short.
- 05/12/2010 at 7:37 AM
  Elrohwen
  Participant
  7318 posts
  If you have any NIC grids hanging around, you can use some on the top of the crate to make it higher.
- 05/12/2010 at 8:41 AM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  Mini rexes excel in rabbit agility. They can jump as high as 3′. Like BB said, clipping a sheet to the pens will keep everybunny contained. As long as he has stimulation in toys and exercise, he will be a happy bun. Enjoy him, mini rex kits are the best (in my opinion).
  
  Here is one of mine discovering his climbing skills, he was 4 months then:
- 05/12/2010 at 10:20 AM
  Furface
  Participant
  618 posts
  I have 3 escaper buns… LOL
  Bugsy can easily jump over NIC cubes stacked 2 high & Peeka can climb them.
- 05/12/2010 at 10:29 AM
  Minty
  Participant
  338 posts
  BinkyBunny, thanks for all the suggestions! I put his travel carrier on top of the crate to prevent him from jumping on top of it. I still don’t know if he is able to jump the actual Xpen but he hasn’t attempted yet. I don’t really want to have to cover the pens unless I absolutely have to, because it would be kind of dark in their pens, and I have to climb in and out as there aren’t any doors!
  
  Beka, thanks! I’m not sure of the exact height but the crate is 26″ high so I think the pen must be 30″ or around there.
  
  Elrohwen, I don’t have any NIC grids. Does anyone know what these are called in Canada and where I can get some?
  
  Petzy, what a funny video! I had no idea mini rex were known for their athletic abilities! Your bun in that video seems exactly like Frankie when he is trying to escape… He stands on his hind legs like that too.
  
  Furface, what do you do to stop your buns from escaping? Do you have to cover the top of their pens?
- 05/12/2010 at 10:49 AM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  Posted By SullysMum on 05/12/2010 10:29 AM
  Does anyone know what these are called in Canada and where I can get some?
  
  Home Depot sells the grids by Closetmaid
  
  http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/…ResultView
  
  Canadian Tire carries the same thing by Rubbermade, called wire storage system, or cube storage system.
  
  The Closetmaid one are cheaper though.
- 05/12/2010 at 10:58 AM
  Furface
  Participant
  618 posts
  Posted By SullysMum on 05/12/2010 10:29 AM
  
  Furface, what do you do to stop your buns from escaping? Do you have to cover the top of their pens?
  
  I bunny proofed the apartment pretty well & let them escape. LOL At 1st I worried about the dog but she is so good with them that I stopped worring about her. I actually worry more about the bunnies getting hurt jumping that high so I gave them a step. LOL
- 05/12/2010 at 11:00 AM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  Sullys, you might get the wire cubes at a Staples too.
- 05/12/2010 at 6:38 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  Moose jumped his pen one night before we went on vacation.. he saw the top of the couch and figured he could get to it, so he did. We had to zip tie grids to the edge of the pen around the couch so he couldn’t get to it BUT only that side. he won’t jump if he can’t see something to land on immediately. He hasn’t just jumped the pen to the floor on the other side.
  
  So maybe just by putting something on top of the crate will work.
- 05/12/2010 at 9:59 PM
  Nibbles_NZ
  Participant
  751 posts
  Posted By SullysMum on 05/12/2010 10:29 AM
  BinkyBunny, thanks for all the suggestions! I put his travel carrier on top of the crate to prevent him from jumping on top of it. I still don’t know if he is able to jump the actual Xpen but he hasn’t attempted yet. I don’t really want to have to cover the pens unless I absolutely have to, because it would be kind of dark in their pens, and I have to climb in and out as there aren’t any doors!
  
  Beka, thanks! I’m not sure of the exact height but the crate is 26″ high so I think the pen must be 30″ or around there.
  
  Elrohwen, I don’t have any NIC grids. Does anyone know what these are called in Canada and where I can get some?
  
  Petzy, what a funny video! I had no idea mini rex were known for their athletic abilities! Your bun in that video seems exactly like Frankie when he is trying to escape… He stands on his hind legs like that too.
  
  Furface, what do you do to stop your buns from escaping? Do you have to cover the top of their pens?
  
  Bella, my dutch can jump high and she is only 2 months old.. If he can jump that high, chances are, he will soon learn that the xpen is not much taller. He is young and will get bored of the pen. If he sees a way out, he’ll take it. lol I have ONLY had baby bunnies. They are very much like toddlers. They will get into everything and escape as much as they can lol. I am definetly not an expert but I have had my hands VERY full with mine! Especially my Bella.
  
  When Baxter started jumping in his xpen I took his cage out and just put his little box, food and water botter in there. I got him a pop up kitty cube for him to run into and lounge in because if he jumps on it, it will not hold his wieght so he can’t jump out. You can also get the tubes to attach to them…great fun!
  
  I also agree that you need some fabric or something for the top of the xpen. If you still have the cage in there, your bun will just chew through or find another way to get thru that fabric.LOL GOOD LUCK!
- 05/12/2010 at 10:02 PM
  Nibbles_NZ
  Participant
  751 posts
  Posted By Petzy on 05/12/2010 08:41 AM
  
  Mini rexes excel in rabbit agility. They can jump as high as 3′. Like BB said, clipping a sheet to the pens will keep everybunny contained. As long as he has stimulation in toys and exercise, he will be a happy bun. Enjoy him, mini rex kits are the best (in my opinion).
  
  Here is one of mine discovering his climbing skills, he was 4 months then:
  
  My Goodness Petzy!!! He is 1/2 Cat! lol
- 05/12/2010 at 10:07 PM
  Minty
  Participant
  338 posts
  He has attempted to jump out once since I blocked the top of the crate. He got to the top and was clinging to the side of the xpen and saw there was no way out unless he went higher, and jumped back down. I’m hoping this is the last of his escaping adventures, but I doubt it. He is SO energetic and curious about everything. If this doesn’t work I will have to go out and buy some NIC grids since I can’t afford a completely new Xpen.
- 05/12/2010 at 10:32 PM
  Nibbles_NZ
  Participant
  751 posts
  The NIC grids can be expensive too.
  http://www.dogcratesbeds.com/dog-exercise-pen-accessories/
  
  I have a top for mine
- 05/12/2010 at 10:44 PM
  Nibbles_NZ
  Participant
  751 posts
  http://www.rabbitmart.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-23737
  Except this is the one that I have. I put the cover on the top though. It velcros around every other panel. It is an 8 panel xpen. You can also buy add on panels to make it bigger. It is pretty big though. My buns like it a lot Oh, It’s 29” tall
- 05/12/2010 at 10:48 PM
  Nibbles_NZ
  Participant
  751 posts
  Okay, I just looked at the NIC Grids at the Home Depot…much cheaper!
- 05/13/2010 at 6:40 AM
  kralspace
  Participant
  2663 posts
  I fully believe that about mini rexes. Lola is still overweight and she has no trouble clearing 2 ft at all if there’s food on the other side.
- 05/13/2010 at 6:45 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  Meadow will jump up on couches, chairs, or beds, but there’s something about fences that she won’t dare. I have routinely contained her with a 2-NIC grid fence (about 28 inches) and she won’t bother jumping over it.
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