Condo Plans

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’d like to build a cube condo for Bindi this week. I plan on building all my buns each a condo but Bindi is the biggest bun so he get’s one first. I’m a bit overwhelmed by all the info and sites. Just wondering if anyone can reccommend a specific plan. I would like it to be a cube, but it can be tall as it’s a small room I need to fit 3 of these in eventually. I want it to have shelves but many of the instructions I see call for plywood as shelves and I know Bindi would chew it if he could get even a single tooth on it, so I don’t really like that idea.  Also, how much, roughly, did it cost to build one?

[Scarlet_Rose]

Hey LPT!!!  Have you checked out the BB section here: https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/CoolHabitats/tabid/71/Default.aspx

I have a floor plan that is 2 panels deep and is 3 panels wide.  I have 3 levels.  Be careful when you buy the wire shelving, I would recommend that you look for them at Wal-Mart or someplace else other than Target.  The Organize-It Cubes at Target now have 3″ grids which are way too big and a bunny can get throgh them and/or stuck in them.  You want boxes that only have the smaller grid of 1 1/2″. I would recommend that you start with 2 boxes, if you watch the sales you can sometimes find them for $10 each.  Zip Ties (buy 200 – this is no joke, especially if you’ve never done it before) run about $10. Use a good pair of wire cutters to snip the ends.  The flooring is what will cost the most, use the wire panels and then you can cover them with coroplast, carboard or pine board.  You can also buy some remenant linoleum – be sure your bun will not chew it.  What I did was buy some hardboard and put peel & stick tiles on it, then covered it with carpet or sea grass mats.  You can often find peel & stick tiles at the Dollar Store and don’t forget Big Lots for cheap rugs, more specifically rag rugs. 

Do you have access to power tools like saws, drills and such?  Access to these things will really help determine what to use. Linoleum is easy to cut with a carpenter knife and ruler or board to guide it (be sure to cut on an old board too so you don’t damage your floor).  Try looking at a carpet outlet store.  Also tile works great and keeps a rabbit cool in the summer.  Try a tile outlet or tile place and look in the scrap or leftover bin. 

You will want support for the floor.  If you have a larger rabbit like mine (9 pounds) use 1″ X 2″ pine board or 1″ dowels.  Dowel rod does cost a lot and the 1″ X 2″ plain pine lumber runs about $2 for a 5 foot llong piece.

Here are some links to stuff I buy – you do not have to buy from this store, it is just easiest for me to show you – and you can shop online at your local stores to get prices and figure out how much you need.  Each panel is 14″ x 14″ I have a 4 sqaure space for my bunnies to lounge on and I need 2 supports for each floor running a little over 18″:

Hardboard for flooring:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100053064&marketID=51&locStoreNum=1505&categoryID=503003

1″ x 2″ lumber “furring strip” to help support the floor:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100049760

Cable ties – get at least the 8″ ones, the smaller ones are not as strong (they are usually in the electrical section):

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100015143

I also use 12″ x 14″ plexi-glass or acrylic panels on hung on the inside of the cage to keep hay inside and litter and poo…you get the idea.  It also helps to keep any drafts off of them.  I find them in the window section where they keep the “replacement window panes.”  They are about $3 each.  I drill holes in them and secure with zip ties, you can also use a hot ice pick heated up in a candle flame to melt a hole big enough for the zip tie.  It can be tricky to drill a hole without breaking the acrylic.

Cutting the 1 X 2 if you don’t have any tools is pretty easy if you have a hack saw on hand.  If you think that is too unwieldly, buy a craft saw at a hobby store.  They are usually with the modeling and balsa wood (balsa – untreated is great bunny chewing!), my particular one, Hobby Lobby had them there in with the engineering tools. 

I know I didn’t give you an exact price, because that varies, but I thought instead I would list all the materials I buy so you can price them out.  I would say that you’ll need $100.00 to get started.

I also wanted to ask if you plan on making any steps or ramps as well.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Think your questions are answered!! But you’ll have to show pictures when your all done!!

[Dave]

I have built 4 condos so far and all but 1 of them has been impossible to clean efficiently.  The picture I posted is the one cage that is easy to clean.  I use a small hand squeegee to gather up the hay and cocoa puffs. Coroplast is the best. Anything higher then 2 panels is tough to clean from my experience without extra doors to get into the cage.

The top is NIC panels with one turned 45 degrees.  It is very strong and might make a good shelf for a bigger rabbit.  The ramp is actually a small cat claw panel I found at a local grocery store.  It was $3.  Oh, and buy a box of binder clips from any office supply store.  They are cheap and work fantastic to hold parts of the cage to tray and doors closed.

11124273469271.jpg

[Beka27]

i bought the 1000 count ziptie bag at home depot. it was 20 bucks, but i figured that 1) they don’t go bad, 2) it was overall cheaper to buy the bulk bag, and 3) you’ll have to replace them from time to time if they loosen or you decide to reconfigure. especially with making 3 condos, the bigger bag might be better. and then, when we got my son his playstation, i used the zipties to… *GASP* tie the cables together… did you even know that was possible to do with ZIPTIES!??! (lol…)

so what kinda space are you working with? there was that one plan site that i thought was pretty cool, let me go find the link…

here ya go… i like the larger one… plus if you could open the whole front panel, it’ll be so easy to clean! 

http://www.longislandrabbitrescue.org/NIC-plans.pdf

[skunklionshow]

Do NOT buy Dollar store zipties:  They are worthless and completely suck!  I bought some on a whim for replacements and if I was able to get them closed they broke w/in a few hours.

I use overlapped grids, like Steve&pepper, for my shelves.  I then cover the grids w/ heavy cardboard and rag rugs.  I use rag rug strips to close my bunny doors.  I just tie them shut.  I have to double knot b/c Leo is so slick.

B/c I just used the cubes and zip ties…I would say less than $50.  I’ve found that the condo tends to evolve.  Sometimes I’ll add a panel, or some bunny furniture, and I love to switch up their rag rugs.  I like to think that Jessica is kinda fashion savvy

[Moonlight_Wolf]

For my shelves I use the cubes and I put coroplast or linoleum on top of them. I support the cubes with dowels or PVC piping, I just finished making a new cage for Fern! (I will post pictures sometime) It is 4 cubes high and three cubes wide with 5 stories! It is so cool! Much better than the other one and much more stable! I used TONS of zipties on it to make it extra secure, I bought the 1000 bag of zipties and I used them ALL! Plus some of the extras from the other cage I had built.

The coroplast works much better than the linoleum, but it is more expensive and harder to find. I have a door that opens all the way down, for easy cleaning. It is sooo much better than the other one, I am so happy I made it. It took me two WHOLE days on nonstop working to make it. It was fun though. I look at the ziptie burns on my hands and think, “It was so worth it.”

I can’t wait to let Fern in it. She will have a nice surprise after her spay!

How long do I have to wait to let her resume normal activity? I am not going to a recheck appointment because the vet used glue, not stitches, she is perfectly fine, and my mom does not want to.

I think you should go to the store and buy LOTS of zipties and buy coroplast or linoleum, PVC piping or dowels and buy some dog leash hooks. Oh and also go and buy lots of binder clips to clip on your flooring. That is my suggestion.

Have FUN!

[KatnipCrzy]

I called around to sign places when I bought my Coroplast.  One place had it that I could pick up that day for $36 and another could get it in 2 days for $18.  I went with the $18 option.  The sheet was 4ft by 8ft or something crazy like that.

After I get my monsters….errr, I mean bunnies bonded I want to make one big condo for them.  Or at the very least I will make one big condo that is divided in two.  I am debating what I want to use for a base and if I even want to use a base.  The room is carpeted- so I am thinking it would probably be best to use a base to make sure they never get down to the carpet.

[Beka27]

Moonlight, she was spayed last tuesday right? how’s her incision look, how is she eating and is she getting some out of cage playtime now? i would think that if she has returned to normal and her incision is healing nicely, you could probably let her explore the new digs by the end of the week. you have off school thursday and friday right? maybe on friday if you’ll be home and can supervise her activities (AND TAKE PICTURES!) you can let her explore it.

i agree, a recheck appt is NOT necessary if the vet used glue and if everything is healing fine.  if you have concerns, i would take her in, but if she’s doing okay i would not worry about it.

ouch!  ziptie burn is the worst!  another reason i use xpens…

[LittlePuffyTail]

Thanks for all the information. My bf and I designed a basic condo to start with and were gonna buy the stuff tomorrow. I’m just starting small until all the buns have a condo and then I can add levels and things.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Cool! You have to let us know how it went!

[Alicia Conklin]

Just a note about the target panels…check your target if it’s convenient to you..mine has both types.  It has the three inch grids AND the 1.5 inch grids. 

 

I’m thinking of redoing my condos because they are impossible to fully clean.  They probably won’t be happy with their new condos as much as they love these but the condos have been impossible to really get into to fully clean them up.  So, keep that in mind when building the condos.  Every single space in there should be accessible easily so that it can be cleaned.

 

 

[Beka27]

i understand Tucker. you have by far the COOLEST condos i’ve ever seen, but you’re right, they need to be accessible!

[Alicia Conklin]

Yea  I’m trying to think if there is a way that I can change just a few things to make it more…cleanable..but keep the main idea of the condos that I already have.  Not only would that make it easier for me to build/redesign but they do love their condos and it’s really only a few spots in there I can’t clean. 

[msarro]

Here are some general tips I thought of –

-When you go to the store, bring a cube panel with you.

-When you buy zip ties, get them at wal-mart. They’re a fraction of the price of the ones at home stores. Walmart charged 1.20 for 100, where home depot charged almost 4$.

-For shelves, see if you can find 2×2 wood that is miscut and will fit through your wires. I spent 50$ on dowling alone for Layla’s NIC palace because it has 5 shelves, which required 6 dowels. The 2×2 will be a fraction of the price if you can find it and it fits.

-I personally use cardboard the for the floor of my cage. Layla loves ripping into everything else and since my company has a ton of boxes, it works. Plus all I need is a utility knife to cut it to size, and it makes cleaning a breeze.

-I used perforated panel board (the type that you can hang hooks on in stores, where its got a ton of holes in a grid). It was cheap at home depot and has a nice surface for her. The only issue I’ve had is mold where her water bottle sits, and it seems to collect hair. The nice part, however, is that the holes make it easy to secure the shelves.

-Make sure your bun can never fall  more than 14 inches, so plan in overhangs. This is just a precaution, but bunnies are ground dwellers. I don’t know how much I trust their ability to handle themselves where they might fall. Its better to be safe than sorry.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’ve decided I’m going to buy the supplies but I am not going to assemble it before the New Year because I want to paint the rabbit room first and once I build it it will be stuck in there.

[Beka27]

in another thread we talked about making a coroplast back for the condo… that way fur and little poops can’t get flung back there as easliy… just a thought…

[Alicia Conklin]

One thing that I was thinking about with the coroplast backing…The fur and poops could still get stuck on the grid…like kind of sitting there between the two…this would especially be an issue for fur I’d think.  Poops could just be swept off.  But with Drue at least..his fur gets stuck EVERYWHERE and it doesn’t easily vacuum up.  So, I’d be worried with a coroplast backing that it’d make more of an issue with trapped fur which then means more allergy issues for me.

If I ever redo my base I’m going to make it lighter and/or on wheels. 

What I ended up doing this time was making the condo itself able to be slid forward.  The base is still back there flush against the wall. but the condo can slide forward.  I am still planning on getting some coroplast though, and lining the wall itself with it.  This will prevent anything from getting on the baseboards or wall. 

We’re planning on painting eventually too so I won’t worry about that until it’s painted.  I figure when we paint the bunnies will get temporary pens set up upstairs in our office/play room/spare bedroom lol

[Beka27]

i was thinking more of attaching it on the inside… cut it just a tiny bit smaller then you need then ziptie it on like that, on the back wall but facing you. you could take a damp cloth and wipe it down once a week to get the fur off…

[Alicia Conklin]

Ooohhhh ok, yes that’d work!  Mine would rip it to shreds in no time but that’d definitely be easier to keep clean!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

On the topic of ease to clean….Dave built my condo and he bult it so that ONE cube on each floor opened up…I tried it his way for a week, but after a frustrating sweaty week, I made him alter it so I could actually reach in and clean!! Of course men don’t think of ‘how am I going to clean this’ LOL

I think the coroplast backing sounds like a great idea!

[Alicia Conklin]

That’s how mine was too..just one grid opened on each floor.  It was insanely hard to clean. 

[tdwp2481]

How can I make a ramp for the cage?

[Beka27]

tdwp2481… i saw your question earlier and i split it into a new topic and i answered it there… you can follow this link to get to the thread…

https://www.binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/forumid/2/postid/86953/view/topic/Default.aspx

[tdwp2481]

Oh ha I wondered what happened to my post. Thanks

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