Holes in the hidey house

[MissKris&Koji]

So I’m setting up the habitat today as new rabbit is coming home in just a few days. I started loading in everything I’ve ordered, and noticed that the hidey house I got (Ware rabbit den – http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=17080) has some weird…. holes, on the inside. If you look at the edges around the entrance it looks like 3 layers of wood are smooshed together to make the thing, which is fine, except in 3 points on the inside it looks like knots in the wood or something, but it’s holes where the inner layer is missing. I wouldn’t be concerned about this except I see some weird black bubble-looking stuff all over it, presumably wood glue or whatever they are using to hold the layers together.

Do you all think it’s safe to assume that an animal toy/whatever company would make the box up to be totally chew safe? I called place I ordered from and they said I can either ship back for a refund, or they’ll send me a replacement. I’m not sure what to do, I’m leaning towards shipping it back to be safe, especially since it doesn’t have 2 entrances anyways and I know rabbits prefer that. But, the pet stores around here don’t have anything that could be used as a replacement, and I don’t currently have any cardboard boxes of the right size to make do until I can find something else (or any idea WHERE to find something else).

So – what to do? I was planning on asking my dad to alter this box and make a second entrance for it, easy enough to do. It’s the right size, and a great height to add a “platform” to his big dog crate. I just don’t want to risk him getting sick. Has anyone used this product or seen similar issue with any wood bunny items? What do you all use for hidey house?

 

[Deleted User]

Posted By misskrisnyc on 07/10/2010 12:12 PM

So – what to do? I was planning on asking my dad to alter this box and make a second entrance for it, easy enough to do. It’s the right size, and a great height to add a “platform” to his big dog crate. I just don’t want to risk him getting sick. Has anyone used this product or seen similar issue with any wood bunny items? What do you all use for hidey house?

 

If your dad is willing to get busy for you I would have him make a custom one for your bunny. That foster&smith thing isn’t worth the seventeen bucks it costs. It is very lacking all around. It looks to be made of plywood for one, has only one entrance and what you described about it didn’t sound safe at all. Pet product manufacturers have not learnt to think like rabbits yet.

I will paste here my two all-time favorite hidey huts that BB members have made themselves from solid and safe wood.

Forum Leader Beka27 just recently made this one. It is perfect! They can lounge on top with lots of space, it has entrance and exit to satisfy a rabbit’s desire to always have an escape route and according to beka it took nothing at all to make it.

 

below member Iwayne’s hidey hut. It has a different architecture, that is equally as functional and intriguing to a rabbit as beka’s.

I can’t even say which one I like better.

I would not buy the one from dr foster&smith. It gets a fail from me just by looking at its picture.

[LoveChaCha]

Man, I needa ask if someone can make me one of those LOL

[bunnymum16]

i will be bugging my boyfriend to build me one of those.really nice.

[MissKris&Koji]

Here’s the thing, I highly doubt he will make me a hidey house for them. To take the 5 minutes necessary to cut a second entrance, sure – and I’m aware of this drawback, and actually doing so would eliminate the safety concerns. But to actually build one? He’s a very very busy man, and I doubt he’s going to be inclined to do so. I do have a friend who is handy, but he doesn’t have his own shop, so he’d have to rent space to make me one – and it would end up costing me more than the $17.
Additional concerns: I don’t know what wood, and how to attach it, that would be safe for the rabbits. I did some googling and found that exterior grade plywood is recommended for frames for hutches for bunnies, so I know at least the wood itself is safe.
Now, I’m not thrilled with this house, and I may return it. But, his foster mom says he loves a hidey house, and I have nothing else to give him right now. Handy friend is gone on a work assignment for 2 more months. I think it’s mean to leave the bun homeless-ish for that long, if he has a liking to covered areas. So if I do return this thing, my only choices that I see are:
Try to procure cardboard boxes as needed until I can hopefully hire friend to make something better
OR
Get giant igloo from petstore, also has only one entrance drawback, also not great.

Yes, cardboard is easy enough to come by, I’m just concerned because I’m in the middle of doing my professional certifications, so if he turns out to like eating cardboard I really don’t have the time to go to groceries and Target to try to get them to give me boxes, and find ones appropriately sized to fit in his crate on the regular. Having not had a bunny in a while I don’t know how quick they may destroy a cardboard hut – if it’s once a month or more, that might be okay. If it’s weekly, not so much. I’d much rather find something online that is good, and buy it, and have it shipped to me – but I can’t seem to find any commercial products that are multi-entrance, the right size, bunny safe. Somebody should really get on that, because I’d be happy to shell out $50 right now for the right house if it could just arrive at my door as a stress-free solution. :/

[MissKris&Koji]

Also, I remember the person with the E hut saying it was very heavy – as it’s in a crate until we get a pen and switch to that that sort of design wouldn’t work for me. It is very nice but I need something that fits in a crate and is small and light enough to come out when I need to pull out the tray for a rinse.

[Sarita]

If you are concerned, send it back and worry about it after you have finished your professional certifications and can focus on the hidey hole.

[Moonlight_Wolf]

I think your best bet would be to make your bunny a cardboard box house with two entrances.

[Deleted User]

alright! got it! I didn’t mean to frustrate you in your search for a hide-out!
Go the cardboard way, I’d say. Yes, he may destroy it but it’s actually very important for a rabbit to get to engage in ‘destructive’ activities, it has psychological benefits. It’s just what they were made to do, to gnaw, dig and shred their way through the world. Maybe you have someone in your family or friends or a neighbor who might have boxes for you or can grab one every now and then? Or when you get your own food there may a place you pass by and can pick one up? I used to use cardboard boxes for one of mine before his neuter when he had to be crated at night.
this was inside his crate

[Deleted User]

If you don’t mind spending some money, here are some other things you might like to consider

edible twigloo

or grass tunnel

[MissKris&Koji]

Alright, I will assign the boyfriend with cardboard sourcing and construction so I don’t have to worry about it. XD I just wanted everything to be perfect and safe when I brought little bun home… I think it was the new mom panic. I had seen the twigloo and the grass things, just wasn’t sure if they were big enough. Well, I guess he is tiny. Maybe I will pick up a tunnel thing and a cardboard box and see what happens. I guess it’s trial and error figuring out what each rabbit likes anyways.

That face in the cardboard hole – so cute.

One more question though, is it safe to leave tape on? I guess you have to so it stays together, are there any specifications about what kind of tape is ok? Or any kind of unsafe cardboard – I think I remember reading somewhere plain brown only, no colored printed stuff.

[Deleted User]

no tape, and check for those heavy-duty copper tacks too. they are very dangerous. The box will stay together until bunny goes to town, LOL. Yes, only plain brown cardboard without any tapes, tacks or gloss on it. If it has some print, like “this side up”, that’s fine.
you owe us photos now of your new rabbit!!

[MissKris&Koji]

He’s coming home Thursday at 6 PM! That’s EST, too. I doubt I will terrorize him with the camera first night, but boyfriend just bought a new digicam so when he’s home from work Friday I’ll make him take some and post them.

[mrmac]

Places like home depot have moving boxes (the large boxes are like $1.70’ish) that I go buy sometimes if I don’t have extra cardboard and I want to build them something. Cardboard can be made into very sturdy hidey homes. I used to regularly make cardboard houses for my bunnies that were 3-5 layers thick, the would not bend and took longer to shred and destroy.

[Michelle&Lolli]

I’ve always used cardboard boxes for mine. I did have my dad build a box for them but Eddie sits on it sometimes and that’s all. Neither one really does anything with it. It takes my two several weeks-if not months – to really destroy a cardboard box. I usually end up throwing them away because they get gross, not because they’ve been demolished. Recently my dad bought a blue ray player, so I took the box, cut the opened flaps off, cut two holes on either end and flipped it over. Apparently, it’s the best thing since raisins to them. LOL They’re always under it or on top of it, ripping it up. i’m a dork and got all excited that they really liked it cause usually whenever I try to make a toy for them or something, they snub it. haha

[MissKris&Koji]

A box a few layers thick? How do you do that? Can multiple boxes of same size be stuck inside one another like that?

[jerseygirl]

Office supply type stores and Ikea sell plain boxes too. Also, keep concrete form tubes in mind as a hide away. They’re made from cardboard & should be easy to pick one up at large hardware stores .

[Beka27]

Posted By misskrisnyc on 07/12/2010 01:32 PM
  I’d much rather find something online that is good, and buy it, and have it shipped to me – but I can’t seem to find any commercial products that are multi-entrance, the right size, bunny safe. Somebody should really get on that, because I’d be happy to shell out $50 right now for the right house if it could just arrive at my door as a stress-free solution. :/

 

You’re in luck.  Somebody has already gotten “on that”.

 

 

[MissKris&Koji]

Bigger than I want. I looked at it. What I”m wishing is that someone would offer a small selection of such products, in different dimensions, so there’s hopefully something for everybody… regardless of cage/pen/condo

[MissKris&Koji]

Also, not wood! I think something more durable than cardboard but not super heavy wood would be great. I guess I need to learn how to make stuff.

 

Has anyone tried the Petwerks bunny n clyde? I’m eyeballing that. Not much info on their website about material, weight, etc. I guess I need to email.

[Sarita]

That Bunny n Clyde thing looks like it’s made out of particle board. The thing is you need to make sure that your rabbit is going to fit in the holes.

[4Lily]

the Bunny n Clyde thing doesn’t look very big!

[Beka27]

Even if you got that Petwerks house, it would still need to be altered for a second opening. I had something very similar to that my husband made and they almost never went in it because there was no “escape route”.

[MissKris&Koji]

Petwerks makes a longer one with 2 holes, that’s the one I was talking about. The holes are awfully little, but bunny is 2lbs. Oh well, I just got home from Home Depot where I got a cardboard and cut it up a bit. We’ll see how he does with that, if he likes the cardboard and doesn’t wreck it too quickly it should be an okay solution.

I also got 2 cable cuffs to secure my ikea “hay rack” to the crate – it’s DIY day! I think I’m officially done shopping and messing with his new home until he gets here and we find out a little more about preferences. Home and bunny photos forthcoming in….. T minus 52 hours?

[Beka27]

I can’t wait!!! Bunny housing and “accoutrements” are constantly being renovated!!! There will always be something to move, or improve upon, or rearrange! And of course, bunny always has completely different ideas from us!

[LoveChaCha]

What type of breed is your bunnie? Just make sure the toys that you get a big enough to suit your bunny as it ages.

My 3 pound Nethie can’t fit into some of her toys because she out grew it, lol.

I’ve gotten some stuff from Leith Petwerks and Fosters before. I like BB’s shop I have 2 of the BIG BROWN TOYS Plus, you get a FREE toy for your bunny

[Author]

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