Building new cage/hutch/habitat – What to use?

[LBJ10]

My husband really wants to build the rabbits a spiffy new cage. He wants to frame it out with wood. What would be appropriate to use? Obviously it can’t be treated. Is plywood okay? And what about types of wood? Are the certain kinds that are bad (ie pine)? He was also asking me how we would keep it clean and prevent their urine from damaging it if it isn’t treated wood. If they are using a litterbox properly, I wouldn’t be too worried about a lot of urine getting soaked up. But I imagine there will be accidents.

[Monkeybun]

Plywood is usually okay, if you can get the kind that has finished sides instead of rough, that would be best as you wouldn’t have to worry about splinters as much. Untreated pine should be fine as well.

And definitely get UNTREATED wood, the treatments used on stuff isn’t bunny safe.

[mocha200]

This is the Condo my dad built. I LOVE it and it is really easy to clean.

[LBJ10]

That’s neat! So does the whole front open up like a cabinet? And what did you use for the floors?

[Beka27]

An easy, cheap thing for the floors are those “peel n stick” tiles. They can be wiped off in case of an accident, and you could even put a layer around the wall of each level, maybe one high…

[LBJ10]

That sounds like a good idea. The glue/adhesive won’t hurt them? I’m just so nervous about them chewing on stuff and getting sick.

[LBJ10]

Okay, my husband said if we were going to do that then we might as well use laminate shelving. He seems to think there is some sort of sealer we could use on natural wood that would be safe, but I have never heard of such a thing. He sure makes things complicated.

 

EDIT: What about this? Says it is environmentally-friendly and non-toxic.

 

[Lintini]

I have a cage just like Mochas and my rabbits chew the heck out of it. Especially the doors, and they have started to peel up the sticky linoleum and chew that.

[mocha200]

Posted By LBJ10 on 02/02/2011 09:26 PM
That’s neat! So does the whole front open up like a cabinet? And what did you use for the floors?

 

yes the hole front opens. we used linoleum for the floors, it was left over from redoing are kitchen and later we put wood around the opening of the ramps so they wouldn’t chew the linoleum.

my rabbits haven’t chewed much of the wood except for the ramps.

 

[LBJ10]

So we were at the hardware store just to check out prices on some things and my husband was looking at cedar boards. Is cedar okay to use?

[LBJ10]

Could someone answer my question? I searched all over the forum and I can’t find anything about cedar. The cedar boards are on sale and my husband wants to buy some tomorrow. Ugh!

[LBJ10]

Hello? I’m sorry to seem like a pain, but my husband wants to go to the hardware store like right now. He’s mad at me now because I keep reading conflicting information about cedar and pine. Some places say it’s toxic and other places say it’s safe. What wood should we be using? Oak and maple are extremely expensive, is that what we’re supposed to use?

[Lintini]

I know cedar shavings are super bad to use for bedding. Cedar is def on the no no list for wood.

[LBJ10]

Okay, so what is safe to build a cage out of? We’re getting ready to leave and I want to know what to look for.

[Lintini]

I think most of the wood you would find at a lumber store for cheap is spruce and pine. You have to make sure the wood is not treated with chemicals in anyway and not pressure treated either. Look for some untreated pine.

redwood is also toxic

[LBJ10]

But I thought pine was bad too? Something about liver damage.

[LBJ10]

Okay, so we went there and my husband was looking at several things. For plywood, they had oak and birch. For regular boards, they had all kinds of stuff. My husband was looking at aspen and poplar boards. Does any of this sound like it would be okay? He was thinking of using beeswax and mineral oil to seal the wood (like what you do for finish wooden cooking utensils or salad bowls since it is food-safe). Would that be acceptable for the rabbits? Our other option is a soy-based sealer that you can get at the hardware store. It says it is non-toxic and environmentally-friendly.

[carrievision]

My husband built Radar an enclosure similar to Mocha’s (it’s almost exactly the same idea, but it is wider and has feet that make it stand off the floor, and it has 1 large door.) We used untreated pine and oak plywood for the floors and back, with the peel and stick tiles to cover the floor. Radar has done a little chewing around some of the edges of the inside. So, we added another layer of wood as a “chew block” so he can have at it. It has worked well so far. He (so far) has not had any interest in the flooring or plywood. But, we leave him baskets and a phone book to chew on in the condo so he mostly chews on those.

We didn’t seal it or anything, but I thought about maybe painting the outside of it with some milk paint, which I believe is non-toxic and safe for bunnies. I’d only paint the outside part he can’t get at anyway.

[mocha200]

do you have a picture of you condo we could see?

[jerseygirl]

Most untreated woods are fine but not redwoods which are toxic. Cedar and pine in chips or shaving forms are said to be hazardous because they more readily release the aromatic oils in this form. As a solid plank of wood, it’s fine to use.
I know for certain that birch and aspen are bunny safe so they would be good options also.

[LBJ10]

What about poplar? My husband is really pushing that now because it’s cheap.

[mocha200]

I am not really sure about poplar. I think pine is the best way to go because you know its safe.

[Deleted User]

poplar is safe to use around rabbits

[LBJ10]

Great! Thanks!

[jerseygirl]

Your husband is aware there will be demands to see his handiwork on here isn’t he?

[LBJ10]

Hehe, I’m sure he probably doesn’t. It might be a little while before it actually gets built since we still need to see how the bonding process goes. Who knows, we might still end up with two cages! But I can post pics when the time comes.

[Karynne]

 As for sealing the wood, and even giving it some color (without the harmful toxins) I would look into shellac. It’s all natural, non toxic, and you can create a lot of different wood tones with it. I’m pretty sure this is what rabbithouses.net uses to finish their rabbit friendly furniture. Raw wood is VERY hard to rid of pee once it’s absorbed, so giving it a good coat of shellac will really help in regards to cleaning. Sounds like a fun DIY project you’ve got going, best of luck! 

[LBJ10]

I just saw this! Thank you, I will tell my husband that shellac is safe to use. Would it be better to get the pre-made stuff in the can or the kind that you make yourself?

[Karynne]

 Glad it helped! I’m not sure about which one would be better, but I’m sure you can find more info online about it (maybe some woodworking forums?). The only premixed brand I’m aware of is Bulls Eye, so researching their ingredients would be a good place to start. I know the waxy flakes themselves are non-toxic and completely safe, but it would probably be a good idea to look into the types of alcohol solutions that they’re mixed with. I’m definitely not very knowledgeable when it comes to woodworking stuff and chemistry was not my best subject, but hopefully there’s someone here that can point you in the right direction.  

[LBJ10]

I googled it and it seems to be safe once it dries since the alcohol evaporates. I did find somewhere that said it isn’t water resistant though. Hmm…

[LBJ10]

I thought I would give an update here as well. My husband has made some progress with the hutch, so I took a picture for you. He made dado cuts in the sides so the floors would have grooves to fit into. I guess that way there won’t be any exterior supports that could possibly get chewed on. The vertical piece you see there is just temporary to give it support while it is glued.

[mocha200]

Looks great so far! how big is it? its hard to tell from the picture.

[LBJ10]

It is 4 ft x 2 ft, but it has 2 levels so that’s 16 square feet of space. It’s like 3 feet tall too. There will be a hide box on the second floor and there will be a ramp that comes down through the hole in the 2nd floor to the 1st floor. I think we will put the litter box underneath the ramp. My husband still has to make the doors, he wants it to sort of look like a cabinet. I think the size is pretty good considering they have their whole room to play in for most of the day. Does it sound big enough? I could always take Wooly out into the garage and place him inside for size reference. Hehe!

[Beka27]

Ideally, it would be larger (2×4 minimum footprint for one rabbit, 4×4 for two rabbits, etc…) but since it will only be used at night, it should be fine. Is the top going to be screened-in to allow for ventilation and light? What is the ramp going to be made from, will it be covered? Have your rabbits used ramps in the past (not all buns will use them).

[LBJ10]

Wouldn’t 4×4 be the same as 4×2 + 4×2? They both equal 16 square feet. I did ask my husband about making it bigger, but we have to be realistic about the dimensions since it is all one piece. Hehe, it has to fit through the door to their room. I think it could have been a little wider, but then my husband would have had to buy another piece of plywood and then there would have been waste. Gosh, that plywood is expensive. O_o So I told him that this would be fine since they won’t be in there all the time anyway. Plus we weighed Wooly at the vet’s office again and he is tipping the scale at a whole 2 lbs. He doesn’t take up a lot of room! The ramp should work just fine. He said that he could make it like a chicken coop ramp (it will be wood) so they have something to push off of as they go up. They both use ramps right now in their cages, they are made out of wire though. They also both use the dog’s ramp to get up onto the couch. That one is big and covered in carpet though. What do you think will work best? It seems like a ramp is a ramp to them. The front doors will have screens in them, you think the top should have a screen too? I think my husband wanted the top to be a solid piece that can be lifted up.

[Beka27]

By “footprint” I meant the main level being 4×4 for two bunnies. I do not count additional levels when building a habitat for multiple bunnies. But as you said, they will only be in there for a short time, or you could even think about attaching an xpen permanently. Will the bottom door open independently so they can come out for playtime, but not fall off the second level?

[LBJ10]

Hmm, good question. I will have to ask him what he’s doing about that. I know the hide box will be up here on the second level so at least part of it will be closed off.

[mocha200]

I would ask if he could make some “windows” in the sides withe wire over the top for more ventilation. Sence rabbits tend to get respitory problems the moreventilation the better. I will show you a picture of the windows on my condo when I get home so you know what I mean.

[LBJ10]

Okay, so I talked to my husband and he doesn’t want to cut windows in the sides since he has already glued everything together. He doesn’t want the top to be mesh either because he wants it to be capable of flipping open. He did say that we could prop the lid up with something though to make a vent that way. The entire front is going to be mesh though. He said that that was plenty of ventilation. He was talking about convection and air currents and blah blah blah. Does this mean you guys are going to hate the hutch we will have? Maybe I shouldn’t post pictures of it on here when he is done.

[Beka27]

He could still make the top capable of flipping up. He could do a wooden frame with the wire attached to that. He doesn’t have to, it’s just that adequate ventilation is so, so important for bunnies. While it’s still being built is the time to discuss these topics and try and hash it out.

[LBJ10]

My feeling is that that isn’t going to happen. Basically, he had this whole thing planned out in his head already. He bought all the materials, cut all the pieces, and he’s not changing it now. I had made suggestions to him before when we were out buying wood for this thing, but I was getting the impression that he thought my ideas were stupid. Originally, I had wanted the walls to be wire with a wooden frame and solid wood levels. He wants this thing to look like a piece of furniture. So I’m sort of stuck here. That’s why I said I probably shouldn’t post pictures of the final product on here because you guys are not going to like it and you’re going to think I don’t love my bunnies.

[mocha200]

No we still want to see pictures and we know you love your bunnies. We are just saying suggestions.

[LBJ10]

Sorry, I was just so excited that my husband had agreed to build a cage for the rabbits so they could live together. So it saddens me to think that somehow I did something wrong. I certainly don’t want my husband to be mad at me, but I don’t want you guys to think I don’t care about the rabbits either. They are my babies, I try my hardest to make sure they are happy.

[Beka27]

He doesn’t have to change it… We were just trying to offer some additional suggestions. It does sound like it will be a nice cage. Please don’t take our suggestions so personally.

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By LBJ10 on 04/13/2011 08:52 AM
 Basically, he had this whole thing planned out in his head already. He bought all the materials, cut all the pieces, and he’s not changing it now. I had made suggestions to him before when we were out buying wood for this thing, but I was getting the impression that he thought my ideas were stupid. 

Typical husband.    JK!!   I’m sure it will be fine and it’s nice that your husband is really making an effort to make something that will look nice (like a piece of furniture) and double as a bunny habitat.   Sounds from the comments that your bunnies get alot of run time and this is their nightly abode. So though more ventinlation the better, no worries.  Like Beka said–just some suggestions. 

[I love bunnies!]

Hi just looking at this! I know this is years ago but I was just wondering lbj10 how did your cage turn out?!

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