Housing??

[Izabella]

I am sure this question has been answered a million times, but now that I have read a few postings I am bit confused on my housing for my sweet little bunny.  I have a cage that is about 16″ x 26″ with a plastic bottom, that goes about 10 inches around the sides, and then wire sides and tops. I use the carefreshh  (or similiar brands) I put bedding in the cage and in the litter pan (that sits in the corner).  She is pretty good about going in her litter pan, I change the litter pan every day (religiously) and change the entire cage about every 4 days. I wipe the cage and litter pan down with vinegar when I change them each time. I go through what I would consider a lot of bedding.  60 liters – a big bag every 2 weeks – about $40 a month.  I do not mind the cost, but I was just wondering if I setting up the cage properly and taking care of little Izabella properly. 

Of course, if I see lots of poo in the cage, I use a gloved hand and removed the bedding that is dirty and replace it with clean daily.  I gave her food 2x’s a day, and an unlimited supply of hay and water. 

I will get her some flannel blankets for her cage, as I have read postings she might like it.  When she is out she has a little cat bed she loves but its too big for her cage.  Any suggestions is appreciated, I am new bunny owner and I want to do what is best for her.  I am surprised how smart she is but I am also frustrated on how difficult she can be at times. I think we are the terrible “2’s” at times.

Thank you,

Gin

[Sarita]

You do not need any bedding – it’s not necessary, it’s an extra expense and extra cleaning and it confuses the rabbit since bedding is really meant for those animals who do not use a litter box.

How big is this cage anyway? What are the dimensions.

Also, if you don’t mind, this really belongs in the Habitats and Toy section and I would like to move it there.

[Monkeybun]

Definitely just put the carefresh in the litterbox. Having it everywhere int he cage could confuse her as to where she is supposed to go potty

A 16″ x 26″ cage is really too small for her to be in for long periods of time. An exercise pen attached to it would make her a very happy bunny Both of mine have a pen attached to their cages and they loooove them. A larger play area for when she can’t be out running in your house might make her seem less difficult as well. Bunnies don’t want to be locked up when they want to play

[Sarita]

Oh yeah, that size is WAY too small!

[LoveChaCha]

NIC grids? A medium sized dog kennel?
My bunny loves her dog kennel. It is good for her, gives her enough space to hippty hop and lay down and play. I have a x-pen attached to her cage, which gives her extra room. It is 40.00, but is the BEST investment, and it helps ease worrying if you bunny is getting enough room while you aren’t at home.

I also use Carefresh! I change my bunny’s litter box every 2 days. I buy the Natural type of carefresh (the brown one), which tends to be 11.99.

You just need to put the litter in her litter box. If she isn’t in a wire cage, she would do fine without the bedding.

[mocha200]

It is 40.00, but is the BEST investment,

you could buy it from the money you save from bedding!!!

[Izabella]

By all means, feel free to move this message where it belongs. My apologies for putting it where it does not belong. 

She does not need bedding everywhere??..Wow.. I can find a dog kennel for about $40, where? I will look for one right away, poor bunny needs more space.. Thank you all for all for information.. As of tomorrow I will only change the bedding in the litter pan! What a relief!

 

Thanks,

Gin

[RabbitPam]

Yep, getting rid of the bedding outside the litter pan will help. Also, some bunnies like a soft cage bottom and some like the cool smooth plastic or tile, so see what she prefers. If it’s soft, then blankets are nice, as is a low pile rug remnant. But if smooth, then the plastic is fine. Just be sure to put any soiled litter into her litter pan and leave it there so she knows to go in that space only. She may be confused at first, but if you scoop it out of the cage into the litter, she’ll catch on.

[jerseygirl]

Welcome here!

You’ll find this will cut down your cleaning time too. If there are any probs, you could try a larger litterbox. That normally solves the problem.

[Ashleyyy]

How big is Izabella? And is she still a baby? If she’s going to get very big, a dog kennel may not be big enough in the long run. I have one giant breed and one large breed bunnies, and I had NIC cages for them (but recently moved them into a NIC pen). You really want to thing long run before spending any money. You can see the pics in the Habitat section of what most people have for their buns. You want to have enough room for her to be able to flop out completely and hop around as she may.

[MissKris&Koji]

If you’re interested in upgrading to a bigger cage and want a cheap but good dog crate, I went with a crate I got on ebay for $50 with free shipping. This is it: http://cgi.ebay.com/Pawhut-42-3Door-Folding-Dog-Cage-Crate-Kennel-Divider-/110556764418?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19bdb25902

It’s like $75 on amazon, but doing bidding on ebay I got it cheaper. Good deal, good size, folds flat, the tray pulls out for cleaning if you need but has a thing that clips over the open end to keep it locked in when in use. Pan broke during shipment, but customer service just asked for photos of the damage and has mailed me a new one on the way now. *shrug* just a thought – I would have gone with an exercise pen if Petco had the one I wanted in the height I wanted in stock, but they didn’t, so a crate it was. But if you are looking for a cheap larger cage option, I hunted long and hard online before I settled on that one as a good deal. 

[Lunar~Atticus]

i have a cage, an x-pen and a x-large dog crate for my 2 but they are 4 months old at 8lbs and 5 months old at 6lbs. so, i would look into how big she will get full grown and purchase what you will need then for now! so you dont have to keep worrying about upgrading her area and you arent spending money you dont have too! because my rabbits are quite large, i use litter boxes made for cats because rabbit ones are tooo small so think long run and think big thats appropriate to your rabbit’s adult size!

good luck!

[Izabella]

Izzy has a new house! if I could take a pic and show I would!!! (I am having computer issues, but as soon I fix it I will show you!) I got a medium dog kennel and she loves it! She has had it 5 days and she loves! She has enough room to bink and her bed fits in there! Its about 2 x’s as big as her other cage and only $9 more than her other cage! Now don’t I feel silly!

I even upgraded her litter pan… Its twice the size she had, she currently thinks she in a ritzy hotel room! Can I send her a bill?
It’s funny one time we actually opened her door to let her out and she looked at the gate and laid backed down and wait about 20 minutes before coming out to play. We now have less fights to get her to go home now. She is much happier!

Thanks gang!
Gin

[Ashleyyy]

Congrats to Izzy on her new home!

[Elrohwen]

Yay! I’m glad she loves her new cage!

I wanted to add a suggestion: I like to buy fleece from the fabric store by the yard, and use that to line the bottom of the cage. The bunnies like to dig at it and lay on it sometimes. I also use the fleece pieces to line the bottom of the carrier, so they’re multipurpose. And you can throw them in the wash over and over.

[MirBear]

sigh.. i really wish my mom would let me upgrade my bunnies for their tiny cages

[bunnnnnnie!]

Posted By MirBear on 07/20/2010 03:32 PM

sigh.. i really wish my mom would let me upgrade my bunnies for their tiny cages

Can you check garage sales or Craigslist for a used large dog crate?  You can get used dog crates in good condition for next to nothing! 

 

[MissKris&Koji]

That’s definitely true about craigslist, I saw a lot on there when I was cage shopping.

Also regarding lining them, another cheap option is Home Goods or similar discount home type store for hand towels or getting baby pads from horse shops (I think they are a nice size, wash easily to clean, all cotton, no stringy bits may be a plus for chewers, and a bit thicker than just plain fabric). I have been using that for carriers for years for my other pets, and now also for the rabbit carrier and in his crate to lay on or dig at.

[MirBear]

my mom wont let me have them in anything different, and even if i could we just moved so nothing to sell :'(

[Author]

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