Block off Top of Cage ideas????

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 8sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 8 months ago by Nutmeg.

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- 03/02/2018 at 9:48 AM
  Nutmeg
  Participant
  594 posts
  Hello, Looking for suggestions on how to temporarily block off the top wired lid of two bunny cages while still being able to get in from top to get the litter tray out.
  This will just be until they are neutered and spayed and then bonded (hopefully in about 4 months or so) as then they will have more free space and I can just take the swing lid right off – as they will have 100% use of that whole play area all the time.
  
  My first thought was securing a blanket on top – but then I don’t want it to be dark inside for them when they are locked in for the next few months. And the goal is just to have them stop jumping on top of it.
  
  (See image bellow)
  
  Reason for this is:
  
  Last night when I had the girl out for their separated play time she suddenly hopped up on top of her cage to get higher.
  Sure enough, as soon as I stood up to get her off, as I was worried she would hurt herself, she went to hop down and her foot got caught in one of the slots between the bars.
  She is FINE thank goodness!! I checked her over, she’s hoping around fine and playing and binkying and begging for Kale like nothing happened. And she is still fine this morning.
  But I know this was just luck and could have been much worse!!
  
  ** And to top it off – the young boy was watching from his cage… as soon as I let him out he tried to hop on top of his cage!! (Same design)
  
  ~ Ok so this image is when they first came home – there is now two of those cages and they are now 100% separated, but this is the only picture I have on my phone that shows what the top of the cage is like. The top red part swings fully upwards on the long end on a hinge.
  
  Thanks in advance for any thoughts / suggestions you may have
- 03/02/2018 at 9:58 AM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5813 posts
  I would just put a blanket over the left side, or just binder clip a sheet. The visual perception of a solid ceiling should prevent them to jump at it. I doubt they’ll try to jump on the sheet from the right side because they’ll notice it’s very thin, and most rabbits will make the judgement call that the sheet-platform is not safe to jump on.
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 03/02/2018 at 9:59 AM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5813 posts
  And if it makes you feel better, I’ve kicked Wick into doors/walls at least 10 times within the first 6 months of having him (he’s free-roam). It’s all a learning process to make sure our rabbits are safe!
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 03/02/2018 at 10:04 AM
  Sirius&Luna
  Participant
  2320 posts
  You could also just take the whole lid of the cage off?
  
  I would’ve thought if they could hop onto the roof of that though, they would be able to hop over the main wall bars and escape! They’re pretty determined when they want to be.
- 03/02/2018 at 10:41 AM
  Nutmeg
  Participant
  594 posts
  Thanks guys!
  
  Wick – if you see the back corner, that is thin indoor / outdoor carpet on top of the platform, which is thin like a blanket and they jump up on there all the time…. Would the blanket on top of the cage still look similar? As in they would think “Hey, that looks like its solid” and still jump up?
  Sorry – I’m new to young bunnies. Only had a rescued adult, lived to the age of 8, bunny before.
  
  and OMG I have to watch where I step with them all the time – they are SO FAST!!! and that did make me feel better haha thanks!
  
  Sirius & Luna – I can’t take the lid off the cage yet, as I have to keep them 100% separated, which means locking them in the cage except for supervised separate play time…. and they would just jump in and out of the top and I can’t risk them getting to each other until they are bonded.
  
  That IS the plan once they are though and I can take out the second cage all together, as the lid wont be needed to keep them in.
  I wish I had the space to build a bigger play area to separate into two separate areas for them to each have free roaming of for now, but I dont .
  Once they are bonded the plan is to have that bigger area be their 24/7 home with extra play time out in the rest of the living room when we are home.
  
  And OMG Yes – that was my first thought too – about being able to clear the play land area – and I went right out and bought more Nic cube panels and it is now way taller with a swing door for me to get in and out. The energy of these two young bunnies is taking some getting used too and they sure do keep me on my toes haha.
- 03/02/2018 at 11:00 AM
  Sirius&Luna
  Participant
  2320 posts
  Oh I see, I thought they had two seperate areas with the walls, and the cage as part of it. It looks like you could easily divide that area in half though, and give them half each if you had higher walls?
  
  But yes, covering the top with fleeces or blankets should work
- 03/02/2018 at 11:17 AM
  Nutmeg
  Participant
  594 posts
  Thanks!! I’ll give that a try!
- 03/02/2018 at 11:47 AM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5813 posts
  They’ll probably paw it and realize it’s not sturdy. It could also be they try it once, realize it’s definitely not secure, and never try again.
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 03/02/2018 at 1:07 PM
  Nutmeg
  Participant
  594 posts
  Thanks Wick – I hope that’s the case!! I thought that them seeing the slim little wire bars with nothing solid would have stopped them – boy was I wrong haha. Crazy little monkeys!
  I just hate that its going to make it dark in the cage for when I do have lock them in.
  
  Man I am praying the bonding process goes well after they neuter and spay.
  I know its probably 4 – 5 months away before I can even start (including recovery time and “hormone adjusting for a good month after) but I’ve already started the pre-bonding with changing things / litter box inside the cages and even swapping cages as well as leaving the same toys in the common play area hahahahha.
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