Should we upgrade habitats if we're getting a second rabbit?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 9sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 6 years ago by Asriel and Bombur.

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- 10/29/2018 at 10:20 PM
  Winnie
  Participant
  4 posts
  We currently have a 2 year old mini lop. She stays in her cage overnight and while we’re out at work, but whenever we’re home for more a half hour she’s out and about. We’re thinking about getting a second rabbit so she has some company. Right now she’s in an XL habitat from Living World:
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007BNE1YA?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title
  The cage dimensions are 47″x23″. It’s plenty big enough for her (she doesn’t even walk on the bedding in almost half of it), but if we got another mini lop, would we need to upgrade? Also, is a second litter box something we would need?
  
  Thanks!
- 10/30/2018 at 7:55 AM
  sarahthegemini
  Participant
  5584 posts
  That is not big enough for two rabbits. If you get a 2nd bun, you need to go through a bonding process. You can’t just put two in the same cage so you’ll need to get a 2nd enclosure anyway.
- 10/30/2018 at 9:42 AM
  Winnie
  Participant
  4 posts
  We have an old cage and a plan for a second enclosure during the bonding process, we’re just thinking about the main cage.
- 10/30/2018 at 1:39 PM
  sarahthegemini
  Participant
  5584 posts
  Posted By Winnie on 10/30/2018 9:42 AM
  We have an old cage and a plan for a second enclosure during the bonding process, we’re just thinking about the main cage.
  
  Ah okay. Well I personally don’t think that cage would be suitable for two bunnies (when the time comes) unless there is a pen attached 24/7 for more space.
- 10/30/2018 at 1:59 PM
  Asriel and Bombur
  Participant
  1104 posts
  I’m with Sarah. I have the same cage for each of my boys, and I would definitely not put both in the same cage. They’re holland lops (so I’d assume mini lop for you if you’re in Europe). If you get a second mini lop and she ends up being a false dwarf, they will definitely need an entire cage. My boys are both false dwarves and they certainly use the entire cage space. Maybe if you connected two of the cages it could work, but not one. Why not go for an x-pen instead?
- 10/30/2018 at 6:36 PM
  Dasher
  Participant
  156 posts
  The easiest way to make a cage it to just get some nic storage cubes and create your own pen and then litter train the bunnies. It’s cheaper than buying a cage and you can make it any size you want to fit your space.
- 10/30/2018 at 8:14 PM
  Winnie
  Participant
  4 posts
  Yeah, we did that to modify the first cage that we had, I’m just thinking about the cage we have right now. It’s pretty nice (and a tad expensive) so we’re just looking into options.
- 10/31/2018 at 9:33 AM
  joea64
  Participant
  1423 posts
  I have a really big two-story “condo” cage for my two small (Polish) rabbits, I forget the exact dimensions – I’ll have to go get a measuring tape – but it’s close to 4′ x 3′ x 3′ counting two stories, and has a total of some 24 square feet of floor space (not counting the ramp between floors). In addition, they have a large exercise pen, adding on another 24 square feet or so of floor space, which is always up for an 8- to 12-hour solid block of time in every 24-hour day. While they’re confined to the condo cage during the daytime when I’m away, rabbits do most of their sleeping and resting during daylight hours so it’s not a problem, and they have the greatest possible amount of space available to them during the evening and overnight hours when their pen is erected. It does help that they’re so little (3-4 pounds each) so that they’re able to live comfortably in more space-limited circumstances than bigger buns.
- 11/04/2018 at 7:21 PM
  Winnie
  Participant
  4 posts
  I ended up adding a second level with some plywood underlayment and NIC cube pieces. Our bunny seems to love it, she’s always liked being up high. I need to make the hole bigger, but it works for now. The only thing I still need to do is watch her to see if I should put down felt, those rubber mats made to go in wire-bottomed cages, or just leave it as wood (there’s pieces on the ramp for traction). We’re still in the process of bonding her with our new rabbit, so for now it’s all hers.
- 11/04/2018 at 9:12 PM
  Asriel and Bombur
  Participant
  1104 posts
  I very much suggest holding off on bonding until your new bunny has time to settle in and you do significant prebonding. I know it seems like a pain in the arse, but trust me when I tell you it will most certainly pay off. And make sure you are bonding in neutral territory.
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