habitat input please

[charliesmom]

Hey all,

So… I’m preparing to get a rabbit. I have the food, hay, toys, treats, ordered (oxbow) and am in the hunt for the rabbit that best suits me (or I should say that I suit them…) anyway… I’m pretty much open to building/purchasing whatever type of material is needed to make a great bunny cage for when I’m not at home. 

 

Is there anything you wished you;d have known when you first build your bunny cages? anything I for sure should stay away from that you thought was good at first? Anything that I should look for? I have looked at A LOT of pictures/posts on here about cages and I really like a lot of the things I have seen but your input would be much appreciated!

 

Thanks! 

[mrmac]

I would reccommend eith buying an xpen or some on the NIC grids. When I got my first bunny I bought one of the pet store cages which ended up getting way to small. Now I have three buns and they are all in an xpen with some cardboard houses and toys and things.

[Monkeybun]

I started with a store bought cage from Petsmart, although my Monkey spends most of her time hoppign around in her pen. pretty muich just uses her cage as a naptime place, or an extra potty. I’d reccommend an X-pn, or the NIC cubes as well, as I can tell ya, a cage just ain’t good enough for our Bunny Overlords.

[Deleted User]

When making habitats in the past I often made the mistake of only looking at my bunnies’ needs. I ended up having to change it again and again because cleaning it was inconvenient. Make it easy to access for yourself. –If you’re already checked out the ‘cool habitats’ section (under Bunny Info) on here, I’d say you’re on the right track.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

NIC CONDO!!!!

Now what you need to know-Make it super easy access to clean-bending and reaching just stink!! Make the openings big enough for you to be able to get in easily and also make every floor accessible-not only for cleanign but so you can get your bunny out easily Also make sure you can access each side to keep it clean

Check out the habitat section on here for cool ideas https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/CoolHabitats/tabid/71/Default.aspx

The other thing I would recommend is plan it out ahead of time…

OHHH and build it in the room you are going to use it. My bf who is a big planner and good with these types of things, missed that idea. He built our condo in his office and spent hours. To find out we then had to take doors off hinges and move furniture to get it out of the office and into it’s rightful place!!

[Deleted User]

LOL! KK, I forgot about that part too. How to move an NIC condo once it’s put together and all zip-tied…hmm????
 

[luvmybunny]

I would also suggest going with a NIC condo. Check the “Cool Habitats” in the Bunny Info tab. It will give you some ideas. Plus the cubes are much less then a petstore cage and give more space and options for you to create a cool cage. I put my first bunny in cramped store cage, but now they are both in NIC cages. Sounds like you are starting out on the right foot with everything Good luck and make sure to take pictures of your new bunny and cage for us to see

[charliesmom]

 Ah you guys are great! I’m going to go with an NIC condo I think! I’m also hopefully going to see if my boyfriend will build a wooden platform for it that have wheels that I can lock in and out of place for moving in order to clean under it. I have to work on the actual levles, etc but at least I have it narrowed down some. 

Any other thoughts? 

I’m getting so excited!

[jerseygirl]

My only tip is to get a large litter box with high sides right from the beginning. I can’t tell you how many litterboxes I’ve had, always changing them to something more suitable.

[Jamm]

agree with jerseygirl. don’t get those little cute corner litter boxes in the beginning like i did :/ they are too small, and bunnies poop alot. and i think a litterbox double your bun size would be ideal. cheers

[skibunny8503]

Ski’s Husband Typing

A good idea somebody else had, and we ended up using as well is check your local Wal-Mart, Target, or any other low priced department store for under the bed plastic storage boxes. They make great litter boxes and they are high enough so when your bun digs it won’t toss dirty litter everywhere. On top of that they’re cheaper than the same size cat litter boxes you buy at a pet store.

I’d also recommend the NIC condo for the simple fact that the possibilities are endless with what you can do with them. Ski and I have the whole East wall of our office dedicated to our buns. I know there’s pics on the forum if you care to look them up. When I did my final redesign our Archie and Gracie loved it so much they didn’t come out for a few days.

Good luck with everything, you already sound like you’re set up to raise a happy and healthy bunny.

[charliesmom]

Thanks for the input about the litter boxes. I will definitely get a larger one and look at those under the bed storage boxes. It is going to be great!

[Tirsey Jones]

Depending on where you’re from you can get litter boxes pretty cheap. Also if your bunnies are going to run around outside of their cage a lot, I recommend getting at least 2 or more litter boxes. This way your bun has more options when out and about, and less likely to leave you present piles where you don’t especially want them. Also, if you can, I suggest rescuing a rabbit or two. The up front cost seems like a lot, but they come spayed and neutered and that costs some money. Going through your local rescue can actually save you some money this way. They are also very knowledgible and can answer many more questions that you may have. Plus you can usually get a detailed history about your new family members.

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