Posted By DanaNM on 7/18/2017 8:20 PM

I think building a NIC condo would work really well for you, and can be made in a way so that it is very solid and makes her feel secure. 

It can easily be made the shape to fit your space, and adding multiple levels gives your bun the most space per amount of floor space you have. 

I think your girl was acting out because things got rearranged and she didn’t have time to settle, rather than being super attached to her hutch. 

My condo has a solid wood base, covered with vinyl tiles. Walls are NIC panels zip-tied together, with dowels in each corner to add support. Each level of the condo is plywood, covered with vinyl tiles, covered with fleece, supported by more dowels. 

It is super solid, and the buns feel safe because they have a roof over their head on every level except for the very top. I think it makes them feel like they are in a burrow of sorts.  

i’d agree that an NIC condo could be pretty easy to build and fit like i want it to, but my concern comes in when i want to add the multiple levels. i’m sure i could help her feel extra secure by attaching cardboard to the sides or draping blankets over the top so i suppose i’ve ruled that concern out. i thought she’d feel less secure in one not because she’d have no roof (she would if i were to make one), but just because her walls weren’t “solid.” i just mean that because the grids are, y’know, grids, they have little empty squares of space, which means she’d be easy to “see” if there happened to be a “predator.”it’d also be easy for me to get to her since i’d add in a door or leave an opening. with her hutch she does have mesh on some of the sides, but when she goes down underneath the top tray the only way i can get to her is if i moved all of the stuff off of the tray and pulled it out. anyways, i’m not sure about the multiple levels of an NIC condo, as previously mentioned. i’m worried that any grids i buy will be too weak to hold her up (if you know of sturdy ones, maybe the ones you use, linking them would be extremely helpful!) and i’m not sure what i’d use for ramps and how i’d even install them. 

i also thought that she could have reacted that way because of that. she’s lived with that hutch for i believe about 2 or 3 years and obviously with that much time to get used to having it there she’d be pretty upset when i just moved it out and left her with a bunch of empty space.

despite the fact that i’m unsure about the extra levels, i’m already thrilled about the idea of building her cage and i’m coming up with a few ideas. i guess i’ll just wait and see what i end up doing.

Posted By Vienna Blue in France on 7/19/2017 1:53 AM

Hi Sunny, I just like to add I have just built a multilevel condo and right up until the cable tie tightening moment, i could NOT believe how it could be sturdy (but fellow memeber Azerane assured me it would be).
It absolutely IS fine and I have two bunnies that each weigh 6 kg bouncing up and down on the levels, so trust me, if you cable tie everything tightly and have wooden dowel support going across and fixed to the grids, it is going to be fine.

You can see my condo building progress on my thread entitled ‘Zou and Henry’s love shack” and Azerane has similar photos showing hers that i quite blatantly copied.

alright, i believe you!

i’ve made a few plans for the way it’ll be set up but i’m not sure if i like any of them. i’m still considering everything. as for what would go into it and where, i’ve already got it figured out.

Posted By DanaNM on 7/19/2017 12:41 PM

Ah yes, I second that they are very stable once they are all zip tied together! 

And, bunnies tend to realize that they are protected by the grids, even if they can see through them! Our local rabbit rescue gives their buns laundry baskets with holes cut out to hide in, and says they think of them as “artificial bushes”: the buns can see out, but there is a barrier between them and the world. 

Anyways, I modified a few designs to build mine, but mostly followed this one: http://rabbitcondo.com/moredetails.htm

I didn’t use NIC grids for the levels at all, just plywood supported by dowels. The dowels are ziptied to the grids, giving more stability. 

I think having a heavy, solid wood base helps a lot, and I also added dowels in the corners for additional structure, as mine is very tall! 

I have two big bunnies also, and it is very sturdy, even with large doors in the front. 

I don’t bother with ramps, but I briefly had a bunny that was afraid to jump down, so I had to install some ramps for him! 

Here’s my setup:

I kept the roof partially open so I can easily reach in and give pets when they are on the top level.  

Have fun planning it out!

thanks for all the help!

1) i appreciate the input on her living in there. hopefully she’ll be the same as other rabbits, but if for some reason she’s not i’ll have backup plans.

2) i looked at a guide yesterday and found out about the addition of wooden planks underneath the added levels for extra support. i’m gonna buy some dowels with everything. i think i’ll have to use grids for the actual platforms but i trust that i can make them secure enough for her to sit on. she’s also only a netherland dwarf, so that should make things a little bit easier, too.

3) i’ll add some dowels to the corners as well – i think i’ll want to make mine tall, too. that way i can add about 3 platforms that will make up for the lack of long space. i might not end up making it that tall since i’m still not sure which of the ways i could set it up would be best yet, but the tall one seems to be the most space efficient and also the one she’d have the most space in. a long one that i’d have to fit against the back wall would probably stretch out just as far as the hutch anyways.

4) do you think i need to use a base? i know the cage wouldn’t cover all of the floor between the back of my closet and the front entrance part where the doors would be if i didn’t keep a rabbit in there, so it would probably be easier to knock down even with all of the extra support elsewhere. the floor i keep her on in the closet is already covered with rugs, so in that sense it wouldn’t be necessary, but do you think i should add it for the support?

5) i like the idea of leaving part of the top open to see them better. i might do that, too!

Posted By Vienna Blue in France on 7/20/2017 1:10 PM

Its up to you for the platforms, but you’re going to have to put some sort of plyboard on the grids anyway, so you may as well just use the board for the platform without using grids. If they are supported by two cross beams along the length and cable tied to the plywood (by drilling a hole in the plywood) then that should be sufficient. You’ll have to put something on the plywood for ease of cleaning (lino offcuts?) and also something else (blankies, towels, carpet tiles…) because a bunny will slip on plywood alone when jumping up or down the levels.

I wouldnt leave the roof open, bunnies can jump… a long way….. but defintiely leave a grid or two without cable ties on one side so you can fold it up and get in for cuddles and cleaning, but fix it with a clip or something for when you’re not there. My whole roof folds up and back on hinges (made from cable ties) so i can clean, but remains firmly shut at all other times.

It’s exciting planning, isn’t it….

i actually have a different idea for the platform support that doesn’t include wooden planks, though i’m not sure how strong they would be. they’re these long slabs of what i think is just really thick cardboard or something similar. if i cut one in half it would be the right shape for me to fit underneath one of the shelves. do you think this would work okay or is plywood my only option if i want it to be secure? i’d use two if necessary since i have enough of them. also, for the actual shelving, i was wondering if i could attach a storage grid first, then cut either one or two pieces of cardboard that will fit snugly on top. if i cut a second one it’ll be the same size as the first and i’ll just glue them together to make it a bit thicker. if cardboard sounds like it’d be a little slippery (even with a blanket secured in place around it), then i could put down something like tiles before adding a blanket on top. this might sound a bit ridiculous, but i’m thinking of ways to save a bit of money and struggle a bit less since neither of my parents are handy. it’s not that complicated of a job but chances are they won’t want to help because it’s not their rabbit. i wouldn’t leave the roof open, by the way. i’d obviously install a little latch so i could close it well. 

Posted By DanaNM on 7/20/2017 4:58 PM

Posted By Sunny on 7/20/2017 4:02 PM

Posted By Vienna Blue in France on 7/20/2017 1:10 PM

Its up to you for the platforms, but you’re going to have to put some sort of plyboard on the grids anyway, so you may as well just use the board for the platform without using grids. If they are supported by two cross beams along the length and cable tied to the plywood (by drilling a hole in the plywood) then that should be sufficient. You’ll have to put something on the plywood for ease of cleaning (lino offcuts?) and also something else (blankies, towels, carpet tiles…) because a bunny will slip on plywood alone when jumping up or down the levels.

I wouldnt leave the roof open, bunnies can jump… a long way….. but defintiely leave a grid or two without cable ties on one side so you can fold it up and get in for cuddles and cleaning, but fix it with a clip or something for when you’re not there. My whole roof folds up and back on hinges (made from cable ties) so i can clean, but remains firmly shut at all other times.

It’s exciting planning, isn’t it….

i actually have a different idea for the platform support that doesn’t include wooden planks, though i’m not sure how strong they would be. they’re these long slabs of what i think is just really thick cardboard or something similar. if i cut one in half it would be the right shape for me to fit underneath one of the shelves. do you think this would work okay or is plywood my only option if i want it to be secure? i’d use two if necessary since i have enough of them. also, for the actual shelving, i was wondering if i could attach a storage grid first, then cut either one or two pieces of cardboard that will fit snugly on top. if i cut a second one it’ll be the same size as the first and i’ll just glue them together to make it a bit thicker. if cardboard sounds like it’d be a little slippery (even with a blanket secured in place around it), then i could put down something like tiles before adding a blanket on top. this might sound a bit ridiculous, but i’m thinking of ways to save a bit of money and struggle a bit less since neither of my parents are handy. it’s not that complicated of a job but chances are they won’t want to help because it’s not their rabbit. i wouldn’t leave the roof open, by the way. i’d obviously install a little latch so i could close it well. 

For the base, you’ll want something that you can clean easily, and that will be a nice sturdy base for the condo. Even with a litter box, accidents happen (spilled water bowls, etc.). Peal and stick tiles can be as cheap as 0.30 per square foot, so covering the plywood with that usually gives a nice base for pretty cheap. 

I opted for plywood for my levels, because it is usually cheaper per square foot than the grids! 

Is there a home depot or lowe’s (or some other hardware store) near you? I’m in a tiny apartment with no garage or cutting tools, so I planned it out so that a single large piece of plywood could be cut a few times to make the base and 2 levels, and they cut it all for me at the hardware store. Thankfully the width of the plywood sheet was the same as the length of the condo, so they basically just had to cut it into a few pieces, nothing too complicated. 

I did use a drill to make holes in the base so I could attach the walls, but that was the only power tool I used myself. Perhaps a friend has one you can borrow if your parents don’t have one? I totally think it’s a project you can do on your own.  

Cardboard can work, but if/when it gets wet it will get soggy, so you’ll have to replace it a lot. It isn’t as slippery as linoleum, but can still be a bit slippery. I have used it temporarily, because one of my buns was determined to dig through the levels, and kept eating the blankets I put down, so I had to put a safe-to-chew layer on top of the plywood. I just had to swap it out a lot… and it was very loud when he would dig and shred it. 

thanks for the answers!

sounds like plywood with tiles and blankets on top really is the best option, so i’ll see what i can do. i do have a hardware store very close to me and that’s probably where i’d go to get some of my supplies. i don’t remember the name of the place but it’s a very short drive. my parents do have a power drill but they’d have to teach me how to use it. i don’t think they’d mind that though.

i guess if i have to i’ll try the cardboard but so far the plywood sounds the most enticing and safe. my bun would probably be just fine with it, but i want this new cage to be as efficient and tidy as possible.i don’t think she ever really pees outside of her litter box area and she almost never tries to rip up her pee pads or rugs/blankets. however, she used to try to move her (heavy) water bowl and she also chewed up a little plush pet bed i bought when i first got her. i guess i can’t be sure! i’d rather be safe than sorry. 

Posted By Vienna Blue in France on 7/21/2017 1:13 PM

Just have a wander around the hardware store or anywhere (recycle websites??) and see what you find…. you’ll have dowl rods or wooden beams across the bottom so it will be supported. Just so long as its not really flimsy, you can use whatever you like. I guess we all use plywood of sorts because we’ve checked everythng else out…. but any bit of wood handy will do (a back of an old cupboard thats been thrown out… anything!! Think “outside the box”)

Defo get sheet of wood cut to size at hardware store (its prob only 50c per cut, or free if you ask reeeeally nicely ) once you’ve got PRECISE measurements. Measure each length twice or three times just to be sure.

As a cover, yes sticky tiles…. or depending on the size, sticky plastic that people use to cover school books or line drawers with. As long as its wipable it should be ok. Hardware stores often have offcuts of lino that they sell cheaply…. or be brave and go and ask….
Think, do the different shelves HAVE to be the same colour /design…? No? Then you’re more likely to find 3 v cheap small offcuts than one big bit.

I live by the saying “if you don’t ask (with a smile), you don’t get…”. They can only say no.

haha, thanks for the tips and alternatives!