bunny cage for 1

[KatelynT]

im thinking of buying another bunny for my 5 month old netherland dwarf. ill need a bigger cage once they are bonded and can live together. how big of a cage should i buy if i want two bunnies to live in it? any special bonding tips?? thanks!

[angelicvampyre]

All I can tell you in my experience. I have a 6 month old netherland dwarf. I built him a three level condo (see thread AV’s Picture thread – https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aff/6/aft/108175/afv/topic/Default.aspx) anyway in the picture that I have titled “there three level condo” you can see how my guys where set up. What I did was have Anya on the top level and Bugz on the bottom, that way they could smell each other but not get to each other. I had them this way for about a month (neither where altered) I use to get Anya out and have her on my lap and let bugz play around up on the floor. I let him sniff her but never let them get any closer then that. Then one day my sister let them both out of the cage on the floor at the same time and neither could have cared less. Not saying this will happen to you but I found it a great way to bond them. Also now I have just opened up the top level and they seem to have lots of room in their three level, I have removed the ramp and them jump from level to level. If you are not sure they can jump that far you and decrese the high of levels with a few zip ties and some work. I sometimes worry about the strength of my cage but it is working well for me is easy to clean and my guys seem happy in it.

I put lino self stick squares on all floor surfaces to make it easy to clean and I got a carpet square and put that where they take off to get onto the platform so that they have something to grip on when taking off and landing.

Hope that helps

[KytKattin]

Ditto on building! Also, if you don’t already know about the whole bonding process, do know that sometimes rabbits will never bond so buying a rabbit is not the best option, nor is it a good idea to add another rabbit unless you are fully prepared to keep them separate for the rest of their lives if they don’t like each other. Instead, going to a shelter that will let you introduce your bunny to already spayed/neutered rabbits is the cheapest and best alternative! Also, if you plan on adding another bun, life is much easier if your current bunny is neutered. Now, I don’t know if he is or not so I’m just saying that it is pretty much a necessity to get him fixed as the sexual frustration will make everyone’s life uncomfortable; you, him, and the new bunny. On a good note, it is much cheaper to neuter than it is to spay!

[Beka27]

You will need two separate cages until both are spay/neutered and for during the bonding process. I prefer xpens (puppy pens). They are very easy to set-up and clean. If you don’t want to do that, then I’d definitely recommend you look into building a NIC condo.

[BinkyBunny]

FYI: I will be moving this thread to the habitat section in a little while.

[Cassandra]

Bunny’s shouldn’t really be housed in cages. The best options are x-pens or free-run. X-pens are those puppy exercise pens that are used for young dogs that need to be confined in a smaller area. These are great for rabbits, as well. You should use laminate or another cheap, durable flooring to protect the floors and perhaps an old sheet to cover up the flooring. (Rabbits like the softness of a sheet, we like the protection of the flooring.)

Free-run is the best option, with x-pen as a close second. Some people keep their rabbits in a large room such as a living room with a door or somehow otherwise closed off. You’ll really need to bunny-proof that room, then.

You could also have a mixture of both. I have a friend who has a pair of rabbits who live in an x-pen in their game/entertainment room and the x-pen door is always open so that the rabbits can come and go as they please.

In my opinion, the x-pen is the best option. It’s spacious, cheap-ish, and confined. The size for two rabbits would be 8-10 24″ panels, with a height of 24-36″. Just put down the flooring and cover and add litter box, toys, and hiding house as well as hay, pellets, and water bowl/bottle and voila! A beautiful rabbit cage.

Here’s some bonding tips from the HRS: http://www.sandiegorabbits.org/behavior/bonding-tips.html

Good luck!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

From experience: You are going not going to use the cages once they are bonded-and no cage on the market is really big enough even for one small rabbit.

I’d really recommend an xpen or a condo -that way you can rebuild them into a giant one once they are bonded-and not waste money and not waste cages
https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/CoolHabitats/tabid/71/Default.aspx

[Beka27]

Cassandra has great info about the xpens (you’ve done your homework, girl!)

Xpens are really the way to go. Free-range is awesome and it’s the “ideal” but it’s not always realistic with all bunnies, in all home environments. I prefer the peace of mind of knowing that when I’m not home or asleep, my buns are safe in a large pen where they cannot hurt themselves (or my house.)

[Author]

Messages